U.S. Chess Champ Hikaru Nakamura (Part 2)
By GM Lubomir Kavalek

Read
part one here
"A knowledge of tactics is the foundation of positional play," claimed
Richard Reti, a chess philosopher and one of the leading players of the 1920s.
And tactics can crack strong positional walls and take them down. Tactics would
fail Seirawan time to time in his successful career.
Seirawan has reached a point in his career when he plays with"ambition
without ammunition, " to use Boris Spassky's favorite expression. Yasser
suffers in the openings, being out-prepared and out-analyzed by the younger
players. But give him an equal position without queens on the board and he will
shine.
Kamsky's style has evolved from being a staunch defender to a freelance attacker,
capable of creating brilliant tactical gems. He didn't have to think too much
against Seirawan. Everything was served up on a platter for him and he just
picked the best moves prepared three years ago against Veselin Topalov. The
victory briefly catapulted Kamsky into first place.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Bf5 5.Ng3 Bg6 6.h4 h6 7.Nf3 Nd7 8.h5 Bh7 9.Bd3 Bxd3 10.Qxd3 e6 11.Bd2 Ngf6 12.0-0-0 Be7 13.Ne4 Nxe4 14.Qxe4 Nf6 15.Qd3 0-0 16.Kb1 c5 17.g4!? Nxg4 18.Qe2! Kh8 19.Rhg1 Nf6 20.dxc5 Qc7 21.Ne5 Bxc5? 21...Rad8 22.Bxh6! gxh6 23.Rd7‼ Qxd7 23...Nxd7 24.Qd2 Kh7 25.Ng4 23...Qb8 24.Rxf7 24.Nxd7 Nxd7 24...Rg8 25.Rxg8+ Rxg8 26.b4+- 25.Qd2 Kh7 26.b4 26.Qxd7 Bxf2 27.Qd3+ Kh8 28.Qc3+ e5 29.Rf1+- 26...Rad8 27.bxc5 Nf6 27...Nxc5 28.Qf4 Rd5 29.Qf6+- 28.Qf4 Ne8 29.Qe4+ Kh8 30.Qxb7 Ng7 31.Qxa7 Rc8 32.Rd1 Nf5 33.Rd7 Kg7 34.a4 Kf6 35.a5 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
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Kamsky,G | 2741 | Seirawan,Y | 2643 | 1–0 | 2012 | B19 | ch-USA 2012 | 9 |
Please, wait...
Nakamura began the most important game of the tournament with a half-point
handicap. But he equalized rather quickly with the black pieces in the Sicilian
Najdorf and had Kamsky under pressure throughout the game. Hikaru had a slim
but important lead going into the last round.
Replay and check the LiveBook here |
Please, wait...
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.a4 e5 7.Nf3 Be7 8.Bc4 0-0 9.0-0 Be6 10.Bb3 Nc6 11.Bg5 Na5!? 12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.Bd5 13.Nd5 Nxb3 14.cxb3 Rc8 15.Nxf6+ gxf6= 13.Ba2 Rc8 14.Nd5 Nc4= 13...Rc8 14.Nd2 Qc7 15.Re1 Bg5! 16.Nf1 Qb6! 17.Rb1 Nc4 18.Qe2 Bh6 18...g6 19.h4 Qb4 20.g3 Rc7 20...Nxb2 21.Nd1 21.Kg2 Nb6 22.Bb3 Bxb3 23.cxb3 Qxb3 24.a5 Na4 25.Nh2 25.Nd5 Rc2 25...g6 25...Nxc3 26.bxc3 Qxc3 27.Ng4 Qxa5 28.Nxh6+ gxh6 29.Qg4+ Kh8 30.Qf5 Qa2 31.Red1 26.Ng4 Bg7 27.Nd5 27.Ne3 f5 28.exf5 gxf5 29.Qd1 Qxd1 30.Rexd1 Nxc3 31.bxc3 27...Rc2 28.Qe3 Nc5 28...Qxe3 29.Ngxe3 Rxb2 30.Rxb2 Nxb2 31.Rb1 Na4 32.Rxb7 29.h5 29.Ngf6+! Kh8 30.Nd7! Rd8 31.Nxc5 Qxe3 32.Rxe3 Rxc5 33.b4= 29...Qxe3 30.Ngxe3 Rd2 31.Nc4 Rd4 32.Nxd6 Rd8 33.b4 Nd3 34.Nxb7 Nxe1+ 35.Rxe1 Ra8 36.f3 36.hxg6 hxg6 37.Ne7+ Kf8 38.Nd5 Ra7 39.Nc5 Kg8 40.Ra1 Bf8 41.Nxa6‼ Rxa6 42.b5 36...Bf8 37.Rc1 37.Nc5 gxh5 37...Bxb4 38.Rc7 38.h6 Bf8 39.Rc7 Bxh6 40.Nd6 Bg7 38...gxh5 39.Kh3 Kg7 40.Kh4? 40.Nxb4 Rxb4 41.Nd6 40...Ra7 41.Kxh5 Rxd5! 42.exd5 Bxa5 43.Re7 Bb6 43...Kf8 44.d6 Bb4 45.Rd7 Bxd6 46.Rxd6 Rxb7 47.Rxa6 Rb3 48.Kg4 h5+ 49.Kxh5 Rxf3 44.d6 a5 45.Kg5 45.Nd8 a4 46.Ne6+ Kf6 47.Nc7 Bxc7 48.dxc7 Ra8 49.Rd7 Rc8 50.Rd6+ Ke7 51.Ra6 Rxc7 52.Rxa4 45...a4 46.Kf5 a3 47.Nd8 a2 48.Ne6+ Kh6 49.Ng5 a1Q 50.Nxf7+ Kg7 0–1
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Kamsky,G | 2741 | Nakamura,H | 2775 | 0–1 | 2012 | B90 | ch-USA 2012 | 10 |
Please, wait...
