Nakamura vs. Martirosyan: A clear result

by André Schulz
11/13/2020 – Hikaru Nakamura was simply a bit too strong for the Armenian Haik Martirosyan in their Speed Chess Championship match on chess.com. Nakamura won the blitz and bullet match 21-5, and lost only one of the 26 games. Despite the short time controls and the lopsided result the match offered many interesting and instructive games.
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H. Nakamura vs H. Martirosyan

The 2020 Speed Chess Championship Main Event is a knockout tournament, in which 16 of the world's best grandmasters start. Top seed and favourite is Magnus Carlsen. The tournament runs from November 1 to December 13, 2020 on chess.com. Each individual match will feature 90 minutes of 5+1 blitz, 60 minutes of 3+1 blitz, and 30 minutes of 1+1 bullet chess.

In the sixth match of the round of the last 16 Hikaru Nakamura faced the Armenian GM Haik Martirosyan. It was a rather one-sided match.

Right in the first game Nakamura indicated which direction this match would take.

 
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1.e41,185,96054%2421---
1.d4960,10155%2434---
1.Nf3286,72856%2440---
1.c4184,98756%2443---
1.g319,89756%2427---
1.b314,60454%2428---
1.f45,95848%2376---
1.Nc33,91750%2383---
1.b41,79148%2379---
1.a31,25054%2406---
1.e31,08149%2409---
1.d396950%2378---
1.g467046%2361---
1.h446654%2382---
1.c343951%2425---
1.h328956%2420---
1.a411860%2461---
1.f310047%2427---
1.Nh39366%2506---
1.Na34762%2476---
1.Nf3 Nf6 2.e3 e6 3.b3 c5 4.c4 Be7 5.Bb2 0-0 6.Nc3 d5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Nxd5 exd5 9.d4 Nc6 10.Be2 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Qa5+ 12.Kf1 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Bf5 14.Bd3 Be4 15.f3 Bxd3+ 16.Qxd3 Rfe8 17.Kf2 Bc5 18.Bxc5 Qxc5 19.Rac1 Qb6 20.Rhd1 a5 21.Qd4 Qh6 22.h3 Material in this major piece ending is equal but White has the better chances because his pawn structure is much better. Re6 Better was 22...b6 23.Rc5 Rae8 White can easily defend his pawn on e3, but Black has problems to defend the pawn on d5. 24.Rd3 Rc6 25.Rxa5 25.Rxd5 Rc2+ 26.Rd2 Rxd2+ 27.Qxd2 a4 is also good for White but less clear. 25...Rc2+ 26.Rd2 Rxd2+ 27.Qxd2 Qh4+ 28.Kf1 d4 29.Qxd4 Qe7 Now White is two pawns up. 30.Rd5 h6 31.Rd7 Qa3 32.Qd2 Rf8 33.Rd8 Qa6+ 34.Kf2 Rxd8 35.Qxd8+ Kh7 36.Qd2 g6 37.a4 Qc6 38.Qd3 h5 39.Qc4 Qd7 40.Ke2 Qd6 A blunder in a lost position. 41.Qxf7+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020A05chess.com Speed 20201.11

In the second game Martirosyan had good chances, but...

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Bxf6 7.e3 c6 8.Rc1 Nd7 9.Bd3 0-0 10.0-0 dxc4 11.Bxc4 e5 12.d5 Nb6 13.b3 cxd5 14.Bxd5 Qe7 15.Qc2 Rd8 16.Qe4 Rb8 17.Rfd1 Kh8 18.a4 g6 19.g4 Be6 20.Bxe6 Qxe6 21.a5 Nd7 22.Nd5 Bg7 23.g5 f5 24.gxf6 Nxf6 25.Nxf6 Bxf6 26.b4 Qf5 27.Qxf5 gxf5 28.Rxd8+ Rxd8 29.Rc7 e4 30.Nd4 Bxd4 31.exd4 Rxd4 32.Rxb7 An interesting rook ending. f4 33.b5? Now White loses. Necessary was 33.Kf1 f3 34.Ke1 Or 34.h4 33...f3 Es droht Matt. 34.h4 Rd1+ 35.Kh2 e3 36.b6 36.fxe3 f2 and the f-pawn queens. 36...axb6 37.a6 exf2 Best. On the f-file the pawn cannot be stopped. 37...e2 38.a7 Ra1 39.Rb8+ Kg7 40.Re8 Rxa7 41.Re3 b5 was also possible. 38.Rb8+ Kh7 39.Rb7+ Kg8 Oder 39...Kg6 40.Rxb6+ Kf5 41.Rb5+ Kf4 42.Rb4+ Ke5 43.Rb5+ Kd6 44.Rb6+ Kc5 40.a7 Ra1 41.Rb8+ Kf7 42.Rb7+ Ke8 43.Rb8+ Kd7 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020D55chess.com Speed 20201.12

