Bu tried hard to win in game 2 but Nakamura defended very well to get into a drawn endgame position. Bu shockingly walked into a checkmate in 1 to end the playoff quicker.
GM Bu Xiangzhi (2691) – GM Nakamura (2670) [D11]
31.01.2008
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 e6 4.Qc2 Nf6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Nc3 Be7 8.e3 0–0 9.Bd3 Re8 10.0–0 Nf8 11.Rae1 Ne4 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.Bxe4 dxe4 14.Nd2 f5 15.f3 exf3 16.Nxf3 Be6 17.e4 fxe4 18.Rxe4 Rad8 19.Rfe1 Qf6 20.Re5 Ng6 21.Ne4 Qf8 22.Neg5 Bf7 23.Nxf7 Qxf7 24.Ng5 Rxe5 25.Nxf7 Rxe1+ 26.Kf2 Rde8 27.Ne5 Nxe5 28.Kxe1 Nf3+ 29.Kf2 Nxd4 30.Qa4 Rf8+ 31.Ke3 Nf5+ 32.Ke4 a6 33.Ke5 Ne3 34.Kd6 Nd5 35.Qe4 g6 36.g4 g5 37.Qe6+ Kg7 38.Kc5 h6 39.a3 Rf7 40.b4 Re7 41.Qc8 Rc7 42.Qd8 Rf7 43.Qd6 Re7 44.a4 Rf7 45.Qe5+ Kh7 46.h4 gxh4 47.Qh5 Kg7 48.g5 hxg5 49.Qxg5+ Kf8 50.Qxh4 Ke8 51.Qh8+ Kd7 52.a5 Ke6 53.Qe8+ Re7 54.Qg6+ Nf6 55.Kb6 Rd7 56.Ka7 Re7 57.Kb8 Rd7 58.Kc8 Re7 59.Qh6 Kf7 60.Qf4 Ke6 61.Qe3+ Kf7 62.Qh6 Ke6 63.Qg6 Rf7 64.Qd3 Re7 65.Qh3+ Kf7 66.Kd8 Re8+ 67.Kc7 Re7+ 68.Kd6 Ne4# Black wins 0–1
Click here to replay the game.
Great result for Nakamura!
Nice to see that even GMs can play down to my level once in a while. 🙂
not a big deal to oversee a (k)night move for a carbon based chess player, especially in a blitz game – bad luck only, even for a 2600+ GM!
congrats to Nakamura.
What a great tournament finale! Nakamura has a great talent, and in rapid / blitz games he has advantages.
great show by Nakamura. Everybody was talking about “The great Bu” but Nakamura caught up with him and was superior in the rapids.
This is indeed a agreat result for Nakamura. After falterting in the middle he was determind to win his next 5 games and delivered!
This is what he had to say after his only loss:
“Greetings! So today I will blog because I am not actually on the verge of committing suicide. Yesterday I played a perfectly solid Alekhine and simply got careless trying too hard to win. Alas, this seems to happen too often to me here in Gibraltar (Efimenko 2005). Anyway onto today where things were slightly better, I guess? I actually did not really study any chess today before my round as I wanted to clear my mind after the disaster yesterday. The opening today against Caspi was a Center Counter/Scandinavian with 3…Qd6 and 4…c6. I had a solid advantage out of the opening, but somewhere around move 20 I started to misplay it and achieved a slightly worse position! Fortunately, I had a significant time advantage and my opponent started erring around move 28. 1 win down, 4 to go!”
Getting to 2000
Can anyone please say what the exact time controls were for this game? I am confused by some people calling it blitz and some people saying rapid. Thanks.
The time control is game in 10 minutes with 10 second increment.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
NAKAMURA RULES!!!!!!!!!!
I would have liked to see a slower game between Bu and Nakamura
The final position looks like something out of “Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games” by some Hungarian fellow.
Ever hear of him?
🙂
ChessBase.com may feature another “atrocious pun” about “the Great Bu” feeling deeply fritzed.
Nice way for Nakamura to take charge and make a charge, as said in golf about Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Hey, Fantastic New Videos.
Nakamura Play-Off.
http://www.monroi.com
Select GibTelecom Masters
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Bu got what he deserved, 2nd place. He had a chance to fight for the overall victory with White against Ni Hau, but instead settled for a draw [pre-arranged?, 27 moves in 22 minutes].
After that cheap maneuver, he didn’t deserve to win.
Nice comeback after a rocky middle.