Immigrants are dominating the American chess scene. Those from the former USSR have long had the upper hand, but now there is a Japanese contender in the ring. Thus, at the U.S. championship just concluded in San Diego, Hikaru Nakamura, formerly of Japan and now of White Plains, N.Y., and Alexander Stripunsky, formerly of Ukraine and now of Queens, tied for first place. Nakamura, however, went on to win a tie-break match to become, at age 16, the second-youngest American champion in history, just behind Bobby Fischer, who won the title in 1957 at the age of 14.

One of the best games of the tournament came in the final round.

NAKAMURA (white) VS. IBRAGIMOV (black) FRENCH DEFENSE

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nge7 6.Na3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Nf5 8.Nc2 Qb6 9.Be2 Bb4+ 10.Kf1 Be7 11.g3 Bd7 12.Bd2 0-0 13.h4 f6 14.g4 In choosing his setup, white had planned this thrust. But it finds a strong retort. 14… Nfxd4! An excellent positional piece sacrifice, for which black receives two pawns and a lasting initiative. 15.Ncxd4 fxe5 16.Nxc6 bxc6! This is stronger than 16…Bxc6 17.Qb3 Qxb3 18.axb3 d4 19.Rh3, extinguishing black’s initiative. Now black’s pawn fist in the center threatens to crush everything in its path. 17.Bc3! The alternative 17.Qb3 Qc7 (very good for black was 17…Bd6 18.Bc3 e4 19.Qxb6 axb6 20.Ne5 Be8 21.g5 Rf5 22.Ng4 c5 23.Ne3 Rf8 as well.) 18.Qc3 e4 19.Ne5 Be8 20.Rc1 c5 didn’t solve white’s problems. 17… Bd6 18.Rh3 Rab8! Too hasty was 18…e4 19.Qd4 Qxd4 20.Nxd4 e5 21.Nb3 d4 22.Nxd4 exd4 23.Bxd4, which would relieve white of his difficulties. Black prevents the push b2-b4, which could hinder his own pawns. 19.Bd3 Qc7 20.Ng5 h6! Again prematurely was 20…e4? because of 21.Bxe4! dxe4 22.Qd4 e5 23.Qc4+! Kh8 24.Qxe4 g6 25.h5 and suddenly white has a winning attack. 21.Bh7+ Kh8 22.Qc2?! Not the best way in a very complicated position. White had to choose 22.Bg6! Qb6 23.Nf7+ Rxf7 24.Bxf7 Rf8 25.Rf3 e4 26.Qc1! e5 (bad for black was 26…Kh7 27.h5! exf3 28.Qc2+ Kh8 29.Bxg7+ Kxg7 30.Qg6+ Kh8 31.Qxh6#) 27.Rf6! e3 28.Rxd6 Rxf7 29.Kg2 Rxf2+ 30.Kg3 d4 with wild complications. 22… Rf4! 23.Qg6 Perhaps on the previous move white had been planning 23.Bg8 e4 24.Nxe6 but he now realized that after 24…Qb7 25.Nxf4 Bxf4 26.Bf7 Bxg4 he is defenseless. 23… Rf6! 24.Nf7+ Rxf7 25.Qxf7 Kxh7 26.g5 Be8 Black transposes into a highly advantageous endgame. Even stronger was 26…Rf8 27.Qh5 Qb6 with unbearable pressure on the white position. 27.g6+ Kh8 28.Qxc7 Bxc7 29.h5 d4 30.Rf3 Kg8! 31.Be1 c5 32.Rc1 Bd6 33.Rb3 Rxb3 34.axb3 Bb5+ 35.Kg2 Kf8 Better was the obvious 35…e4 with a winning position. 36.f3 Bd3 37.Bg3 Ke7 38.b4 cxb4 39.Rc8 e4 40.Rg8 Bxg3 41.Rxg7+ Kf8 42.Rf7+ Kg8 43.Kxg3 e3 44.Rd7 e5 45.f4 Nakamura strives mightily to create all possible problems to prevent black from realizing his advantage. White would lose after both 45.Rd8+ Kg7 46.Rd7+ Kf6 47.Rd6+ Ke7 48.Rd5 Bc4! 49.Rxe5+ Kf6 50.Re4 d3! 51.Rxc4 d2 52.Rc6+ Kf5 53.g7 d1Q 54.g8Q Qg1+; or 45.Kg2 Bf5 46.Rxa7 d3 47.Ra8+ Kg7 48.Ra7+ Kf8 49.Ra8+ Ke7 50.Ra7+ Ke8 51.Ra8+ Kd7 52.Ra7+ Kc8 53.Ra8+ Kb7 54.g7 Be6 55.Rd8 d2 56.Kf1 Bc4+ 57.Kg2 e2. 45… exf4+ 46.Kxf4 e2 47.Re7 Kf8 48.Re5 48… a5? The crucial moment of the game. Black could win by playing 48…Bb5 49.Kf5. The only counterplay would come from 49…d3 50.Kf6 Ba4! 51.Re7 e1Q! 52.Rxe1 d2. Now white has a defense. 49.Kf3 a4 50.Kf2 a3 51.bxa3 b3? Now black loses. He could have drawn by playing 51…bxa3! 52.Ra5 Bc4 53.Rxa3 d3 54.Ke1 Kg7 55.Rc3 Be6 56.Rc7+ Kf8! (not 56…K! f6 57.Rc6 Ke7 58.g7 Bg8 59.Rxh6 Kf7 60.Rg6) 57.Rh7 Bg8! 58.Rd7 (an amusing loss comes from 58.Rxh6 Kg7) 58…Be6 59.Rxd3 Bg4 60.Rd5 Kg7 61.Kf2 Kg8 62.Re5 Kg7 63.Kg3 Bxh5. 52.g7+! Kxg7 53.Re7+ Kf6 54.Rb7 Bc4 55.Rb4 Bf7 It did not help to play 55…b2 56.Rxb2 d3 57.Ke1. 56.a4 d3 57.a5 Bxh5 58.Ke1 Ke5 59.a6 Bf3 60.a7 h5 61.Rxb3 Kd4 62.Rb8 h4 63.Rd8+ Kc3 64.Rc8+ Kd4 65.Kd2! A final finesse. In case of the hasty 65.a8Q? Bxa8 66.Rxa8 Ke3 67.Re8+ Kf3 black would survive. 65… h3 66.a8Q 1-0