After round seven of the 2016 Saint Louis Invitational, three players are still in contention to earn a GM norm. IM Irene Sukandar, IM Akshat Chandra, and IM Steven Zierk all stand at 4.5 points with two rounds to go. That means each needs to win their final two games to achieve the norm. Round 7 saw IM Sukandar play against IM Zierk in a tactical battle. Sukandar with the white pieces was able to covert an exchange French after Zierk overestimated the strength of an advanced d-pawn.
It was a critical win for IM Sukandar of Webster University. If she had not been able to win, she would have lost her chance to earn a norm in this tournament. Additionally it sets up the possibility in the last round of a critical game between her and IM Chandra. That all depends on the results of round 8 starting at 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 12th.
Also in round seven, IM Awonder Liang secured a draw against IM Akshat Chandra in a Queen’s Gambit Accepted. While earning a half-point, IM Chandra now has a tough road to the norm as he will need to win out to secure it.
The final two days of the 2016 Saint Louis Invitational will prove to be an exciting affair with three players still able to gain a norm. View game results and the standings all at http://www.uschesschamps.com/information-2016-saint-louis-invitational/r….