Hikaru Nakamura Wins Gibraltar Chess 2015

(bahasa Indonesia di bawah)

Tradewise Gibraltar Chess 2015 concluded yesterday. Big match on top boards were mainly drawn, in a very fighting version of draw indeed. Hikaru Nakamura need only a draw actually to at least secure his first place, he was with white against GM Pentala Harikrishna. After they went into 15 moves Queen's Indian theory the game quickly went into two rooks endgame, which simplified more a couples of move later into single rook endgame. Hikaru Nakamura got a promising a-file passed pawn, yet encounter another complicated rook endgame, eventhough any chance at this point he may win this. The endgame still prove a mystery under hard clock pressure and the game concluded in a draw result. Though secure first place, the game still need to wait for the second board result.

Hikaru Nakamura started this year with impressive performance in Gibraltar Chess 2015 and solely first place result. He score 8.5/10

Both players were pressing in Hou Yifan vs David Howell game. Soon black was to lost the middlegame where white suddenly get a passed d-pawn and one more extra pawn in form of double pawns. Hou Yifan was the one with serious winning chance. Alas in the end this is also another winable endgame that failed to be converted. A draw in Hou-Howell ended with Hikaru Nakamura solely win the Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival Master 2015. Hou Yifan joined by crowd of nine players in third share with 7.5/10 point. Interesting that this year, all three top finishers are of Asian descendant, something to say about the rise of chess as interest among Asian parents and communities.

chess is maybe the only sport with so many "pee--aka--boo" moment of the players

David Howell comeback with strong 2nd place in Gibraltar Chess 2015, scored 8/10

Final Standing 2015 Tradewise Gibraltar Chess, Master
1 GM Nakamura Hikaru USA 2776  8.5
2 GM Howell David W L ENG 2670  8
3 GM Hou Yifan CHN 2673  7.5
4 GM Vitiugov Nikita RUS 2735  7.5
5 GM Topalov Veselin BUL 2800  7.5
6 IM Wagner Dennis GER 2501  7.5
7 GM Wei Yi CHN 2675  7.5
8 GM Adhiban B. IND 2630  7.5
9 GM Harikrishna P. IND 2723  7.5
10 GM Bachmann Axel PAR 2629  7.5
11 GM Matlakov Maxim RUS 2695  7.5
12 GM Svidler Peter RUS 2739  7
13 GM Yu Yangyi CHN 2724  7
14 GM Jakovenko Dmitry RUS 2733  7
15 GM Naroditsky Daniel USA 2622  7
16 GM Rapport Richard HUN 2716  7
17 GM Nabaty Tamir ISR 2579  7
18 GM Sutovsky Emil ISR 2637  7
19 GM Bok Benjamin NED 2572  7
20 GM Sengupta Deep IND 2569  7
and many more....

Salah satu turnamen catur terbuka yang sangat kuat yaitu Gibraltar Chess 2015 berakhir semalam. Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura dari Amerika Serikat menjadi pemenang tunggal di event ini. Melalui babak akhir yang cukup serunya di ronde 10 melawan Pentala Harikrishna, Nakamura berhasil mendapatkan posisi menjanjikan dengan satu bidak lepas di file a. Di endgame benteng ini, yang kerap sering masuk ke teori endgame Vancura Position, tidak terlalu akurat dipermainkan oleh Nakamura, sehingga hasil remis pun dicapai setelah kedua pemain main habis-habisan sampai tinggal raja saja. Hasil ini membuat Nakamura sudah jelas aman dengan nilai 8.5 dari 10 ronde.

Di papan kedua, juara catur dunia wanita GM Hou Yifan berusaha keras menghalangi GM David Howell dari Inggris yang juga kepengen mengejar Nakamura karena hanya selisih setengah point, jika David menang di partai ini. Alhasil, justru David Howell yang memenang buah hitam harus bertahan karena Hou Yifan mendapatkan bangunan bagus dengan dua bidak tambahan, yang satu adalah bidak bebas di file e. Namun lagi-lagi endgame ini masih terlalu rumit untuk bisa dipecahkan dengan seksama oleh Hou Yifan. Akhirnya hasil remis pun disepakati. David Howell memenangkan posisi ke-2 Gibraltar dengan nilai 8/10. Hou Yifan bergabung dengan sembilan pemain lain dengan nilai 7.5/10, termasuk grandmaster Veselin Topalov dan Wei Yi di dalamnya. 

Demikian berita catur menarik dari Gibraltar Chess 2015. Dua partai terakhir yang berakhir remis bisa disaksikan di live viewer di bawah ini.

Partai Catur Hikaru Nakamura vs Pentala Harikrishna 1/2-1/2, Gibraltar Chess 2015 Round 10

Partai Catur Hou Yifan vs David Howell 1/2-1/2, Gibraltar Chess 2015 Round 10