Feb 05 - Nakamura Wins 2016 Gibraltar Masters

Written on 05 February 2016.

Hikaru Nakamura is the 2016 Tradewise Gibraltar Masters winner for the second consecutive year.

He has now won the Gibraltar Masters title three times.

This is the sixth time Nakamura plays in Gibraltar.

World No. 6 and the US No.1 Nakamura equalled the record set by English GM Nigel Short several years ago in the Tradewise Chess Festival.

Nakamura first won the Gibraltar Masters at the age of 20 in 2008. He first played in Gibraltar in 2005, then in 2007, 2008 (winner), 2009 and 2015 (winner).

In the final play-off yesterday lasting one hour and 15 minutes he played against World No.7 and French No.1 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Nakamura and Vachier-Lagrave drew in their first four games and went on to the decider in an Armageddon play-off.

GIBRALTAR WOMEN’S CHAMPION

Anna Muzychuk, Women’s World No.6. , from Ukraine, has won the woman’s title at the 2016 Tradewise Chess Festival. Having first played here in 2008 since 2012 she has competed in the Gibraltar Masters every year. She is the fourth woman ever to reach a rating of 2600. The others are Judit Polgar, Hou Yifan and Humpy Koneru. All of whom have played in Gibraltar in previous years.