Nakamura wins the London rapid tournament

United States grandmaster and its number one chess player Hikaru Nakamura emerged victorious at the recent London Super Sixteen rapid tournament at which some of the finest players in the world were represented. The former Indian world champion Vishy Anand was there, and so was the former Russian world champ Vladimir Kramnik. Italy’s Fabiano Caruana, Israel’s Boris Gelfand, the highest-ranked woman player of all time, Judit Polgar, from Hungary, and the British grandmasters led by Michael Adams and Nigel Short were all there.

Anand reached the semi-finals but was eliminated by Kramnik with black in a thrilling encounter, a game which lasted a mere 27 moves. Short lost to Nakamura, Gelfand outplayed Caruana and Adams beat Peter Svidler. In the finals, it was Nakamura versus Gelfand. Playing resourceful and precise chess, Nakamura defeated the Israeli grandmaster.

Although there are a lot of chess stories circulating, like Garry Kasparov embarking on the campaign trail in Indonesia for the FIDE presidency, I prefer to give readers and enthusiasts of the royal game less story and more games for Christmas.

20131215chessAnd incidentally, what can be more valuable than to give a gift of a chess set for Christmas? I will be courageous and say that the receiver would never forget the gift nor the giver. I will always remember my first chess set, and the person, Anthony Willis, who taught me to play the game. Tournament sized chess sets are available from as manageable a sum as $800 per set. So I would encourage you, dear readers, to pick up a chess set and play the game of laymen, kings and queens ‒ and just about everyone. A happy Christmas to all!

Games

Event: London Chess Classic (Knockout)

Site: London England

Date: December 14, 2013

EventDate: December 14, 2013

Round 1.2

Result: 0-1

White: Viswanathan Anand

Black: Vladimir Kramnik

1. Nf3 d5  2. c4 e6  3. d4 Nf6  4. Nc3 c5  5. e3 Nc6  6. a3 a6

7. dxc5 Bxc5  8. b4 Bd6  9. Bb2 O-O  10. Qc2 Qe7  11. Rd1 Rd8

12. Be2 dxc4  13. Bxc4 b5  14. Bd3 Bb7  15. Ne4 Nxe4  16. Bxe4

Rac8  17. Qb1 f5  18. Bd3 a5  19. bxa5 Nxa5  20. O-O Nc4  21. Be2

Be4  22. Qa1 Nxb2  23. Qxb2 b4  24. axb4 Rc2  25. Qb3 Rxe2  26. Nd4

Bd5  27. Qd3 Qh4 0-1.

 Event: London Chess Classic (Knockout)

