Hambleton(CAN) gets IM norm at SPICE Open 2012

Robson,R was clear first with 7/9 while Hambleton scored an IM norm with 5/9.

Final Standings 
1 Robson,R                      2602 7.0/9
2 Corrales Jimenez,F         2605 6.5/9
3 Neimer,V                       2384 6.0/9
4 Ramirez,Alej                   2551 6.0/9
5 Mikhalevski,V                2538 6.0/9
6 Perelshteyn,E                 2528 5.5/9
7 Yang,Dar                       2485 5.5/9
8 Leon Hoyos,M              2603 5.5/9
9 Amanov,M                    2507 5.5/9
10 Diamant,A                   2471 5.5/9
11 Gerzhoy,L(CAN)        2469 5.5/9
12 Troff,Kayden W          2312 5.0/9
13 Bykhovsky,An ISR     2522 5.0/9
14 Mogranzini,R               2492 5.0/9
15 Hambleton,A(CAN)    2348 5.0/9
16 Sarkar,J                      2408 5.0/9
17 Finegold,B                  2493 5.0/8
18 Ostrovskiy,Al                2377 5.0/9
19 Charbonneau,P(CAN) 2517 5.0/9
20 Shulman,Y                  2595 5.0/9
21 Hendrickson,Nolan R 2146 5.0/9
(42 players)  

See his nice website Aman Hambleton

Here is Hambleton's tense Rd1 game.

Hambleton,A (2348) - Ramirez,Alej (2551) [A59]
Spice Cup Open Saint Louis USA (1), 16.10.2012

Critical Position 1
How do you assess the position? What's the plan for white? How do you play?

White to Play

Critical Position 2
The b-pawn is white's hope but what now?

White to Play