GM Gata Kamsky first on tiebreak in Las Vegas

six players finish on top with equal points

GM Gata Kamsky won the 2008 edition of the Las Vegas Chess festival. GM Kamsky finished with 5,0/6, winning four games and drawing 2.

Six players in total finished with 5,0. Besides GM Kamsky six players in total finished with 5,0 - GM Fressinet, GM Petrosian, GM Kolev, IM Finegold, and GM Friedel. However, Kamsky was awarded the title on better tiebreak.

It was a great competiton for IM Ray Robson. The young star was awarded the IM title only a few weeks ago at the Presidential board meeting in Athens. Robson shared 7th place with 4,5/6, only half a point away from GM Kamsky.

Las Vegas chess festival standings

1-6 GM Kamsky, Gata NY 2782 5.0
1-6 GM Fressinet, Laurent FRA 2706 5.0
1-6 GM Petrosian, Tigran L ARM 2666 5.0
1-6 GM Kolev, Atanas BGR 2620 5.0
1-6 IM Finegold, Ben MI 2594 5.0
1-6 GM Friedel, Josh NH 2504 5.0

7-9 GM Erenburg, Sergey ISR 2613 4.5
7-9 GM Khachiyan, Melikset CA 2566 4.5
7-9 IM Robson, Ray FL 2433 4.5

IM Ray Robson, one of the young starts of US chess in Las Vegas

SP World Open for Boys and Girls

Our good friend GM Susan Polgar awarded some of the new stars of the chess world in Las Vegas.

Girls under 8 Co-Champions: Annie Wang, Nicole Zlotchevsky, Alisha Chawla, Queena Deng 4-1
Boys under 8 Champion: Winston Zen 5-0
Girls under 11 Champion: Leanne Hwa 5-0
Boys under 11 Champion:Tommy Polgar 5-0
Girls under 14 Champion: Sayaka Foley 5-0 (TTU $36,000 scholarship - Out of state tuition)
Boys under 14 Champion: Matthew Martinez 5-0
Girls under 19 Champion: Rebecca Lelko 4.5-.5 (TTU $36,000 scholarship - Out of state tuition)
Boys under 19 Champion: Randel Eng 5-0 (TTU $36,000 scholarship - Out of state tuition)