Damir Chess Live

Damir Studen was not aware of the Miami Open Online Qualifier until being informed by me at the Friday night Speed Kills tournament. After reading the print-out I made, he said he would give me part of his winnings, if he won the quilifier and made it to the Miami Open. Sort of a "finders fee" I suppose. H P Vest is always telling me that I'm good at distributing information...
Just received a phone call from The Stud informing me that he had TIED FOR FIRST PLACE in the Qualifier! Unfortunately, he has only won second place as a FM with a speed rating in the 1900's took first on tie break. Seems the tie break was the lower rated being placed above the higher rated, although Damir did say he lost to the FM twice, so it would appear the FM was at least deserving...Damir won a half-price entry; one free Re-entry; half-price hotel room; and 12 months of World Chess Live for free!
To win all that, Mr Studen played with about 140 others for three hours on Saturday to get down to a final six players. He played for about an hour and a half today and finished in a tie with the aforementioned FM, and a friend of his, a NM named De Jesus, from Texas.