Friday, August 6, 2010

Sam Collins getting closer to the Grandmaster goal!

IM Sam Collins is having a fantastic performance at the 2010 Artic Chess Challenge, held in Norway!


After seven rounds his score stands at an undefeated 5.5/7. This after playing one Woman International Master and five Grandmasters!! The talk is that if he achieves one point out of his last two games he could get his second grandmaster norm.

I don't think I will ever have to worry about these formula so I will just cross my fingers for Sam and hope he achieves whatever is required. 

Against the five Grandmasters Sam scored three draws and two wins. I provide below his fine win against GM Ivan Ivanisevic (2611)

I for one will be following Sams performance for the rest of the tournament. You can to at the following link provided by Alex Lopez.

These feel like magical times for Irish Chess - between the fine performances at the British Championship, the closed tournaments in Dublin at the end of the month, the plans John Delaney and others have for junior chess, and now maybe a home grown Irish Grandmaster. I hope this leads to an Irish chess explosion.

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