Nakamura wins Mexico duel

Nakamura top wonder boy

"Duelo de los Jovenes Prodigios"
Dec. 9-14 – Cuernavaca, Estado de Morelos, Mexico
Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos

By winning game five, US Champion Hikaru Nakamura won his match against Ukraine's Sergey Karjakin. Game six will be a formality, but from the way things have gone so far it won't be a formality at the board. These Wonder Boys, as the event calls them, have fought hard with every move.

Hikaru Nakamura won the "Duel of he Wonder Boys".

Maybe it's youthful energy, maybe it's teen hormones, or maybe it's the Mexican hot sauce. There's got to be some reason for the tremendous battles between Hikaru Nakamura and Sergey Karjakin. Or maybe it's just that when there is no agenda other than playing each game to win, nature takes its course.

When he was dropped into Dortmund against Leko and Kramnik this year, his even score with six draws was considered a great achievement for the youngster. Kasparov has bemoaned this sort of thing as bad for the development of such young players, who learn to draw instead of win.

The chess in Cuernavaca has been exciting, if uneven in parts, particularly the see-saw game four in which both players missed likely wins. Of course this is what happens when both players are convinced they can win and play each move with that belief.

Karjakin and his mother in the playing hall.

On stage for game four.

Karjakin won game three with a powerful Sicilian attack.

Karjakin attended the prize ceremony of the open tournament that ran alongside the Duel. Speaking is the rector of the university hosting the events, Rene Santoveña of the Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos.