Peter Heine Nielsen wins Hastings

by ChessBase
1/6/2003 – The Danish GM, who was recently spotted working together with Vishy Anand, has won the 78th International Chess Congress in Hastings. Nielsen clinched it in the penultimate round when he defeated co-leader Penteala Harikrishna, who is 16 years old and hails from India. Top seed K. Sasikiran (2670) came in a disappointing 7th. 12-year-old Sergey Karjakin came 5th with a 2590 performance. More

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John Henderson reports


Peter Heine Nielsen, the winner of the Hastings 2002/2003

The Danish GM Peter Heine Nielsen has won the 78th Hastings Premier in dramatic style, as the second seed rode a virtual rollercoaster of a tournament to take the first prize of £2,000.

Leading at one stage by a full point, Nielsen suffered a major setback en route to victory following two successive defeats. However he soon fought his way back into first place by proving to be the most aggressive and determined player in the field, and a penultimate round victory over co-leader Pentala Harikrishna clinched the title and first place for the Dane.

And, with a quick last round draw against Keith Arkell, Nielsen secured himself outright first on 6/9; in the process emulating the feats of his more famous countryman Bent Larsen, who during the 1960s and 1970s was a perennial favourite at the world’s most famous international tournament.

Just a half point behind in joint second was British Grand Prix winner Keith Arkell (the only unbeaten player in the field, who was also making his debut at the Premier), and Harikrishna on 5.5/9. Despite proving to be tough opposition at times, the young GMs Sergey Karjakin and Luke McShane couldn’t raise their game high enough to cause a major sensation by winning the tournament.

Report in Outlook India

ROUND 1 - 28 Dec
Barsov    ½-½  Tseshkovsky
Nielsen   1-0  Karjakin
Flear     ½-½  Arkell
McShane   ½-½  Harikrishna
Sasikiran ½-½  Kosteniuk
ROUND 4 - 31 Dec
Barsov       1-0  McShane
Nielsen      1-0  Flear
Arkell       ½-½  Kosteniuk
Karjakin     ½-½  Sasikiran
Tseshkovsky  ½-½  Harikrishna
ROUND 7 - 3 Jan
Kosteniuk     0-1  Nielsen
Harikrishna   1-0  Barsov
Arkell        ½-½  Karjakin
McShane       ½-½  Tseshkovsky
Sasikiran     ½-½  Flear
ROUND 2 - 29 Dec
Barsov        ½-½  Nielsen
Karjakin      1-0  Flear
Arkell        1-0  McShane
Harikrishna   ½-½  Sasikiran
Tseshkovsky   0-1  Kosteniuk
ROUND 5 - 1 Jan
Kosteniuk    0-1  Karjakin
Harikrishna  ½-½  Arkell
Flear        1-0  Tseshkovsky
McShane      1-0  Nielsen
Sasikiran    ½-½  Barsov
ROUND 8 - 4 Jan
Barsov       ½-½  Arkell
Nielsen      1-0  Harikrishna
Flear        1-0  Kosteniuk
McShane      1-0  Sasikiran
Tseshkovsky  0-1  Karjakin
ROUND 3  - 30 Dec
Kosteniuk    0-1  Harikrishna
Nielsen      1-0  Tseshkovsky
Flear        ½-½  Barsov
McShane      1-0  Karjakin
Sasikiran    ½-½  Arkell
ROUND 6 - 2 Jan
Barsov       1-0  Kosteniuk
Nielsen      0-1  Sasikiran
Flear        ½-½  McShane
Karjakin     ½-½  Harikrishna
Tseshkovsky  0-1  Arkell
ROUND 9 - 5 Jan
Kosteniuk     1-0  McShane
Harikrishna   1-0  Flear
Arkell        ½-½  Nielsen
Karjakin      ½-½  Barsov
Sasikiran     ½-½  Tseshkovsky
Click on the headers to replay the games on the official Java board.

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