SPOT ON CHESS PUZZLES: Hikaru “Must Win” Nakamura does it again!

Sometimes you have to pull out all the stops and go all in! Va banque!!

Trailing by half a point and playing super strong Bulgarian grandmaster Ivan Cheparinov the American Hikaru Nakamura had to show steel nerves, great time management and his usual attacking chess inclinations. And despite missed opportunities by GM Cheparinov “the stronger player is always lucky” as Jose Casablanca once quipped.

WEBSITES with COVERAGE of the FIDE GRAND SWISS:

Official Website:
https://grandswiss.fide.com

Chessbase - a must visit website.
https://en.chessbase.com

Mark Crowther’s TWIC (The Week In Chess)
https://theweekinchess.com

The Game:

Hikaru Nakamura vs Ivan Cheparinov
FIDE GRAND SWISS 2023, Round 9, 11/03/23

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. c4 Be7 6. d4 d5 7. Bd3 Bb4+ 8. Nbd2 O-O 9. O-O Bf5 10. Nb3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Nd7 12. a3 Be7 13. Bd3 Bg6 14. Re1 Nd6 15. Bxg6 hxg6 16. Na5 Nb6 17. Bf4 Nf5 18. Nxb7 Qd5 19. Nc5 Bd6 20. Bxd6 cxd6 21. Ne4 Rfe8 22. Qd3 Na4 23. b3 Nc5 24. Nxc5 dxc5 25. Rxe8+ Rxe8 26. Qb5 Rc8 27. dxc5 Qxc5 28. Qxc5 Rxc5 29. Rd1 f6 30. g4 Nh6 31. Rd8+ Kh7 32. Rd4 Rc3 33. Nd2 Nf7 34. h4 g5 35. hxg5 Nxg5 36. Kg2 a5 37. f3 Ne6 38. Rd6 Nf4+ 39. Kf1 Nd3 40. a4 Nc1 41. Rb6 Re3 42. Rb5 Nd3 43. Nc4 Re1+ 44. Kg2 g5 45. Rb7+ Kg6 46. Rd7 Nc5 47. Kf2 Rc1 48. Ra7 Nxb3 49. Ne3 Nd4 50. Rxa5 Ra1 51. Nc4 Nb3 52. Ra7 Nc5 53. a5 Nd3+ 54. Ke3 Ne5 55. Nxe5+ fxe5 56. Ra6+ Kf7 57. Ke4 Ra3 58. Kxe5 Rxf3 59. Rd6 Ra3 60. a6 Ra5+ 61. Kd4 1-0

Thanks for watching… watch yourself out there in this wide wild world, stay free and guard your health! ~ S.