Young Superstars: Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura was born December 9, 1987 in Osaka, Japan. When he was two years old he and his family moved to the United States. Hikaru began playing chess at the age of seven and was coached by his Sri Lankan stepfather, FIDE Master Sunil Weeramantry.

In 2003 he became America's youngest-ever grandmaster, and he reached the final 16 in the FIDE World Championship the following year. He also won the U.S. Championship in 2004 and is the youngest player to achieve that honor since Fischer. In 2005, Nakamura was selected as the 19th Frank Samford Chess Fellow, receiving a grant of $32,000 to further his chess education and competition. 

Other recent tournament successes include victories at the 2006 National Chess Congress and 2006 North American Open, and joint second place at the 5th Gibraltar Chess Festival (2007). He was also part of the U.S. team that brought home the bronze medal at the 37th Chess Olympiad (2006).

Nakamura currently resides in White Plains, New York, and is enrolled at Dickinson College. In July of 2007 he was ranked 70th on the FIDE World Rating List and 6th on the FIDE Juniors List.  Hikaru is the highest rated player on the Internet Chess Club, with hundreds of other Grandmasters at his heels. He plays under the nickname, “Smallville”, his favorite T.V show.  Nakamura plays a wide range of openings.  He plays e4 as White half the time with d4 one third and c4 1/6th.  As Black, he plays the Najdorf Sicilian, French, Alekhine against e4 and the King's Indian, Grunfeld and Slav against d4.

25 more puzzles from Nakamura's games can be found at http://www.wtharvey.com/naka.html