Nakamura's victory in the last round was the title clincher. He surprised Seirawan
already with his second move and continued to gain advantage with unorthodox
play. Yasser fell again under heavy tactical blows.
1.e4 e6 2.f4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.c3 Nge7 6.Na3 Nf5 7.Nc2 h5 7...d4 8.Bd3 Qb6 9.Qe2 Nfe7 10.Be4 Nd5 11.g3 Bd7 12.c4 Ndb4 13.d3 Nxc2+ 14.Qxc2 f5 15.exf6 gxf6 16.Nh4 f5 17.Bg2 0-0-0 18.Nf3 Bd6 19.Bd2 Rdg8 20.0-0-0 h6 21.Rde1 Kb8 22.Re2 Rg6 23.Rhe1 Rc8 24.Kb1 a5 25.Ka1 Kc7 26.Nh4 Rf6 27.Bxc6 Qxc6 28.Bxa5+ b6 29.Bd2 Qa8 30.Rf2 Bc6 31.Qd1 b5 32.b3 bxc4 33.bxc4 Rb8 34.Bc1 Ba4 35.Qd2 Kc8 36.Ree2 Bc7 37.Qe1 Ba5 38.Bd2 Bc2 39.Bxa5 Qxa5 40.Rf1 Rb1+ 41.Qxb1 Bxb1 42.Rxb1 Qc3+ 43.Reb2 Rf7 44.Nf3 Rb7 45.Ne5 h5 8.Bd3 g6 9.0-0 Be7 10.Bxf5 gxf5 11.d4 h4 11...b6 12.Qe2 a5 13.Qf2 Ba6 14.Rd1 h4 12.dxc5 Bxc5+ 13.Be3 Be7 14.h3 b6 15.Qe2 Nb8 15...a5 16.b4!? 15...Bb7 16.Rfd1 16.Rfd1 Ba6 17.Qe1 Nd7 18.b4 Nf8 19.a4 Bc4 20.Ncd4 Qd7 21.b5 Ng6 22.Nc6 Kf8 22...Rc8 23.Nd2 Rxc6 24.bxc6 Qxc6 23.Nd2 Bd3 24.c4! Kg7 25.cxd5 exd5 25...Qxd5 26.Nxe7 Nxe7 27.Nf3 Rad8 28.Ra3 Qe4 29.Ng5 Qc4 30.Rc3 Qb4 31.Rc7 26.Nb1 Bc4 26...Bxb1 27.Raxb1 Rhc8 28.Qc3 Qe6 29.Qb3 27.Qc3! Qe6 28.Nd2 28.Nd4 Qc8 28...Rhc8? 28...Kh7 29.Nxc4 dxc4 30.Rac1 29.Nd4 Qd7 30.e6! 1–0
- Start an analysis engine:
- Try maximizing the board:
- Use the four cursor keys to replay the game. Make moves to analyse yourself.
- Press Ctrl-B to rotate the board.
- Drag the split bars between window panes.
- Download&Clip PGN/GIF/FEN/QR Codes. Share the game.
- Games viewed here will automatically be stored in your cloud clipboard (if you are logged in). Use the cloud clipboard also in ChessBase.
- Create an account to access the games cloud.
Nakamura,H | 2775 | Seirawan,Y | 2643 | 1–0 | 2012 | C00 | ch-USA 2012 | 11 |
Please, wait...
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