Nakamura Chess960 World Champ!
July 31, 2009
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Hikaru Nakamura and Levon Aronian in Mainz

U.S. Champion Hikaru Nakamura is now a World Champion too- in chess960! Nakamura demolished Levon Aronian in the finals of the chess960 Championship in Mainz, Germany with three straight wins in the first three games. Game four was also played for the fans (a draw.) Find out more in the chessbase report, the ICC blog with video , the official website and a chessninja blog. Also look for news on Hikaru's blog.

Here are the first and third Nakamura wins over Aronian in the final match:

Nakamura-Aronian, Mainz Chess 960 final, game 1


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1. f4 f5 2. Bd4 d6 3. Qg1 c5 4. Bc3 Nc7 5. g4 e6 6. d3 Bf7 7. e4 Ne7 8. Ne2 Qg8 9. Nb3 b6

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10. O-O-O g6 11. Nd2 O-O-O 12. Bh3 fxe4 13. Nxe4 Ned5 14. Bf6 Rd7 15. c4 Nb4 16. a3 Nc6 17. Bc3 Be7 18. g5 d5 19. Nf6 Bxf6 20. Bxf6 Qf8 21. Nc3 Qd6 22. Qf2 Kb7 23. Kb1 Rf8 24. cxd5 Nxd5 25. Nxd5 Qxd5 26. d4 e5 27. Bxd7 Nxd4 28. Rxd4 cxd4 29. Rxe5 Qa2+ 30. Kc1 Qa1+ 31. Kc2 d3+ 32. Kxd3 Qd1+ 33. Qd2 Bc4+ 34. Ke3 Qg1+ 35. Kf3 h5 36. Re1 Qc5 37. Be7 Bd5+ 38. Kg3 h4+ 39. Kh3 1-0

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Nakamura-Aronian, Mainz Chess 960 final, game 3

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1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 g6 3. Nc3 c6 4. g3 d6 5. d4 Bd7 6. Rd3 Na6 7. a3 Bh6+ 8. Bd2 Bg7 9. Be3 exd4 10. Bxd4 Nc5 11. Rd2 Nf6 12. Ng5 Rf8

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13. O-O-O O-O-O 14. e5 Ng4 15. f4 Ne6 16. Nxe6 Bxe6 17. h3 dxe5 18. Bxa7 Nf6 19. Ba6 e4 20. Qg1 Rxd2
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21. Bxb7+ Kxb7 1-0

Before Nakamura comes back to the USA for his August 7th U.S. Open simul , he will play in the Ordix Open, in which GM Gata Kamsky will also be participating.