Here's IM Norm #1 !

FM Ray Robson had to pull out at least three points in the final four rounds of the 6th North American FIDE Invitational tournament in order to earn his first IM norm, but it seems that there is little that is beyond this young man. Ray did better, finishing with three wins and a draw in those four games, earning IM norm #1. He's been climbing exponentially the past couple of years, so you might think he's already working on acquiring GM norms. Give the kid a couple of weeks.

You can find more information at Chess Life Online, at the North American Chess Association, at MonRoi, and soon in my November column at ChessCafe.

Sevan Muradian and the North American Chess Association have another twelve such norm-hunting tournaments tentatively scheduled for 2008, including two GM-norm events. We may have a nice crop of new IMs and GMs by this time next year.