Nakamura coasts to title with ease
US player of Japanese origin triumphs after three draws; home favourite Anand loses to SS Ganguly
KOLKATA: Playing solid chess, Hikaru Nakamura emerged the winner in Tata Steel Chess India 2018, finishing with three draws on the final day even as reigning World Rapid Chess champion Viswanathan Anand ended the competition with a morale-shattering defeat against his one-time second Surya Shekhar Ganguly to finish a poor seventh among 10 competitors with four points from nine games.
Nakamura faced no such troubles.
The highest ranked player here, he started the competition with three draws, won three out of three on the second day to get into joint lead with Levon Aronian and then drew all three games on the final day to secure the top position and the top prize of $10,000.
Nakamura displayed a pragmatic approach, played solid, did not make many mistakes but was alert enough to capitalise on errors by his opponents.
In the 9th and final round, the 30-year-old American of Japanese origin drew with Russian Sergey Karjakin in just 17 moves, leaving it to Aronian, in second spot with five points to attempt to beat Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and force a playoff. However, Aronian could manage only a draw in the final round, thus finishing joint second with India’s Pentala Harikrishna, who made a late surge by winning the last two rounds.
In the final round, Harikrishna defeated compatriot Vidit Santosh Gujrathi. Having defeated Aronian, he finished second on tie-breaker and thus claimed a cheque of $5000.
Aronian drew two games on Sunday but what thwarted his chances was a hope-crushing defeat by India’s Pentala Harikrishna in the eighth and penultimate round. He eventually finished third with 5.5 points.
Anand was the cynosure of all eyes at the start of Tata Steel Chess India 2018 as he was playing in India in a NON-FIDE competition for the first times in three decades. He is the reigning World Champion in rapid chess and fans had lot of expectations from him. But the 48-year-old from Chennai failed to recreate the magic he displayed while winning the World Rapid Championship in Moscow last year and ended the competition with eight draws and one defeat.
Harikrishna and Mamedyarov queered the pitch for the ninth and final round by beating Aronian and Karjakin respectively as Nakamura drew with Wesley So.
Harikrishna was smarting from the defeat he suffered at the hands of Karjakin in the seventh round and had to win to improve his position. He had started the tournament well and was sharing the top spot after the opening day. But the three draws on Saturday put him one point behind the leaders Nakamura and Aronian. The loss in the seventh round further complicated matters.
But the India No 2 struck back with a superb performance against Aronian. After they came out equal in the opening, Harikrishna, playing with white pieces, earned an extra pawn in the middle game and though his Armenian opponent had enough compensation. However, the 32-year-old from Andhra Pradesh came up with precise moves to increase the pressure on Aronian, who made some mistakes in time trouble as the Indian won in 95 moves.
That put Nakamura in sole lead with 5.5 points with Aronian at second with five points and Mamedyarov joint third with 4.5. Nakamura only had to draw his final round game vs Karjakin.