The Sportspedia
Speech Chess Championship Final (online)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) should not be sen as a “giant killer” of the best Speed Chess players in the world anymore: he has joined the club. However, he could still not beat now three-time Speed Chess Champion, Hikaru Nakamura (USA).
The Frenchman defeated Magnus Carlson (NOR), Chess World Champion, yesterday, and he recently defeated Hikaru Nakamura. This rematch should have been exciting…
And it was. The first game of the match, played to 5 minutes plus a second per move, was very close. Nakamura took advantage but “MLV” showed good defense and didn’t make it easy for him.
Actually, even though he took this first phase 5.5-4.5 the US American was very frustrated because he was close to taking a three-point advantage but made a mistake and the difference was of just one point. And he knew how dangerous the French player is…
The second part of the Final was very tight and saw them finish 10-9 in favor of Nakamura. The climax was the 11.5 to 10.5 when MLV took the lead with a blindingly fast chase of two towers and a rook until he found the Check Mate.
But that lead would not last for long. Hikaru came back on full steam to take an advantage of 16-12
