By Chess Tutor William Stewart
Original article on Magnus Carlsen Vs. Hikaru Nakamura with PGN available on William’s site
Game Description: GM Magnus Carlsen (Norway, FIDE 2802) Vs GM Hikaru Nakamura (USA, FIDE 2741): 2010 World Blitz Championship — Moscow, Russia. Carlsen opens with e4, and Nakamura answers with the French Defense. Nakamura employed the extremely complicated Steinitz-Boleslavsky Variation, following a previous Blindfold game between Anand and Morozevich at the 2005 Amber Blindfold Tournament by playing the psychotic 9. …g5!!? Carlsen responded accurately, however he could have played the computer-like 15. g6! intending to follow 15. …hxg6 with the precise piece sacrifice 16. Nxe6! to destroy the pawn cover around black’s king. Luckily for Nakamura, Carlsen chose the quieter 15. Kh1. Carlsen went on to sacrifice a knight with 20. Ngf5!? to attempt to exploit his lead of development and black’s king position in the center, however Nakamura was able to skillfully defend and deflect the majority of white’s attack. Nakamura pragmatically sacrificed an exchange with 25. …Rxh6! and completed the game with accuracy to score a full point. An absolutely fantastic game played between Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura.
About Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura
Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura could posibly be the most famous of all current chess players but unfortunately there haven’t been that many games played between these 2 monster Grandmasters. I’ll continue to see if there are any new Magnus Carlsen vs. Hikaru Nakamura games but quite few were as fantastic as this great game with Nakamura scoring an unusual win (Carlsen usually wins or at least draws Nakamura, but Naka is the “King of Blitz!”)
By Chess Coach Will Stewart (USCF 2256, FIDE 2234)
Nakamura is an awesome player. But he needs to beat Carlsen to solidify his position in the world.