Speed Chess Championship: Nakamura demolishes Fedoseev

by Johannes Fischer
12/4/2020 – The quarterfinal of the Chess.com Speed Chess Championship between Hikaru Nakamura and Vladimir Fedoseev was a rather one-sided affair. Nakamura dominated his opponent from start to finish and won the first nine (!) games of the match. After 27 games the match was over and with a smooth 21.5-5.5 victory Nakamura qualified for the semifinals where he will face Wesley So. | Photo: Lennart Ootes (Archive)
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Hikaru Nakamura vs Vladimir Fedoseev, 21.5-5.5

Nakamura's skills in online blitz are legendary and he was the clear favourite in his quarterfinal match of the Chess.com Speed Chess Championship against Vladimir Fedoseev. However, Fedoseev is also an excellent blitz player, and in the round of the last sixteen he had beaten Alireza Firouzja, who is also known for his blitz skills.

But from the very beginning things went wrong for Fedoseev. In the first game of the match he failed to find a convincing plan in a double-edged position and fell victim to a powerful mating attack.

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,166,62354%2421---
1.d4947,29855%2434---
1.Nf3281,60256%2441---
1.c4182,10256%2442---
1.g319,70256%2427---
1.b314,26554%2427---
1.f45,89748%2377---
1.Nc33,80151%2384---
1.b41,75648%2380---
1.a31,20654%2404---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d395450%2378---
1.g466446%2360---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c343351%2426---
1.h328056%2418---
1.a411060%2466---
1.f39246%2436---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 Nd7 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Bd6 10.0-0 Qe7 11.Qd3 0-0 12.Rfd1 b6 13.Rac1 Bb7 14.Ba6 Rab8 15.Bxb7 Rxb7 16.Ne4 Rc8 17.Rc2 Rbc7 18.Rdc1 Nf6 19.Nfd2 c5 20.Nxf6+ gxf6 21.Qa6!? cxd4 22.Qxc8+ Rxc8 23.Rxc8+ Kg7 24.exd4 This is a double-edged position with chances for both sides but in the further course of the game Black is gradually outplayed. Bf4 25.R1c2 Qb4 26.Nf3 Qa5 27.g3 Bd6 28.b3 Qf5 29.Kg2 Qe4 Black has trouble to find a good square for his queen. More active and better was 29...e5 30.R2c3 b5 31.Rd8 Bb4 32.Rcc8 Suddenly, White has a strong attack and is winning. f5 33.Rd7 Ba5 34.Rxa7 Bb6 35.Rd7 f4 36.Rd6 Ba5 37.Rc5 Bb4 38.Re5 Qc2 39.Rb6 fxg3 40.hxg3 Bc3 41.Rbxb5 Qxa2 42.Rb7 Qb2 43.Re4 Kg6 44.Rg4+ Kh5 45.Rf4 f5 46.Rg7 Black will be mated. 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020D43chess.com Speed 20202.11

In the second game Nakamura had Black but with an interesting pawn sacrifice he soon seized the initiative, which a little while later allowed him to win the exchange, an advantage, which Nakamura converted smoothly.

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bf4 Bd6 11.Qc1 a5 12.Nc3 Na6 13.Bd2 Qe7 14.Qb1 Bb4 15.Re1 Bxf3!? This surprising exchange prepares an interesting pawn sacrifice. 16.Bxf3 Rad8! 17.Bxb7 Nc5! 18.dxc5 Rxd2 Black is a pawn down but the active rook and his dominance on the black squares are more than adequate compensation for the material deficit. 19.Ne4 Nxe4 20.Bxe4 Qf6! Black ignores the threat against h7 and continues to play on the black squares. 21.Bxh7+ Kh8 22.Bd3 After 22.Ra2 Black can win with Bxc5 or 22...g6 22...Rxb2 23.Qc1 Bxe1 24.Qxe1 Black is an exchange up but still has a lot of work to do. However, Nakamura once again demonstrates good technique. Rb4 25.c6 Rd8 26.Kg2 Qd4 27.Bb5 g6 28.Rc1 Kg7 29.Qc3 Qxc3 30.Rxc3 g5 31.h3 f5 32.f3 Kf6 33.Rc1 Rbd4 34.Rc3 Rd1 35.Rc5 R8d5 36.Rc3 Ra1 37.f4 gxf4 38.gxf4 Rdd1 39.Kf3 Rh1 40.Kf2 Raf1+ 41.Kg2 Rhg1+ 42.Kh2 Rg7 43.e3 Rf2+ 44.Kh1 Rf3 45.Kh2 Rgg3 46.Bf1 Rxe3 47.Rc5 Rgf3 48.Kg2 Rxf4 49.Rxa5 Ra3 50.Ra7 Ra2+ 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020E05chess.com Speed 20202.12

Throughout the match Fedoseev found no recipe against Nakamura's strong, confident and fast play, and he lost one game after the other. And if Fedoseev had the chance to win, he often failed to crack Nakamura's resourceful defense.

