Ray and Darmen Tie; Ray Wins Armageddon
By Jennifer Shahade   
September 15, 2008
rayleadfinal.jpg
IM Ray Robson, Photo Ola Osanyinjobi
13-year-old IM Ray Robson and GM Darmen Sadvakasov tied for first in the Miami Open, with 7/9 each. (Scroll down past photos for complete final crosstable.) Ray was leading throughout but lost to the Kazakh GM in the final round. According to Tournament director Franc Guadalupe, Ray went on to defeat Darmen in the Armageddon. Ray got the White pieces and seven minutes vs. Black's five minutes and draw odds and Ray won on time.

 Marc Esserman also turned in a fantastic result. He tied for 3rd-9th with 6.5/9 and his result included victories over GMs Mikhalevski and Ehlvest. This fantastic result scored Marc his second IM norm! Unfortunately, Ray and Marc both seem to be ineligible for GM norms due to not enough GM opponents. Reiner Gonzalez and Josh Friedel are still GM-elects so they do not count yet. If CLO hears otherwise from FIDE, we will let you know immediately.

Before checking out the Robson victory below over IM Reiner Gonzalez, can you find Ray's move in this position?

RaytoWin.jpg
White to Move and Win

Show Solution



2399

Photos from Miami courtesy Franc Guadalupe

Rayprep.jpg
Marc Esserman's water position after his draw against Ray Robson

EricH.jpg
Eric Hecht

danmayers.jpg
Dan Mayers

crwodRayMarc.jpg
A crowd gathers to watch Marc Esserman and Ray Robson's battle




Miami Open Final Standings

# Name   Rd 1 Rd 2 Rd 3 Rd 4 Rd 5 Rd 6 Rd 7 Rd 8 Rd 9 Tot
1 GM Darmen Sadvakasov   L23 W57 W28 W10 D13 D20 W21 W11 W2 7.0
2 IM Ray S Robson   W51 W18 W19 W11 W6 D7 W10 D3 L1 7.0
3 GM Victor Mikhalevski   W15 D12 W16 D9 L7 W23 W29 D2 W11 6.5
4 GM Julio J Becerra   W48 D13 W12 D22 D9 D11 W32 W20 D6 6.5
5 IM Davorin Kuljasevic   W35 W55 L10 L23 W37 W48 D13 W12 W14 6.5
6 IM Salvijus Bercys   W52 D29 W17 W32 L2 W36 D20 W18 D4 6.5
7 Marc R Esserman   W53 D32 W21 W27 W3 D2 L11 D10 W20 6.5
8 IM Jacek Stopa   W39 L16 D37 W42 W14 D13 D27 D9 W22 6.0
9 IM Andrei Co Florean   W54 D27 W26 D3 D4 L10 W19 D8 W24 6.0
10 IM Renier Gonzalez   W57 W23 W5 L1 D22 W9 L2 D7 D13 5.5
11 IM John Bartholomew   W34 W45 W20 L2 W23 D4 W7 L1 L3 5.5
12 IM Vinay S Bhat   W50 D3 L4 D37 W39 D26 W17 L5 W32 5.5
13 IM Dean J Ippolito   W43 D4 D27 W39 D1 D8 D5 D26 D10 5.5
14 IM David Pruess   L45 W24 D38 W58 L8 W25 W23 W27 L5 5.5
15 FM Keaton Kiewra   L3 W50 W45 W18 L20 L27 D39 W44 W31 5.5
16 Eric Rodriguez   W61 W8 L3 L20 L18 W43 D44 W35 W29 5.5
17 GM Alexander Ivanov   W41 D22 L6 W59 L36 W42 L12 D31 W33 5.0
18 IM Joshua Ed Friedel   W49 L2 W33 L15 W16 W50 W22 L6 U--- 5.0
19 IM Irina Krush   W37 W47 L2 D48 L21 W45 L9 D39 W40 5.0
