Posts Tagged ‘hikaru nakamura’

The seventh round at the London Chess Classic 2012 was all set for an attacking clash between World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and US Chess Champion Hikaru Nakamura. The American went for the 2.c3 Sicilian and invited a sacrifice for three pawns from the Norwegian. But, Hikaru Nakamura got back into the game neutralizing Black’s passed and connected pawns on the Queenside. Black’s fortress brought the game down to a draw. Replay the game with Chess King.
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Reigning US Chess Champion versus the highest rated woman chess player: When Hikaru Nakamura and Judit Polgar met in Round 5 of the London Chess Classic 2012, there were fireworks all around. The two aggressive players squeezed the game right down to the last pawn. Eventually, Nakamura prevailed. Enjoy the game with Chess King.
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Another quintessential chess game at the London Chess Classic 2012 that ended in a draw despite reigning US Chess Champion Hikaru Nakamura pushing his luck against Michael Adams. The British Grandmaster held his ground and no progress was possible. The game was a draw. Replay the game in the Chess King applet for some solid defensive ideas.
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The London Chess Classic 2012 Round 3 had a nice Gruenfeld encounter between Gawain Jones and Hikaru Nakamura. Nakamura ground out a Knight vs. Bishop endgame which Jones defended like they say in the schoolbooks. The game ended as a draw. Check it out with Chess King.
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Former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik was in form to beat US Chess Champion Hikaru Nakamura in the second round of the London Chess Classic 2012 on Sunday. Kramnik made the Queen ending look like a piece of cake. Enjoy the game in the super Chess King applet.
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The London Chess Classic 2012 began with an explosive start with all four games being decisive in the first round. One of these decisive games was between World No. 1 Levon Aronian and US Chess Champion Hikaru Nakamura. Aronian lost the thread of his attack down the Queenside and Nakamura infiltrated with a dangerous Queen+Knight assault on a defenseless White King. Aronian blundered away a piece with 26.Rd2. Replay the game with Chess King.
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The 16th Univé Chess Festival is taking place from October 19-27, 2012, in in Hoogeveen, Holland. The main event is a four-player Crown Group double round robin with Hikaru Nakamura, USA, 2786, Anish Giri, NL, 2730, Sergey Tiviakov, NL, 2659, and women’s world chess champion Hou Yifan, China, 2605. Nakamura is the only one who has won two games in three rounds so far. Here is the nice Nakamura-Yifan game in the Chess King applet.
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The position on the left is a won endgame by White from Hikaru Nakamura-Anish Giri at the London Chess Grand Prix Round 10 (Report on Chess Blog). However, this endgame comes with some great ideas going back all the way to 37.h3. See the position below.
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The position is from the sixth round at the London Chess Grand Prix. Hikaru Nakamura, playing White is already on the defensive against Wang Hao, and then he makes a blunder by 45.Nxa4. Can you figure out the winning combination for Black from this position?
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The London Chess Grand Prix goes into its first rest day after five rounds. Boris Gelfand is in the lead. (Tournament report on Chess Blog.) All games were drawn in the fifth round. However, Leinier Dominguez missed a win against US Chess Champion Hikaru Nakamura. Black has just played 68. …Rb8. Can you find the winning continuation for White?
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Two rounds have been played at the London Chess Grand Prix. Hikaru Nakamura lost his game in the first round, but had Rustam Kasimdzhanov gift him this game in the second round. (Read the reports on Chess Blog.) White has just played 60.Bd3. Can you spot why it is a blunder?
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The London Chess Grand Prix has begun with a grand ceremony. The first round (Report on Chess Blog.) saw one decisive game between current US chess champion Hikaru Nakamura and world title challenger Boris Gelfand of Israel. The game is a lesson in King activity in the endgame. In the position on the left, what would be the best move for Black?

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A very interesting game in which Radoslaw Wojtaszek beat Hikaru Nakamura using lots of threats, a subtle and strong attack, plus piece co-ordiation during the last round at the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul. (Read report on Chess Blog.) White exploits the power of a pawn clamped down on h6 with the dark-squared Bishop missing from Black’s fianchetto. Overall, of course, Radoslaw played safe leaving out interesting tactics. But then, White was plus for a long time and just needed to build on that advantage to win the game. Watch out for some nice moves like 20.Nh4, 40.h6.

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It was the game of Round 9 as Hikaru Nakamura of the US stunned Vladimir Kramnik of Russia to push Russia off the sole lead at the 40th Chess Olympiad in Istanbul. Black went for a Rook sac, a pawn roll down the center, and a King march, but Nakamura was unstoppable because the compensation was not enough for Black. At one point it did seem Black could claw back a draw. However, it was not to be. White even underpromoted to win! Can you see in the diagram on the left and figure out what happens if White plays 62.c8=Q? Check your answer with the Chess King applet and Houdini analysis. You can also replay the full game between the two powerful grandmasters in the Chess King board.

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US Chess Champion 2012 GM Hikaru Nakamura is known for his plus-100-move chess games that leave his opponent flagged out. He did not disappoint his fans in the second round at the Istanbul Chess Olympiad grinding down Lithuanian GM Vidmantas Malisauska in a 107-move Sicilian Najdorf. A draw’s not a draw after all the battery’s been sucked outta your system – drop of blood by drop of blood.

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The Biel Chess Festival got a new leader after Round 4 on Thursday. China’s No. 1 Wang Hao beat Dutch Chess Champion Anish Giri to tally 9 points out of 4 games. Hikaru Nakamura won his first game, against Victor Bologan, while Etienne Bacrot and Magnus Carlsen drew their game. Here is the Giri-Hao game with Chess King – your best chess training partner on the planet! The earlier Wang Hao-Hikaru Nakamura wild game won by the former is here.

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The 2012 Biel Chess Festival is taking place from July 23 to August 2 and the Master Tournament (eleven rounds Swiss) includes six very strong grandmasters playing a double round robin: Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Alex. Morozevich, Wang Hao, Etienne Bacrot and Anish Giri. But, Alexander Morozevich dropped out after Round 2 due to health reasons (Chess Blog news). He has been replaced by Viktor Bologan. Meanwhile, here is a wild game between Chinese No. 1 Wang Hao and the US Chess Champion Hikaru Nakamura. On the subject of wild games, you have seen the brutal Chess Queen vs Wang Hao knockout checkmate video that’s gone viral?

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Russia’s Alexander Morozevich has been leading the Tal Chess Memorial with quite a lead for five rounds. He continues to lead after six rounds despite a loss to reigning US Chess Champion Hikaru Nakamura in an interesting game that displayed inspirational play by the latter. Morozevich launches a logical-enough attack but loses the thread somewhere in time trouble. Meanwhile, this loss allowed former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik to catch up with Morozevich.

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Hikaru Nakamura blazed through the last two rounds of the 2012 US Chess Championship on his way to the title a few weeks back. The penultimate  round earned him his first victory in  Classical Chess against defending champion Gata Kamsky. That deprived Kamsky of his  second successive triumph at the US Chess Championship. Kamsky had taken a half point lead going into the decisive clash that took place in the penultimate round, but ended a point behind.

Both players convincingly defeated former world title Candidate Yasser Seirawan. Nakamura defeated him in the last round to secure the title and the $40,000 first prize. Check out this ballistic Kamsky-Nakamura clash from the US Chess Championship 2012.

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