2016 Australasian Masters

The Melbourne Chess Club is the venue for the 2016 Australasian Masters. The top event is a 10 player GM norm event, while there is also an IM norm event running alongside.
IM Anton Smirnov is off to a good start, beating GM Vasily Papin in round 2. He needs 7/9 to score his second (and final) GM norm, while the rest of the non-GM's need 6.5. FM's Chris Wallis and Karl Zelesco can also score IM norms, needing 5/9. In the Masters event, the IM norm score is an equally tough 7/9.
The tournament runs until the 18th of December, with most rounds starting at 4pm. Live coverage of the GM event can also be found on chess24.com


Smirnov,Anton - Papin,Vasily [B42]
Australasian Masters, 11.12.2016

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Bc5 6. Nb3 Be7 7. Nc3 Qc7 8. Bd3 Nf6 9. O-O d6 10. Be3 Nbd7 11. f4 b6 12. a4 Rb8 13. Kh1 Bb7 14. a5 bxa5 15. Rxa5 Nc5 16. Bxc5 dxc5 17. e5 Nd7 18. Ra3 g6 19. Be4 Bxe4 20. Nxe4 Rb6 21. Nbd2 O-O 22. Rb3 Rxb3 23. Qxb3 Rb8 24. Qc3 Rb6 25. b3 Nb8 26. Qe3 Rb7 27. Nf6+ Bxf6 28. exf6 Nd7 29. Ne4 Qb8 30. Qd2 h6 31. h4 Kh7 32. Rf3 Qh8 33. Qc3 a5 34. h5 Qb8 35. hxg6+ fxg6 36. f7 h5 37. Ng5+ Kh6 38. Nxe6 1-0