Crown of the Old Iron King

Hikaru Nakamura – Alexander Vasilyevich Onischuk
59th U.S. Chess Championship, Saint Louis, April 12, 2015
Two Knights Defence C55

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bc5 8. Be3 0-0 9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. Bxc5 Nxc5 11. Bxc6 Rb8 12. 0-0 Rxb2 13. Qxd5. For 13. Bxd5 Bf5 see 张鹏翔 (Zhāng Péngxiáng) – Datu, Zhong Hong Real Estate Cup, 北京市 (Běijīng) 2001. 13. ... Qxd5 14. Bxd5 Rxc2 15. Na3 Re2 16. Rac1 Nd3 17. Rxc7 Be6 18. Bb3 a5 19. Ra7 Bxb3 20. axb3 Rxe5 21. Nc4 Rb5 22. Rb1. “Objectively it was just equal somewhere around move 16-17”, Nakamura said. “I found 22. Rb1 which I think is a nice move, and I think 22. ... Nc5 was probably the critical blunder”. 22. ... Nc5. “22. ... a4 23. Rxa4 Nc5 24. Ra3 Rfb8 25. Nd2 g6 and White’s chances of winning are pretty slim due to his passive pieces”, Grandmaster Josh Friedel said. 23. Nxa5 Re8 24. g3 g6 25. b4 Nd3 26. Nc6 Re2 27. Rd7

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27. ... Nxf2? “This loses immediately. 27. ... Rb6 was forced, and after 28. Ne7+ Kg7 29. Nf5+ gxf5 30. Rxd3 White has excellent winning chances, but at least Black can fight on...”, Friedel said. 28. Nd4 Nh3+. Now and on the next move, 28. ... Rd2 would be met by 29. Rd8+! (the move that Onischuk may have overlooked) 29. ... Kg7 30. Ne6+ fxe6 31. Rxd2. 29. Kh1 Nf2+ 30. Kg2 Nd1+ 31. Nxe2 1 : 0. “When you play tournaments like this, it’s much different than playing against the top players in the world in that you’re pretty much forced to try to win every game, regardless of color. I think that adds a lot of extra stress”, Nakamura said. This is Nakamura’s fourth U.S. title and first since 2012, when he last participated at the Championship.

Hikaru Nakamura vs. Alexander Vasilyevich Onischuk
Photo: Lennart Ootes