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.0-0 h6 7.Re1 0-0 8.b4 Bb6 9.a4 a5 10.b5 Ne7 11.Nbd2 Ng6 12.d4 Re8 13.Bb2 exd4 14.cxd4 d5 15.exd5 Rxe1+ 16.Qxe1 Nf4 17.Ne5 N4xd5 18.Ne4 Be6 19.Nc5 Rb8 20.Nxe6 fxe6 21.Nd3 Qe7 22.Ba3 Qf7 23.Bc5 Nd7 24.Ra2 c6 25.Re2 Re8 26.Bxd5 cxd5 27.Bxb6 Nxb6 28.Qxa5 White outplayed Black is a solid pawn up for which Black has no compensation. Nc4 29.Qe1 b6 30.g3 Qf5 31.Ne5 Nxe5 32.Rxe5 Black's position seems to be hopeless: Black is a pawn down, the e-pawn is weak, and it is hard to see how Black can drum up counterplay. Thus, it is even more impressive to see how Nakamura manages to defend. Qf7 33.f4 g6 34.Qc3?! Fedoseev has trouble to find a clear plan and just moves his pieces around. The engines recommend 34.Kg2 with the idea h4-h5 to open up Black's kingside. 34...Qd7 35.Re2 Rc8 36.Qd3 Kf7 37.Rc2 Rc7! This strong move gives Black control over the c-file. 38.Kf2 Qc8 39.Rxc7+ Qxc7 Black can be happy to have reached this queen ending. He is still a pawn down but White now has serious problems to make progress - and the engines evaluate this position as even. 40.h4 h5 41.Qb3 Qc1 Black managed to send his queen to the enemy camp and White now panicks and loses the game. 42.Ke2 Qa1 43.Kd3 Qg1 44.a5? After this move Black is better. The engines recommend 44.Ke2 e.g. Qxd4 45.Qc2 Kf6 46.Qc7 Qe4+ 47.Kf2 Qd4+ 48.Kg2 Qxa4 49.Qd8+ with a perpetual. 44...Qxg3+ 45.Kc2 Qf2+ 46.Kd3 Qf3+ 47.Kc2 Qe2+ 48.Kc1 Qe1+ 49.Kc2 Qxa5 Suddenly, it is Black who is a pawn up - and Nakamura converts without much trouble. 50.Kd3 Qe1 51.Qa4 Qe4+ 52.Kc3 Qe3+ 53.Kc2 Kf6 54.Qb4 Kf5 55.Qf8+ Kg4 56.Qf6 Qe4+ 57.Kc3 Kf3 58.Kb2 Ke3 59.Kc1 Kd3 0–1
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020C54chess.com Speed 20202.18

In fact, Nakamura won all eight 5+1 blitz games, after which the match was practically decided. And after Nakamura had also won the first of the 3+1 blitz games, audience and commentators wondered whether Fedoseev would manage to win even one game – and when. In game 10 Fedoseev finally managed to draw and in game 13 he scored his first win.

But this did not stop Nakamura who continued to dominate the match. After winning the 5+1 games 8-0, Nakamura won the 3+1 section 6-3, and he also decided the 1+1 bullet match 7½-2½ in his favour. Finally, Nakamura won the match 21½-5½ (+20, -4, =3), and now will face Wesley So in the semifinals of the Speed Chess Championship.

Games

 
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MoveNResultEloPlayers
1.e41,166,62354%2421---
1.d4947,29855%2434---
1.Nf3281,60256%2441---
1.c4182,10256%2442---
1.g319,70256%2427---
1.b314,26554%2427---
1.f45,89748%2377---
1.Nc33,80151%2384---
1.b41,75648%2380---
1.a31,20654%2404---
1.e31,06848%2408---
1.d395450%2378---
1.g466446%2360---
1.h444653%2374---
1.c343351%2426---
1.h328056%2418---
1.a411060%2466---
1.f39246%2436---
1.Nh38966%2508---
1.Na34262%2482---
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 Nd7 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Bd6 10.0-0 Qe7 11.Qd3 0-0 12.Rfd1 b6 13.Rac1 Bb7 14.Ba6 Rab8 15.Bxb7 Rxb7 16.Ne4 Rc8 17.Rc2 Rbc7 18.Rdc1 Nf6 19.Nfd2 c5 20.Nxf6+ gxf6 21.Qa6 cxd4 22.Qxc8+ Rxc8 23.Rxc8+ Kg7 24.exd4 Bf4 25.R1c2 Qb4 26.Nf3 Qa5 27.g3 Bd6 28.b3 Qf5 29.Kg2 Qe4 30.R2c3 b5 31.Rd8 Bb4 32.Rcc8 f5 33.Rd7 Ba5 34.Rxa7 Bb6 35.Rd7 f4 36.Rd6 Ba5 37.Rc5 Bb4 38.Re5 Qc2 39.Rb6 fxg3 40.hxg3 Bc3 41.Rbxb5 Qxa2 42.Rb7 Qb2 43.Re4 Kg6 44.Rg4+ Kh5 45.Rf4 f5 46.Rg7 1–0
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020D43chess.com Speed 20202.11
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020E06chess.com Speed 20202.12
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020D37chess.com Speed 20202.13
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020C53chess.com Speed 20202.14
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020D37chess.com Speed 20202.15
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020E06chess.com Speed 20202.16
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020D43chess.com Speed 20202.17
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020C53chess.com Speed 20202.18
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020B06chess.com Speed 20202.21
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H2736½–½2020A07chess.com Speed 20202.22
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020B09chess.com Speed 20202.23
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H2736½–½2020C53chess.com Speed 20202.24
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26760–12020E92chess.com Speed 20202.25
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27361–02020C53chess.com Speed 20202.26
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020A83chess.com Speed 20202.27
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020C53chess.com Speed 20202.28
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020A45chess.com Speed 20202.29
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020C53chess.com Speed 20202.31
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V2676½–½2020A01chess.com Speed 20202.32
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020A01chess.com Speed 20202.33
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26760–12020B10chess.com Speed 20202.34
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020A04chess.com Speed 20202.35
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020B10chess.com Speed 20202.36
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27360–12020B06chess.com Speed 20202.37
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020C17chess.com Speed 20202.38
Fedoseev,V2676Nakamura,H27361–02020A00chess.com Speed 20202.39
Nakamura,H2736Fedoseev,V26761–02020A01chess.com Speed 20202.310

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Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

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