GMs Ilya Smirin and Illia Nyzynyk and Conrad Holt topped the crosstables at the World Open (DC, June 30-July 6) with 7-2; winning $9,891 each, with GM Smirin winning the title in playoff.

At least nine players earned norms at this event, one of the strongest norm showing in any American Open, according to TD Steve Immitt.
 

    Sean Nagle    IM Norm (3rd norm)
    Christopher Gu    IM Norm
    Atulya Shetty    IM Norm
    Mika Brattain    IM Norm
    Ethan Li        IM Norm
    Kevin Wang    IM Norm
    Denys Shmelov    IM Norm (3rd IM Norm)
    Kassa Korley    -    IM Norm (he just made an IM norm at the DC International last week)
    Razvan Preotu    - GM Norm  (he actually played 8 GMs!)
 

Here are key and entertaining victories by the winners: 

7442

For the playoff, the GMs were ranked in order of tiebreak, with the top two earning a spot. 

 

1.    Ilya Smirin

2.    Illya Nyzhnyk

3.    Conrad Holt

 

Smirin and Nyzhnyk played a special blitz playoff with White getting 5 minutes + 5-second delay and Black three minutes with a five second delay (along with draw odds).  Smirin had the best tiebreaks of the three, and chose white. Smirin avoided the main lines of the Berlin after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4. Qe2 and won the game, along with the World Open title. 

 

Look for our video coverage from the World Open later this week and find more games and information on the World Open website.