A controversial incident occurred during a Checkmate tournament in Texas. Hikaru Nakamura defeated India's D Gukesh by picking up his king and throwing it into the crowd.
Why Did Hikaru Nakamura Throw D Gukeshs King Into The Crowd? Full Explanation
In the 'USA vs. India' chess tournament, the host team defeated India 5-0. This thrilling match was often closely contested, but in the crucial moments, the US maintained its lead and did not give the Indian players any chance.
American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura defeated world champion D. Gukesh, while Fabiano Caruana defeated Arjun Erigesi to give the US the lead. Additionally, International Master Carissa Yip caused a major upset by defeating Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh. Levi Rozman defeated Sagar Shah and Teni Adewumi defeated Ethan Vaez to give the US a resounding 5-0 victory.
Hikara Nakamura throws Gukesh's king -
A bizarre and controversial incident occurred during this tournament. After defeating D. Gukesh, Nakamura picked up his king and threw it towards the spectators, sparking heated debate. A video of the incident went viral on social media, drawing sharp criticism from chess fans, calling it disrespectful and indecent. Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik reacted sharply to the incident, accusing Nakamura of tarnishing the image of modern chess. However, it was later revealed that Nakamura's move was part of a premeditated plan by the organizers.
Chess expert Levy Rozman explained in his YouTube video that it might seem rude if viewed out of context, but the organizers instructed us to do it. The winner was instructed to throw away the king for entertainment. Hikara later spoke with Gukesh and explained that it was just part of the show and there was no disrespect involved.
Nakamura said it was a special experience for him. Commenting on his YouTube channel after the win, Nakamura said it was one of the best live experiences of his career. Chess is often played alone, but at this tournament everyone celebrated together. Even the Indian players were enjoying the experience despite losing. This tournament exceeded their expectations.