In 2015, he was ranked as the world’s second best chess player. So this graph tells most about Hikaru Nakamura’s career development. Photo: Fide He fell outside the top 10, and when the pandemic broke out he barely made it into the 20 best players in the world. – He has always been a fantastic chess player, but not a competitive man, says Atle Grønn. In recent years, he has had his strengths with a shorter turnaround time, but neither in blitz nor rapid chess has he reached the top. He has been ridiculed by his competitors for never having made it in competition. As he tumbled down the world rankings, he looked set to become another American who never reached the top. HAPPY: Hikaru Nakamura smiled after the World Cup winner in Iceland on Sunday evening. Photo: Jørund Wessel Carlsen / news Pandemic success Due to the corona pandemic, all chess tournaments were stopped, and chess moved online. Then Hikaru Nakamura picked up his second hobby: streaming. – I tried a bit in 2018 and 2019, but when the pandemic stopped everything, it was a “no-brainer” to switch to streaming, says Nakamura. It was so great that the chess career was put aside. In addition, he comes up with a pretty good rationale. – Quite frankly, I think this is more fun and I will not focus more on chess in the future, says Nakamura to news. – I still consider myself a good chess player, but I select certain tournaments, he says. Sued for billions When he is not participating in tournaments, he sits and comments on chess to almost 3 million followers. But commenting on chess directly can also present other problems than difficult positions and variation calculation. Recently, Nakamura was sued by Hans Niemann. LAWSUITS: Hans Niemann has sued Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, among others. Photo: Lennart Ootes / Saint Louis Chess Club In the lawsuit, Niemann claims that Nakamura “publishes hours of video content that reinforces Carlsen’s false accusations of cheating” in addition to additional defamatory statements. He therefore no longer comments on Niemann, but even during the Fischer Chess World Cup he publishes videos on his channels. – Maybe Nakamura will potentially become a bigger name than Magnus Carlsen, even if Carlsen is the best chess player, says news’s expert Torstein Bae. – The digital scheme that Nakamura uses means that he has a lot of fans, he adds. Back at the chess top At the same time that almost 3 million people follow him, he has also gained momentum in his chess career. From being the one who never performed in major tournaments, he is back among the best players in the world. This spring he played the candidate tournament, the WC for chess, qualification, and he has climbed to sixth place in the world ranking. In the blitz chess rating, the 34-year-old reigns supreme, above Magnus Carlsen and above the “crown prince” Alireza Firouzja.
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