Ray Robson Does It Again!

Photo credit: Chess Life Online
In an earlier post, regarding the 2006 National Chess Congress, I wrote: "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."

Ray has done it again. The 2006 North American Open has just concluded and the MonRoi site provides the final standings from the open section. Look at the top 13 finishers. Go ahead, I'll wait.

See what I mean? There are nine GMs, three IMs, and FM Ray Robson. He finished tied for 5th-9th place, with a score of 5.0/7, just one point behind tournament winner GM Hikaru Nakamura. In that group of 9 GMs and 3 IMs, the lowest-rated player is still 175 points above Ray. Of his five victories, one came against a 2300-rated player, two against 2400-rated players, and one against GM Melikset Khachiyan, who weighs in at a hefty 2539.

Here at the end of 2006, his rating now stands at 2287, 105 points ahead of where he ended 2005. Look for great things from this young player, still only twelve years old.