Chen, Amburgy Earn IM Norms at Robert Byrne Memorial

Jeff DiOrio with IM-Elect Ryo Chen and FM Ryan Amburgy (courtesy Elite Chess)

The Robert Byrne Memorial was held at the Elite Chess Center in Naperville, IL from January 18-23 in honor of the late 1972 US Champion, GM Robert Byrne (1928-2013).

The invitation-only Round Robin tournament consisted of a ten-player IM norm section and a ten-player GM norm section. The event boasted many of Chicago’s finest titled players, up-and-coming US stars, and notable players from around the world.

The battle raged right from the start in the IM Section with an astounding seven decisive games in the first two rounds alone. After round three, FM Ryan Amburgy was near the top of the leaderboard but needed a win to stay in norm contention. In his fourth-round game, Amburgy showed that when he is given an opportunity to seize the initiative, he does.

After this victory, Amburgy kept the momentum going with three wins and two draws in his final five matches. He ended the tournament with a spectacular score of 7/9 and earned his first-ever International Master Norm! And if this tournament is any indication, Amburgy, who is a freshman in college, has many norms yet to come.

Amburgy with his first IM norm (courtesy Elite Chess)

Round five in the GM section featured IM Tianqi (Steve) Wang playing GM Alder Escobar Ferero in a clash that just might be the game of the year. Spectators in the back room and online were treated to an incredible game involving hanging queens and a middle game king-walk. The game is featured in the March print edition of Chess Life with instructive and entertaining annotations by FM Gauri Shankar, who was at the Elite Chess Center and witnessed it all firsthand.

Moskow (L) against Quesada Vera

Round six in the IM Section pitted Dr. Eric Moskow (FIDE 2125) against GM Vladimir Georgiev (FIDE 2422). The nearly 300-point rating difference in this game was the largest in the tournament, but Dr. Moskow’s renowned preparation and inspired middle game play closed the gap. With games like these, Dr. Moskow’s rating is sure to continue to climb.

In the GM section, FM Ryo Chen’s meteoric rise continued as he went undefeated through the first six rounds. Halfway through the tournament, it became clear that not only would he achieve his third and final IM norm, but he might earn a GM norm too! During his seventh-round match, Chen, who at the time was the second-highest ranked 12-year-old in the United States, showed both opening preparation and flawless endgame technique far beyond his years.

With a draw in round eight, Chen earned his final IM Norm with a round to spare and his rating crossed the 2400 mark as well. Thus, he officially became IM-Elect Ryo Chen!

IM-Elect Chen! (courtesy Elite Chess)

Elite Chess is committed to providing chess instruction and norm round robin opportunities to players from all demographics. Information on upcoming events can be found here.