Laman Firey Rook Chess Malaysia: Nakamura Strikes Back!

Pix 1. Hikaru Nakamura

13 June 2011, Kuala Lumpur – At the Kings Tournament 2011, Hikaru Nakamura gains his first point with a win against Nisipeanu in the second round. After two rounds, Magnus Carlsen is in the lead with 1.5 points. Carlsen drew with Ivanchuk.

Chessvibes.com reported that Hikaru Nakamura bounced back with a win in the second round of the Kings Tournament in Medias, Romania. The American grandmaster defeated Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu in a game that lasted 78 moves and started as a Closed Ruy Lopez. TWIC added that Hikaru Nakamura beat Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu in a very interesting Ruy Lopez. It isn't really clear to me whether Nakamura just found the best way to create problems for Nisipeanu or if the Romanian just did it to himself but Nisipeanu was at least level on the run up to first time control although with only a few minutes left until he miscalculated the consequences of 60...f3 and was immediately in a lost position.

First-round winners Magnus Carlsen and Vassily Ivanchuk drew their game, also a Ruy Lopez, while Teimour Radjabov and Sergey Karjakin also split the point, after 90 moves of quiet manoeuvring.