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Nakamura Wins at Wijk aan Zee

By jrosenhouse on January 31, 2011.

In chess news, Hikaru Nakamura took clear first place at the annual chess extravaganza in Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands, ahead of world champ Viswanathan Anand, former world champ Vladimir Kramnik, and current world number one Magnus Carlsen. Here's Gary Kasparov explaining the significance of this result for American chess:

Fischer never won a tournament ahead of the world champion. He was second in Santa Monica. Of course there were far fewer such events back then, and Fischer had several great tournament results like Stockholm 62, but it's interesting. Reuben Fine only equaled Keres on points at AVRO in 38. Then you have Marshall at Cambridge Springs in 1904 ahead of Lasker, though Tarrasch wasn't there. So unless you include Capablanca as an American player, I think you can go back to Pillsbury at Hastings 1895 for an American tournament victory on par with Nakamura's!

Nakamura is only twenty-three, and is currently ranked seventh in the world. He is the first serious American challenger for the World Championship since Fischer. He also has the advantage of not being out of his mind. Congratulations to him on a great performance.

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chess

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Did you see Lennart Green has a new Mega Box set out very soon.

Tempted, but at $150 bucks it's not cheap.

BathTub:

PLEASE STATE RELEVANCE TO CHESS STOP

None whatsoever, Jason and I have discussed Lennart Green before.

Sorry for being AWOL from this thread. Lenoxus, as BathTub mentioned we have a common interest in Lennart Green, and card magic in general I assume.

BathTub, I think I could be persuaded to buy such a box set, especially considering all the money I'm saving on books now that I have a Kindle. Do you know if this is the sort of box set where he explains how the tricks are done?

Heh yeah, yeah the advertising is like 'he really does explain it ALL this time!'