IM Norm for Ikeda

While I mentioned that Junta Ikeda achieved an IM Norm at Queenstown in the posts covering the tournament results, I still think it is important enough to devote a separate entry to it. Junta is very popular in the Canberra chess community, and we all felt it was just a "matter of time" after a few near misses in the past. Along with Andrew Brown (who earned his IM title last year), Junta is a product of the Canberra chess scene, and is heavily involved in junior coaching, despite the pressures of his own chess career (and University studies). Hopefully he will carry his good Australian Championships/Queenstown form forward, with the upcoming Doeberl Cup and Sydney International Opens providing further opportunities for Junta to earn his IM title.
Here is his final round game against Eugene Schon, where he needed a win to secure the norm


Schon,Eugene - Ikeda,Junta [A30]
Queenstown Classic (9), 23.01.2012