During the 'Checkmate: USA vs India' chess event in Texas, an incident between grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and D Gukesh captured all the headlines. After defeating Gukesh in the event, Nakamura was captured, throwing the Indian grandmaster’s king into the crowd.
The moment saw Nakamura attract major criticism from the fans and experts alike. Many critics branded Nakamura’s act as tasteless and vulgar, stating that theatrics have no place in the game of chess.
However, there have been reports that the incident was planned by the event organisers. "Without context, it will look like an unprovoked gesture. However, we were encouraged by the organisers to do that. I forgot that if I won my game against ChessBase India's Sagar Shah, or he won, we were supposed to break the king. It was for the entertainment angle,” chess expert Levy Rozman said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“The winner of Gukesh's and Hikaru's game was supposed to toss the king into the fans. I'm not sure if Gukesh would have done that. Hikaru spoke to Gukesh later and explained that it was all for show and no disrespect was meant," he added.
Nakamura reflected on his win against Gukesh
Furthermore, Hikaru Nakamura also came forward and talked about his win against Gukesh. He talked about how the event exceeded his expectations and branded it one of the best experiences that he has had playing the game.
"This was one of the best in-person experiences I have had as someone who has been playing chess for a very long time. We are so accustomed to celebrating our victories on our own... chess can be such a lonely job; you don't feel any validation for what you are doing. Even the Indian players, despite losing, had a great time. So, this event exceeded my expectations," Nakamura said.
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