Hikaru Nakamura, age 11, defeats Grandmaster Alejandro Hoffman in US Open

by Sam Sloan

Hikaru Nakamura, who made chess history last year by becoming the first US player to achieve the master rank at the age of 10, has checkmated Grandmaster Alejandro Hoffman of Argentina tonight in the US Open Chess Championship. Hikaru Nakamura has finished the tournament with 6.5-2.5, which is only one point behind the first place finishers.








Final position Hoffman vs. Nakamura, White is in checkmate

The tournament is being played at the Sands Regency Hotel in Reno, Nevada.

Hikaru says that his winning move was 25. .... Nf3.

Here is the game:

[Event "U.S. Open 99"]
[Site "Reno USA"]
[Date "1999.08.20"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Hoffman,Alejandro"]
[Black "Nakamura,Hikaru"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E61"]
[PlyCount "70"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 O-O 5. Bf4 d6 6. h3 c5 7. d5 a6 8. a4 Nh5
9. Bd2 f5 10. e3 e5 11. dxe6 Bxe6 12. Be2 Nc6 13. O-O f4 14. Nd5 Bh6 15. Ra3
Bxd5 16. cxd5 Ne7 17. e4 Nf6 18. Qb1 g5 19. a5 Ng6 20. b4 cxb4 21. Bxb4 Qe7 22.
Bd3 g4 23. Nd4 Nh4 24. hxg4 Nxg4 25. Ne6 Nf3+ 26. gxf3 Qh4 27. fxg4 Qxg4+ 28.
Kh2 Qh4+ 29. Kg1 Qg4+ 30. Kh2 Qh4+ 31. Kg1 Kf7 32. Bc3 b5 33. Bg7 Qg4+ 34. Kh2
f3 35. Rg1 Qh4# 0-1


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