The third game took a similar course. A passed pawn gave Martirosyan counterplay but at a crucial moment the Armenian missed the right move.

 
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 d5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bg2 0-0 10.0-0 Re8 11.Rc1 Nbd7 12.Ne5 Bb7 13.Bg5 Nf8 14.e3 Ne6 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.b4 c6 17.Qb3 Qd6 18.Nd3 Red8 19.Rc2 a5 20.a3 axb4 21.axb4 Nc7 22.Rfc1 Ba6 23.Nb2 Be7 24.Nca4 Bb5 25.Nxb6 Ra6 26.N6a4 Qxb4 27.Qxb4 Bxb4 28.Nc3 Bxc3 29.Rxc3 Rda8 30.Bf1 Ne8 31.Bxb5 cxb5 32.Rc5 b4 33.Rxd5 Rb8 34.Nd3 b3 35.Rb1 Rab6 36.Nc5 Rb5 37.Rd7 b2 38.Nd3?! 38.Ra7 Nd6 39.Kf1 f5 39...Nc4 40.Ke2 is good for White. The king goes to the pawn. 40.Ke2 Ne4 41.Nxe4 fxe4 42.Kd2 Rf8= 38...Nf6? 38...Rb3 and White has to give the knight. 39.Rxb2 39.Nc5 Ra3 39...Rxb2 40.Nxb2 Rxb2 With two pawns for the knight White can still fight for a draw. 39.Ra7 39.Rc7!? Ne4 39...Rb3 40.Rxb2 Rxb2 41.Nxb2 The back rank! 40.Rc2 and White wins the b-pawn. 39...h5 Here Black could have tried 39...Ne4 40.Rxb2 Rxb2 41.Nxb2 Nxf2 42.Kxf2 Rxb2+ 43.Kf3 h5 40.Ra2 Ne4 41.Raxb2 Rxb2 42.Rxb2 And it's game over. Rc8 43.Kg2 Rc3 44.Nf4 g6 45.h4 Kg7 46.Nd5 Ra3 47.Nf4 Rc3 48.Nh3 Kh6 49.Rb7 Kg7 50.Ng5 Nxg5 51.hxg5 Ra3 52.d5 Ra4 53.Kf3 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020E15chess.com Speed 20201.13

3:0. In game four Martirosyan managed to draw. Round 5 saw a well-known tactic.

 
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.d4 e6 3.c4 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 d5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bg2 0-0 10.0-0 Re8 11.Rc1 Nbd7 12.Ne5 Bb7 13.Bg5 Nf8 14.e3 Ne6 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.b4 c6 17.Qb3 Qd6 18.f4 Nc7 19.Rc2 Be7 20.a3 a5 21.bxa5 b5 22.a4 Rxa5 23.Rfc1 Qa3 24.Qb1 Qd6 25.axb5 cxb5 26.Ne4 dxe4 27.Rxc7 Ba8 28.Bxe4 Bxe4 29.Qxe4 Ra1 30.Rxa1 Qxc7 31.Qc6 Qb8 32.Qd5 Rf8 33.Nxf7 b4 34.Nh6+ 34.Nh6+ Kh8 35.Qg8+ Rxg8 36.Nf7# 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020E15chess.com Speed 20201.15

The match turned into a lesson. From the eight games with a time-control of 5+1 Nakamura won seven, one ended in a draw.

