Nakamura wins London!

After a lucky escape in the semi-finals against Kramnik, Nakamura proceeded to play resourceful and precise chess against Gelfand in the finals to emerge victorious. Despite his dubious opening choices in both games, Nakamura was clearly the better rapid player this time around as Gelfand was unable to keep up with all the resources that the American kept finding. Analysis of the victory.

 

The London Super Sixteen rapid tournament has started. The main event of the London Chess Classic takes place from December 11th to December 15th at the Olympiad Conference Center in London, England. The tournament brings together many of the best players of the World as well as two qualifiers from the Open section of the London Chess Classic.

Semi-Finals

Player	Rtg	G1	G2	Pts
Kramnik, Vladimir	2793	½	0	0.5
Nakamura, Hikaru	2786	½	1	1.5

Nakamura and Kramnik drew the first game in a very strange game. Both sides had their chances but at the end Nakamura was trying to win with an extra pawn but with no real hopes of converting.
The second game was quite the tragedy. Kramnik outplayed the American and obtained a winning position, but a blunder equalized the situation as he could no longer make progress despite his extra exchange. A further two blunders somehow even managed to lose the game!

Player	Rtg	G1	G2	Pts
Gelfand Boris	2777	1	½	1.5
Adams, Michael	2754	0	½	0.5

Gelfand found himself in a terrible position from the white side of a Catalan, but look at this amazing resourece he found

Finals

Player	Rtg	G1	G2	Pts
Nakamura, Hikaru	2786	1	½	1.5
Gelfand, Boris	2777	0	½	0.5

The match was decided in this wild game. Nakamura's opening was more than questinoable, but afterwards he played in an impeccable manner

Gelfand certainly had his chances in game two, but he was unable to use them and Nakamura emerged as the winner of the 2013 London Chess Super Sixteen!

Find tomorrow the wrap up on the closing ceremony as well as the results of the FIDE Open

Semi Final matches:

Player	Rtg	G1	G2	Pts
Kramnik, Vladimir	2793	½	0	0.5
Nakamura, Hikaru	2786	½	1	1.5

Player	Rtg	G1	G2	Pts
Gelfand Boris	2777	1	½	1.5
Adams, Michael	2754	0	½	0.5

Quarter Final matches:

Player	Rtg	G1	G2	Pts
Kramnik, Vladimir	2793	½	1	1.5
Anand, Vishy	2773	½	0	0.5

Player	Rtg	G1	G1	T1	T2	Pts
Adams, Michael	2754	1	0	1	1	3.0
Svidler, Peter	2758	0	1	0	0	1.0

Player	Rtg	G1	G2	Pts
Short, Nigel	2683	0	½	0.5
Nakamura, Hikaru	2786	1	½	1.5

Player	Rtg	G1	G1	T1	T2	Pts
Caruana, Fabiano	2777	½	½	0	0	1.0
Gelfand, Boris	2782	½	½	1	1	3.0

Group Stage results

Round 01 – Group A: Wednesday December 11th, 14:00
Luke McShane	2697	0-1	Vishy Anand	2775
Andrei Istratescu	2709	0-1	Michael Adams	2761
Round 01 – Group B: Wednesday December 11th, 14:00
Vladimir Kramnik	2794	1-0	Peter Svidler	2746
Jonathan Rowson	2573	1-0	Matthew Sadler	2646
Round 01 – Group C: Wednesday December 11th, 15:30
Boris Gelfand	2764	1-0	Judit Polgar	2696
Gawain Jones	2633	½-½	Hikaru Nakamura	2772
Round 01 – Group D: Wednesday December 11th, 15:30
Nigel Short	2684	½-½	David Howell	2644
Fabiano Caruana	2779	1-0	Emil Sutovsky	2663

Round 02 – Group A: Wednesday December 11th, 18:00
Vishy Anand	2775	½-½	Michael Adams	2761
Luke McShane	2697	1-0	Andrei Istratescu	2709
Round 02 – Group B: Wednesday December 11th, 18:00
Peter Svidler	2746	½-½	Matthew Sadler	2646
Vladimir Kramnik	2794	1-0	Jonathan Rowson	2573
Round 02 – Group C: Wednesday December 11th, 19:30
Judit Polgar	2696	0-1	Hikaru Nakamura	2772
Boris Gelfand	2764	1-0	Gawain Jones	2633
Round 02 – Group D: Wednesday December 11th, 19:30
David Howell	2644	1-0	Emil Sutovsky	2663
Nigel Short	2684	0-1	Fabiano Caruana	2779

Round 03 – Group C: Thursday December 12th, 14:00
Gawain Jones	2633	0-1	Judit Polgar	2696
Hikaru Nakamura	2772	½-½	Boris Gelfand	2764
Round 03 – Group D: Thursday December 12th, 14:00
Fabiano Caruana	2779	½-½	David Howell	2644
Emil Sutovsky	2663	0-1	Nigel Short	2684
Round 03 – Group A: Thursday December 12th, 15:30
Andrei Istratescu	2709	0-1	Vishy Anand	2775
Michael Adams	2761	½-½	Luke McShane	2697
Round 03 – Group B: Thursday December 12th, 15:30
Jonathan Rowson	2573	0-1	Peter Svidler	2746
Matthew Sadler	2646	½-½	Vladimir Kramnik	2794

Round 04 – Group C: Thursday December 12th, 18:00
Judit Polgar	2696	½-½	Boris Gelfand	2764
Hikaru Nakamura	2772	1-0	Gawain Jones	2633
Round 04 – Group D: Thursday December 12th, 18:00
David Howell	2644	0-1	Nigel Short	2684
Emil Sutovsky	2663	0-1	Fabiano Caruana	2779
Round 04 – Group A: Thursday December 12th, 19:30
Vishy Anand	2775	1-0	Luke McShane	2697
Michael Adams	2761	1-0	Andrei Istratescu	2709
Round 04 – Group B: Thursday December 12th, 19:30
Peter Svidler	2746	1-0	Vladimir Kramnik	2794
Matthew Sadler	2646	1-0	Jonathan Rowson	2573

Round 05 – Group A: Friday December 13th, 14:00
Luke McShane	2697	0-1	Michael Adams	2761
Vishy Anand	2775	½-½	Andrei Istratescu	2709
Round 05 – Group B: Friday December 13th, 14:00
Vladimir Kramnik	2794	½-½	Matthew Sadler	2646
Peter Svidler	2746	1-0	Jonathan Rowson	2573
Round 05 – Group C: Friday December 13th, 15:30
Boris Gelfand	2764	½-½	Hikaru Nakamura	2772
Judit Polgar	2696	0-1	Gawain Jones	2633
Round 05 – Group D: Friday December 13th, 15:30
Nigel Short	2684	1-0	Emil Sutovsky	2663
David Howell	2644	0-1	Fabiano Caruana	2779

Round 06 – Group A: Friday December 13th, 18:00
Michael Adams	2761	½-½	Vishy Anand	2775
Andrei Istratescu	2709	1-0	Luke McShane	2697
Round 06 – Group B: Friday December 13th, 18:00
Matthew Sadler	2646	½-½	Peter Svidler	2746
Jonathan Rowson	2573	½-½	Vladimir Kramnik	2794
Round 06 – Group C: Friday December 13th, 19:30
Hikaru Nakamura	2772	½-½	Judit Polgar	2696
Gawain Jones	2633	1-0	Boris Gelfand	2764
Round 06 – Group D: Friday December 13th, 19:30
Emil Sutovsky	2663	1-0	David Howell	2644
Fabiano Caruana	2779	1-0	Nigel Short	2684