Congrats All Around

For the last few weeks, I've been pretty much out of touch with chess current affairs that I didn't even know the finalists in Khanty-Mansiysk! My thanks to my friend Francisco Plaza for keeping me abreast on that front. After work, during our regular blitz meets, Francisco provides a quick run-down of results. So I guess it's congrats to Kamsky.

But there are two other guys who must truly deserve our congratulations. Firstly, to Zhong Yuan Zhao who last week secured his first ever GM norm in Budapest. According to GM Ian Rogers in his Sun Herald column yesterday, Zhao will now make 2 other attempts to secure the remaining norms before coming back to Oz. There is an invitation only event in Spain followed by Gibraltar in Jan '08. Good luck Zhao.

And while Aussies are still dreaming of their next grandmaster, Pinoy chess fans had an early Chrissy present when Wesley So finally secured a third GM norm last week. Our mate Kiko has all the details. Congrats indeed!