The longest game of the match was played with a time-control of 3+1:

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.c4 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Be2 dxc4 8.0-0 a6 9.a4 b6 10.Bxc4 Bd6 11.Bxd6 cxd6 12.Bd3 Bb7 13.e4 e5 14.Re1 Re8 15.Qd2 Rc8 16.Rad1 Qe7 17.Bb1 Qf8 18.Ba2 h6 19.Nh4 d5 20.exd5 Qb4 21.Nf5 exd4 22.Rxe8+ Rxe8 23.Qxd4 Qxb2 24.Nd6 Rb8 25.Nxb7 Rxb7 26.d6 b5 27.axb5 axb5 28.h3 b4 29.Rb1 Qa3 30.Bc4 bxc3 31.Bxf7+ Kxf7 32.Rxb7 Qc1+ 33.Kh2 Qd2 34.Qc4+ Kg6 35.Rc7 Qxd6+ 36.Kg1 Qd1+ 37.Kh2 Qd2 38.Qxc3 Qxf2 39.Qd3+ Qf5 40.Qxf5+ Kxf5 41.Rc1 g5 42.Rf1+ Kg6 43.Re1 Nc5 44.Re5 Nd3 45.Ra5 Nf4 46.Ra4 Ne6 47.Kg1 h5 48.Ra6 Nc5 49.Rc6 Nce4 50.Rc8 h4 51.Rc1 Nd5 52.Rd1 Nf4 53.Kh2 Nh5 54.Re1 Nhg3 55.Ra1 Kf5 56.Ra8 Kf4 57.Rf8+ Ke3 58.Ra8 Nd2 59.Kg1 Ne2+ 60.Kh2 Nf1+ 61.Kh1 Neg3+ 62.Kg1 Nd2 63.Re8+ Nde4 64.Re7 Ne2+ 65.Kh2 Kd4 66.Re8 Nf4 67.Rd8+ Ke5 68.Re8+ Ne6 69.Kg1 Kf5 70.Ra8 Nf6 71.Kf2 Kf4 72.Ra4+ Ne4+ 73.Kg1 N6c5 74.Ra8 Nd3 75.Rd8 Ke3 76.Re8 Nc1 77.Kh2 Na2 78.Re7 Nb4 79.Re8 Nd3 80.Re7 Kf4 81.Kg1 Ne5 82.Re8 Nd7 83.Re7 Ndf6 84.Ra7 Kf5 85.Ra5+ Kg6 86.Ra6 Kg7 87.Kh2 Nd5 88.Ra5 Ndf6 89.Kg1 Kg6 90.Kh2 Nd6 91.Kg1 Nc4 92.Ra8 Ne3 93.Ra3 Nfd5 94.Ra6+ Kf5 95.Ra8 Nf4 96.Rf8+ Kg6 97.Rg8+ Kh6 98.Rh8+ Kg7 99.Ra8 Nexg2 100.Ra3? Now the knight escapes. After 100.Kf2 the Ng2 is trapped. Kg6 101.Ra6+ Kh5 102.Ra7 Nxh3+ 103.Kxg2 Nf4+ 104.Kf3 is a draw according to the tablebases. 100...Ne1 101.Kf2 Ned3+ 101...Nc2!? seems to be more precise. 102.Rc3 Nb4 103.Re3 Kg6 104.Rb3 Nc2 and sooner or later the pawn on h3 will fall. 102.Kf3? 102.Ke3 Nb4 103.Ke4 offered better chances according to the engines. 102...Kf6 103.Ke4 Nc5+ 103...Nf2+ 104.Kf3 N2xh3 wins the h-pawn and the game. 104.Kd4 Nce6+ 105.Ke4 Nc5+ 106.Kd4 Nfe6+ 107.Kd5 Nd7 108.Ra6 Ndf8 109.Ke4 Ng6 110.Kf3 Ngf4? 110...Ne5+ 111.Kg2 Kf5 112.Kh2 Nf4 113.Ra5 Ke4 114.Ra4+ Ke3 115.Ra3+ Kd4 116.Ra4+ Nc4 117.Ra1 Ke3 118.Ra4 Nd2 119.Ra3+ Kf2 the h-pawn will fall. 111.Kg4 Ng6 111...Ke5 112.Ra2 Nd5 113.Re2+ Kf6 and White now has 114.Rxe6+ Kxe6 115.Kxg5 with a draw. 112.Kh5? Correct was 112.Rb6 Ne5+ 113.Kh5 and after Kf5 again 114.Rxe6 Kxe6 115.Kxg5 112.Kf3 Kf5 and Black improves his position. 112.Ra4? loses the h-pawn. Ne5+ 113.Kh5 Nf4+ 114.Kh6 Nxh3 112...Kf5 Now the h-pawn is lost. White still tries something but this does not work here. 113.Rxe6 Nf4+ 114.Kh6 Nxe6 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020D37chess.com Speed 20201.24

