Las Vegas Chess Festival has started

Kamsky wins 19 draws 2 in a simul, Nakamura wins the blitz competitions

One of the biggest chess festivals in the US has started today in Las Vegas with the participation of many strong players. The star of the competition, GM Gata Kamsky, played a simul against 21 players at the opening of the Las Vegas Chess Festival. Gata won 19 of the games, while two of the opponents managed to draw with the World Chess Champion candidate. These were Gill Lapid Shafriri and Lauro Ancheta.

At the same time, last year's winner of the National Open, GM Hikaru Nakanura, won the G/10 and G/5 blitz competitions, showing high ambition to win the Open event as well. GM Hikaru Nakamura won the US G/10 with perfect score of 6-0. Going into the final round Nakamura and Fressinet were both at 5-0, and Hikaru managed to clinch a victory.

In the National Open Blitz Championship, Nakamura scored 12.5 points in 14 games to win by a full point.

US G/10 results

1. Hikaru Nakamura 6,0/6
2. Laurent Fressinet 5,0
3. Tigran Petrosian 5,0
4. Sergey Erenburg 5,0
5. Zviad Izoria 5,0
6, Atanas Kolev 5,0
7. Mark Paragua 5,0
8. Nikola Mitkov 5,0

Total: 99 participants

GM Nakamura, the winner of the G/10 and G/5 championships, during the first rounds

Later on both Kamsky and Nakamura started their participation in the National Open Championship event, together with many strong players - GM Akobian, IM Robson, GM Gurevich, IM Bradford, GM Kolev, GM Browne, GM Petrosian, GM Laylo, GM Yermolinsky, GM Mark Paragua, FM Naroditsky, etc.

Here is an extensive photo report of the first day by our good friends Susan and Paul.

Stay tuned for the results of day 1!

GM Kamsky in round 1 of the competition

IM Ray Robson, one of the young starts of US chess in Las Vegas

IM Pruess

IM Joe Bradford

GM Browne

Tuvshintugs vs. GM Gurevich

IM Formanek vs GM Yermolinsky

Josh Friedel vs Michael Aigner

One of the authors of this report, GM Susan Polgar, during the The scholastic simul of the Las Vegas chess festival

Many events are going on at the Las Vegas chess festival