Ray Robson Excels at National Chess Congress

The National Chess Congress tournament was held in Philadelphia from November 24-26. It included a field of 5 International Masters and 11 Grandmasters and indeed, a look at the top seven finishers shows 6 GMs and 1 IM. Five of these players sport 2600+ ratings, and another is just below, at 2592. Who is the next player in line, the one who finished in 8th place?

It is none other than sixth-grader FM Ray Robson, with his 2258 rating. He actually finished tied for 5th-9th place, but ended in 8th place due to tiebreak points. He finished ahead of five GMs and four IMs. The final standings of the event can be found here.

For a nice tournament report from IM Jennifer Shahade, including two of Ray's games, see the USCF online page here.