Peter Heine Nielsen wins Hastings
1/6/2003 – The Danish GM, who was recently spotted working together with Vishy Anand,
has won the 78th International Chess
Congress in Hastings. Nielsen clinched it in the penultimate round when
he defeated co-leader Penteala Harikrishna, who is 16 years old and hails from
India. Top seed K. Sasikiran (2670) came in a disappointing 7th. 12-year-old
Sergey Karjakin came 5th with a 2590 performance. More
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John Henderson reports
Peter Heine Nielsen, the winner of the Hastings 2002/2003
The Danish GM Peter Heine Nielsen has won the 78th Hastings Premier in dramatic style, as the second seed rode a virtual rollercoaster of a tournament to take the first prize of £2,000.
Leading at one stage by a full point, Nielsen suffered a major setback en route to victory following two successive defeats. However he soon fought his way back into first place by proving to be the most aggressive and determined player in the field, and a penultimate round victory over co-leader Pentala Harikrishna clinched the title and first place for the Dane.
And, with a quick last round draw against Keith Arkell, Nielsen secured himself outright first on 6/9; in the process emulating the feats of his more famous countryman Bent Larsen, who during the 1960s and 1970s was a perennial favourite at the worlds most famous international tournament.
Just a half point behind in joint second was British Grand Prix winner Keith Arkell (the only unbeaten player in the field, who was also making his debut at the Premier), and Harikrishna on 5.5/9. Despite proving to be tough opposition at times, the young GMs Sergey Karjakin and Luke McShane couldnt raise their game high enough to cause a major sensation by winning the tournament.
Report in Outlook India
ROUND 1 - 28 Dec Barsov ½-½ Tseshkovsky Nielsen 1-0 Karjakin Flear ½-½ Arkell McShane ½-½ Harikrishna Sasikiran ½-½ Kosteniuk |
ROUND 4 - 31 Dec Barsov 1-0 McShane Nielsen 1-0 Flear Arkell ½-½ Kosteniuk Karjakin ½-½ Sasikiran Tseshkovsky ½-½ Harikrishna |
ROUND 7 - 3 Jan Kosteniuk 0-1 Nielsen Harikrishna 1-0 Barsov Arkell ½-½ Karjakin McShane ½-½ Tseshkovsky Sasikiran ½-½ Flear |
ROUND 2 - 29 Dec Barsov ½-½ Nielsen Karjakin 1-0 Flear Arkell 1-0 McShane Harikrishna ½-½ Sasikiran Tseshkovsky 0-1 Kosteniuk |
ROUND 5 - 1 Jan Kosteniuk 0-1 Karjakin Harikrishna ½-½ Arkell Flear 1-0 Tseshkovsky McShane 1-0 Nielsen Sasikiran ½-½ Barsov |
ROUND 8 - 4 Jan Barsov ½-½ Arkell Nielsen 1-0 Harikrishna Flear 1-0 Kosteniuk McShane 1-0 Sasikiran Tseshkovsky 0-1 Karjakin |
ROUND 3 - 30 Dec Kosteniuk 0-1 Harikrishna Nielsen 1-0 Tseshkovsky Flear ½-½ Barsov McShane 1-0 Karjakin Sasikiran ½-½ Arkell |
ROUND 6 - 2 Jan Barsov 1-0 Kosteniuk Nielsen 0-1 Sasikiran Flear ½-½ McShane Karjakin ½-½ Harikrishna Tseshkovsky 0-1 Arkell |
ROUND 9 - 5 Jan Kosteniuk 1-0 McShane Harikrishna 1-0 Flear Arkell ½-½ Nielsen Karjakin ½-½ Barsov Sasikiran ½-½ Tseshkovsky |
| Click on the headers to replay the games on the official Java board. | ||
Final Standings
Links
- All the games from the Premier division (zipped PGN)
- Official site of the 78th International Chess Congress in Hastings
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