An interesting and instructive endgame.

All games of the match

 
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1.Nf3 Nf6 2.e3 e6 3.b3 c5 4.c4 Be7 5.Bb2 0-0 6.Nc3 d5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Nxd5 exd5 9.d4 Nc6 10.Be2 cxd4 11.Nxd4 Qa5+ 12.Kf1 Nxd4 13.Bxd4 Bf5 14.Bd3 Be4 15.f3 Bxd3+ 16.Qxd3 Rfe8 17.Kf2 Bc5 18.Bxc5 Qxc5 19.Rac1 Qb6 20.Rhd1 a5 21.Qd4 Qh6 22.h3 Dieses Schwerfigurenendspiel sieht nur auf den ersten Blick gleich aus. Weiß hat die klar bessere Bauernstruktur. Re6 Nötig war 22...b6 23.Rc5 Rae8 e3 ist leicht zu decken, d5 nicht. 24.Rd3 Rc6 25.Rxa5 25.Rxd5 Rc2+ 26.Rd2 Rxd2+ 27.Qxd2 a4 ist auch gut, aber weniger klar. 25...Rc2+ 26.Rd2 Rxd2+ 27.Qxd2 Qh4+ 28.Kf1 d4 29.Qxd4 Qe7 Nun hat Weiß zwei Bauern Vorsprung. 30.Rd5 h6 31.Rd7 Qa3 32.Qd2 Rf8 33.Rd8 Qa6+ 34.Kf2 Rxd8 35.Qxd8+ Kh7 36.Qd2 g6 37.a4 Qc6 38.Qd3 h5 39.Qc4 Qd7 40.Ke2 Qd6 Ein Einsteller beendet die technische Gewinnführung vorzeitig. 41.Qxf7+ 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020A05chess.com Speed 20201.11
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020D55chess.com Speed 20201.12
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020E15chess.com Speed 20201.13
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H2736½–½2020D55chess.com Speed 20201.14
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020E15chess.com Speed 20201.15
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020D37chess.com Speed 20201.16
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020C65chess.com Speed 20201.17
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020D37chess.com Speed 20201.18
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H2622½–½2020E15chess.com Speed 20201.21
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H2736½–½2020D37chess.com Speed 20201.22
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020E15chess.com Speed 20201.23
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020D37chess.com Speed 20201.24
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H2622½–½2020D37chess.com Speed 20201.25
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H2736½–½2020D37chess.com Speed 20201.26
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020D37chess.com Speed 20201.27
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H2736½–½2020D37chess.com Speed 20201.28
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020C65chess.com Speed 20201.31
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020D37chess.com Speed 20201.32
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26220–12020C65chess.com Speed 20201.33
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H2736½–½2020A40chess.com Speed 20201.34
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H2622½–½2020E12chess.com Speed 20201.35
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020A40chess.com Speed 20201.36
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020A01chess.com Speed 20201.37
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020A40chess.com Speed 20201.38
Nakamura,H2736Martirosyan,H26221–02020A01chess.com Speed 20201.39
Martirosyan,H2622Nakamura,H27360–12020A40chess.com Speed 20201.54

All games of the Speed Chess Championship

 
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André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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