Naka tops rapid and blitz live rankings
This has been an amazing week for Hikaru Nakamura. The 5-time US champion gained a spot in the Candidates, won the FIDE Grand Prix series, and climbed to first place both in the rapid and blitz live ratings lists. His next goal, albeit one that does not particularly motivate him, is to win the third leg of the Grand Prix, as he reached the final on Friday after scoring back-to-back wins over Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.
Wesley So published two new opening DVDs: 1.b3, the so called Nimzo-Larsen-Attack, for White and his black secrets in the modern Italian. Get them in a package and save money!Much like Nakamura, Wesley So only needed two games to secure a spot in the tournament’s final. The Filipino-born star defeated Amin Tabatabaei, who had won the second classical encounter of the match on demand.
Given the large number of players that entered the third leg of the series with chances to get a spot in the Candidates Tournament, the fact that Nakamura and Richard Rapport were confirmed as the winners of the coveted prizes early on created a more relaxed atmosphere throughout the knockout stage. Both Mamedyarov and Tabatabaei, right after being eliminated from the competition, were quick to praise their opponents, who had shown a clear superiority in the rapid section of the semifinals.
Hikaru Nakamura
Nakamura 2 - 0 Mamedyarov
In both rapid games, Mamedyarov had a good position in complex middlegames. However, Nakamura had the better nerves as the clocks ticked down. His experience playing hours and hours of blitz and bullet chess online paid off.
Mamedyarov’s 33.Rb7 was a mistake in this endgame. In order to prevent what followed, the Azerbaijiani needed to play 33.g4, as after the text move Nakamura found the winning 33...Bh3.
White’s best alternative at that point was to simply grab the bishop, giving up an exchange, with 34.Rxb4. Mamedyarov instead went for 34.Rc1, and resigned after 34...Bc5
Mate in six.
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.b3 d5 3.Bb2 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.d4 Bg4 6.Be2 e6 7.Nbd2 cxd4 8.exd4 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.a3 Rc8 11.h3 Bh5 12.Bd3 Bd6 13.Re1 Re8 14.g4 Bg6 15.Bxg6N 15.Qe2 Bb8 16.Ne5 Nxe5 17.dxe5 Nd7 18.Rad1 Qh4 19.Kg2 a6 20.Nf3 Qe7 21.Bc1 Qc5 22.Bb2 15...hxg6 16.Ne5 g5 16...Qb6!? 17.c4 Nd7 18.Nd3 Nf8 19.c5 Bb8 20.b4 Ng6 21.Nf3 f6 22.Qc2 Kf7 23.Re2 Qc7 23...Rh8 24.Kg2 24.b5? Rxh3 25.Kg2 Qh8-+ 24...Qd7 24.Re3 24.Nde5+!= Ncxe5 25.dxe5 24...Rh8! 25.Rae1 Kf8 26.Qe2 Rxh3 27.Rxe6 Kg8 27...Nce7!? 28.Rd6 Rd8 29.Rxd8+ Qxd8 28.Re8+ 28.Kg2!= Rh2+ 29.Kg1 28...Kh7 29.Re3 Kg8 30.Re8+! Kh7 31.Re3 Rh6 32.b5 32.Re8 32...Na5 32...Qd7! 33.Nxg5+ fxg5 34.bxc6 bxc6 33.Re6 Rh3 33...Rd8! 34.Re3 Rh4 35.Qc2 35.Re6!= 35...Rxg4+ 36.Kf1 36...Nc4 36...Qd7! 37.c6 Qf5 37.Re6 Qd7 37...Re4 38.R1xe4 dxe4 39.Qxc4 Qf7 38.c6! bxc6 38...Qf7= 39.Nc5+- Qc7 39...Qf7 40.Bc1! Kh6? 40...cxb5? 41.Qf5 Qf7 42.Qxg4+- 40...Nd6 41.Ne5 Re4 41.Qf5 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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| Nakamura,H | 2736 | Mamedyarov,S | 2767 | 1–0 | 2022 | | FIDE Grand Prix-III KO 2022 | 1.3 |
| Mamedyarov,S | 2767 | Nakamura,H | 2736 | 0–1 | 2022 | | FIDE Grand Prix-III KO 2022 | 1.4 |
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So 2 - 0 Tabatabaei
While the games in the aforementioned semifinal tiebreaks lasted 41 and 34 moves, the encounters played by So and Tabatabaei lasted 63 and 47. The steady-handed So prevailed in the last stage of the games.
In this 60-minute video course you will learn how to anticipate Black's developing schemes, and you will become acquainted with typical sacrifices that white can use to gain a powerful initiative.Tabatabaei played 46...Nd5 and resigned after 47.Rb8. In a rapid game, it was perhaps worth to try 46...Nxa6 and test whether White can win the position with a rook against four pawns.
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bf4 c5 4.e4 cxd4 5.Qxd4 Nc6 6.Bb5 6...a6N 6...Bd7 7.Bxc6 Bxc6 8.e5 Nd7 9.e6 fxe6 10.Nf3 Qb6 11.Ne2 h6 12.h4 Rg8 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.e5 Ng8 9.0-0-0 e6 10.Ne4! Bd7 11.Nd6+ Bxd6 12.exd6 f6 12...Qf6!= 13.Nf3 Rb8 14.Rhe1 Qb6 15.Qxb6 Rxb6 16.Be3 Rb8 17.c4 17.Nd4± 17...Kf7 18.Rd3 Nh6 19.Ra3 19.Bxh6 gxh6 20.Nd2 19...Nf5= 20.Bc5 h5! 21.Rxa6 Ra8 22.Rxa8 Rxa8 23.Kb1 e5 24.h3 h4 25.b3 Ke6 26.Kb2 g5 27.Re2 Be8 28.a4 dxc4 29.Rd2 cxb3 30.Kxb3 Kd7 31.Bb6? 31.Ka3 31...Nxd6 32.a5 Bf7+ 33.Kb4 Bd5 34.Rc2 Nc8 35.Rb2 Nxb6 36.axb6-+ Ra6 37.Kc3 Kc8 38.Nh2 f5 39.Nf1 Kb7 40.Ne3 Be6 41.Rd2 Rxb6 42.Rd8 Kc7 43.Rf8 f4 44.Nc2 Rb3+ 45.Kd2 Kd6 46.Rf6 Ke7 47.Rh6 c5 48.Rh7+ Bf7 49.Ne1 Rb2+ 50.Kc3 Rxf2 51.Nd3 Re2 52.Nxc5 Kf6 53.Nd7+ Ke6 54.Nc5+ Kd5 55.Nd7 Be6 56.Nf6+ Kc6 57.Re7 Bf5 58.Ne8 Rc2+ 59.Kb4 Rxg2 60.Rc7+ Kd5 61.Rc5+ Kd4 62.Rc4+ Ke3 63.Nf6 Bd3 0–1 - Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
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- Drag the split bars between window panes.
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| Tabatabaei,M | 2623 | So,W | 2772 | 0–1 | 2022 | | FIDE Grand Prix-III KO 2022 | 1.3 |
| So,W | 2772 | Tabatabaei,M | 2623 | 1–0 | 2022 | | FIDE Grand Prix-III KO 2022 | 1.4 |
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