Site: London England

Date: December 15, 2013

Event Date: December 14, 2013

Round 2.2

Result: 1-0

White: Hikaru Nakamura

Black: Vladimir Kramnik

1. d4 Nf6  2. c4 e6  3. Nc3 d5  4. cxd5 Nxd5  5. e4 Nxc3  6. bxc3

c5  7. a3 g6  8. Nf3 Bg7  9. h4 Nc6  10. Be3 Qa5  11. Qd2 cxd4

12. cxd4 Qxd2+  13. Kxd2 O-O  14. Bb5 Bd7  15. Rhd1 Rfd8  16. Ke1

Nb4  17. Bxd7 Nc2+  18. Kd2 Nxa1 19. Ba4 b5  20. Bxb5 Nb3+

21. Ke2 Rac8  22. d5 exd5  23. exd5 Nc5  24. Rc1 Ne4  25. Rxc8

Rxc8  26. Bc6 Rb8  27. Bxa7 Rb2+  28. Kf1 Ra2  29. a4 Ra1+  30. Ke2

Nc3+  31. Kd3 Nxa4  32. Bxa4 Ra3+  33. Ke2 Rxa4  34. Bb6 Kf8

35. g3 Ke8  36. Be3 Ra5  37. d6 Rd5  38. Bf4 f6  39. Nd2 Kd7

40. Ne4 Ke6  41. Bd2 h6  42. d7 Kf7  43. Nc5 Bf8  44. Ba5 Be7

45. Bb6 Rd6  46. Ba5 Rd5  47. Bb6 h5  48. Kf3 f5  49. Kg2 Rd2

50. Ba5 Rd5  51. Bb6 f4  52. Kf3 fxg3  53. fxg3 Rd6  54. Ba5 Rd4

55. Bb6 Rd1  56. Ba5 Rd5  57. Bb6 Rd1  58. Ba5 g5  59. hxg5 Kg6

60. Bb6 Bxg5  61. Ne6 Rd3+  62. Ke4 Rd6  63. Nxg5 Rxd7  64. Nf3

Re7+  65. Ne5+ Kf6  66. Bd8 1-0.

 Event: London Chess Classic (Knockout)

Site: London England

Date: December 15, 2013

Event Date: December 14, 2013

Round 3.1

Result: 1-0

White: Hikaru Nakamura

Black: Boris Gelfand

 1. d4 Nf6  2. c4 g6  3. Nc3 d5  4. Nf3 Bg7  5. Qb3 dxc4  6. Qxc4

O-O  7. e4 a6  8. e5 b5  9. Qb3 Nfd7  10. Ng5 Nc6  11. Nxf7 Rxf7

12. e6 Nxd4  13. exf7+ Kf8  14. Qd1 Nc5  15. Be3 Bf5  16. Rc1 Qd6

17. b4 Ne4  18. Nxe4 Bxe4  19. f3 Bf5  20. Qd2 Rd8  21. Kf2 Kxf7

22. Be2 Qf6  23. Rxc7 Ne6  24. Rd7 Rc8  25. Bd3 Rc3  26. Bxf5 gxf5

27. f4 Rc4  28. Rc1 Re4  29. g3 h5  30. h4 Qg6  31. Bc5 Bf6

32. Re1 Qg4  33. Rxe4 fxe4  34. Qd1 Qf5  35. Rd5 Qh3  36. Qf1 1-0

Event: London Chess Classic (Knockout)

Site: London England

Date: December 14, 2013

Event Date: December 14, 2013

Round 1.4

Result: 1-0

White: Boris Gelfand

Black: Fabiano Caruana

1. d4 f5  2. Nc3 Nf6  3. Bg5 d5  4. e3 e6  5. Nf3 c5  6. Bb5+ Bd7

7. Bxf6 gxf6  8. Ne5 h5  9. Ng6 Rh7  10. Nxf8 Kxf8  11. O-O Nc6

12. dxc5 Qe7  13. Bxc6 Bxc6  14. b4 b6  15. Ne2 bxc5  16. Nf4 Kf7

17. bxc5 Rg8  18. Qd3 Rhg7  19. g3 Qxc5  20. Nxh5 Rh7  21. Nf4 Bb5

22. c4 Bxc4  23. Rfc1 Rc8  24. Qc2 Qc6  25. Rab1 Kg8  26. Qd2 Rhc7

27. Rb2 e5  28. Ng2 Qe6  29. Rbc2 Rh7  30. f4 Kf7  31. Qb4 Rch8

32. Nh4 exf4  33. Qb7+ Kg8  34. Qb8+ Kf7  35. Qc7+ Ke8  36. Qb8+

Kd7  37. Qxa7+ Kc6  38. Rxc4+ dxc4  39. Qa6+ Kd7  40. Rd1+ Ke7

41. Qb7+Ivanchuk v Anand,
Reggio Emilia, 1989
20131222Chess

It is Black to play and win. Level of difficulty: Easy Ke8  42. Qb8+ Kf7  43. Qc7+ 1-0

Solution to chess puzzle for Sunday, December 15
Carlsen played 40.Rxd5! and after …cxd5 came 41.Qf8+ Kh7 42.Ne8! and Black has no defence against the twin threats of Qxg7 and Nf6. Note that the immediate 40.Qf8+? is inaccurate, as Black can mount a defence after 40…Kh7 41.Ne8 Rg8.