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By Jennifer Shahade
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January 31, 2008 |
Hikaru Nakamura at the closing ceremony. Photo Cathy Rogers
Hikaru Nakamura made an amazing comeback in the Gibtelecom Masters
(Jan. 22-31, Gibraltar) to capture first place and a prize of nearly
$24,000. After a lackluster 3/5 start, Hikaru strung 5 wins together,
then
defeated Bu Xiangzhi from China 2-0 in a rapid playoff. Bu had been
running away with the event a few rounds earlier, and even had chances
to equalize in the playoff. In the first rapid game (10 minutes plus 10
seconds), Hikaru executed a kingside majority attack on the White side
of the Slav. In the second game, Bu won a queen for a rook and a
knight, and had chances to equalize the score. However, Bu was unable
to break through the "Nakamura Fortress" and even ended up losing to
mate on the board. Here are the playoff games:
In Hikaru's blog on his new website , he gives insight into his Gibraltar training regimen as well as his games. "One
of the many reasons why I come to Gibraltar is for the fun atmosphere
which abounds in the evenings." The $100,000 prize fund couldn't have hurt
either. Congratulations to Hikaru. Watch uschess.org for more details
on this amazing result. For now, enjoy the additional games below and browse the official Gibtelecom website for more details.
Hikaru Nakamura and Bu Xiangzhi playoff for first place. Photo Cathy Rogers
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