20 IM Dionisio Aldama   W24 W33 L11 W16 W15 D1 D6 L4 L7 5.0
21 IM Justin Sarkar   D40 W59 L7 W38 W19 D22 L1 L24 W39 5.0
22 FM Marcel Martinez   W44 D17 W29 D4 D10 D21 L18 X36 L8 5.0
23 FM Kazim Gulamali   W1 L10 W36 W5 L11 L3 L14 W43 W38 5.0
24 Ernesto Alvarez   L20 L14 W53 W30 L29 W37 W48 W21 L9 5.0
25 Ryan Joseph Moon   L36 B--- D35 D28 D47 L14 W42 W41 H--- 5.0
26 GM Alexander Shabalov   D59 W40 L9 D31 W56 D12 D36 D13 U--- 4.5
27 GM Jaan Ehlvest   W31 D9 D13 L7 W41 W15 D8 L14 U--- 4.5
28 IM Marko Zivanic   W56 D36 L1 D25 L49 W58 D33 D38 D30 4.5
29 GM Gildardo J Garcia   W42 D6 L22 D41 W24 X31 L3 D32 L16 4.5
30 Tautvydas Vedrickas   D60 L58 D40 L24 L43 W53 W55 W50 D28 4.5
31 Patrick Scharrer   L27 D51 W44 D26 W57 F29 W49 D17 L15 4.5
32 Victor Kaminski   W38 D7 W58 L6 D48 W49 L4 D29 L12 4.5
33 Artem Edm Ruppert   B--- L20 L18 L50 W40 W57 D28 W34 L17 4.5
34 Troy Daly   L11 H--- L59 H--- W60 D41 W52 L33 W44 4.5
35 Gregory J Kimmel   L5 W56 D25 L36 L44 W46 W45 L16 W42 4.5
36 IM Drasko Boskovic   W25 D28 L23 W35 W17 L6 D26 F22 U--- 4.0
37 Karel Gonzalez   L19 W46 D8 D12 L5 L24 L43 W58 W52 4.0
38 Sylvain Leburgue   L32 W53 D14 L21 L45 W54 W51 D28 L23 4.0
39 Brian Goldstein   L8 X61 W47 L13 L12 W56 D15 D19 L21 4.0
40 Matan Prilleltensky   D21 L26 D30 L47 L33 B--- W56 W48 L19 4.0
41 Evan S Rosenberg   L17 D44 W51 D29 L27 D34 W50 L25 U--- 3.5
42 FM Renard W Anderson   L29 D52 W54 L8 W51 L17 L25 W45 L35 3.5
43 Juan Camilo Arango   L13 L48 B--- L51 W30 L16 W37 L23 D46 3.5
44 Alexander Velikanov   L22 D41 L31 W54 W35 D47 D16 L15 L34 3.5
45 Robert M Perez   W14 L11 L15 H--- W38 L19 L35 L42 W55 3.5
46 Alonso USCF Jaramillo   L47 L37 L50 D53 W55 L35 W58 D51 D43 3.5
47 IM Daniel Fernandez   W46 L19 L39 W40 D25 D44 U--- U--- U--- 3.0
48 Corey Acor   L4 W43 W60 D19 D32 L5 L24 L40 U--- 3.0
49 Andres Santalla   L18 D54 D52 W60 W28 L32 L31 U--- U--- 3.0
50 Christopher Heung   L12 L15 W46 W33 W59 L18 L41 L30 U--- 3.0
51 Misael D Mestres   L2 D31 L41 W43 L42 W59 L38 D46 U--- 3.0
52 Humberto Cruz   L6 D42 D49 H--- D58 H--- L34 H--- L37 3.0
53 Emilio Gustavo Hernandez   L7 L38 L24 D46 H--- L30 H--- D55 B--- 3.0
54 Hans M Morrow   L9 D49 L42 L44 B--- L38 X60 U--- U--- 2.5
55 Juan E Dominguez   B--- L5 L56 L57 L46 W60 L30 D53 L45 2.5
56 Rodelay Medina   L28 L35 W55 B--- L26 L39 L40 U--- U--- 2.0
57 Jose Cabrera   L10 L1 B--- W55 L31 L33 U--- U--- U--- 2.0
58 Leonardo Campiz   H--- W30 L32 L14 D52 L28 L46 L37 U--- 2.0
59 FM Charles A Galofre   D26 L21 W34 L17 L50 L51 U--- U--- U--- 1.5
60 Jose Antonio Carrillo   D30 H--- L48 L49 L34 L55 F54 U--- U--- 1.0
61 Rainer Selva   L16 F39 U--- U--- U--- U--- U--- U--- U--- 0.0