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Thursday, June 20, 2013

Nakamura surprising win over Anand at Tal Memorial 2013

Hikaru Nakamura - USA

(Picture from official website, http://www.russiachess.org/news/report/hikaru_i_het_trik/)

20 June 2013, Kuala Lumpur – Here is the round 6 win by Nakamura over Anand at the Tal Memorial 2013 being held in Moscow, Russia. With this win, it catapults Nakamura to the lead with 4.5/6 points.

The Week In Chess website reported that  Hikaru Nakamura goes into the second rest day on 4.5/6 half a point clear of Boris Gelfand in the Tal Memorial in Moscow.

Nakamura has played Anand in 11 times in standard time control games only having white twice yet has gone to a +3 score. Playing 3...g6 in the Ruy Lopez Nakamura got a sharp battle and soon got the advantage. The players traded into a favourable Knight and Pawn ending for Nakamura. Anand's 31.Nc8+ seems to lose by force in an already very difficult ending and indeed Nakamura had a choice of winning methods, Nakamura was somewhat annoyed with himself he missed 34...Ne1+ trading into a trivially winning King and Pawn ending but he was winning anyway forcing resignation on move 45.

This is likely to be Anand's last event before the World Chess Championship match in November. Whilst it isn't a definite predictor of future results Anand needs to score some points to stop this becoming a complete disaster.

 

Standings After Round 6:

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Links:

8th Mikhail Tal Memorial 2013 (Moscow RUS)
Wed 12th Jun 2013 - Mon 24th Jun 2013 - Official SiteLive

8th Tal Mem (10 players 9 Rds SRR Indiv TC:100:50:15+30spm(1)) - Games in PGN: Games | Live

8th Tal Mem Blitz (10 players 9 Rds SRR Indiv TC:3m+2spm) - Games in PGN: Blitz Games

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