An intriguing moment arose in chess fandom after Hikaru Nakamura and D. Gukesh’s exhibition match at the Checkmate: USA vs USA event in Texas. Nakamura won and decided to throw Gukesh’s king piece into the audience which incited a large reaction on social media. Nakamura is currently addressing all the criticism with a challenge involving Bollywood music and some dancing.
What Actually Happened?
Nakamura competed against world champion D. Gukesh in Arlington, Texas, at an exhibition event where Team USA swept Team USA 5-0. After checkmating the 17-year-old Gukesh, Nakamura picked up the king piece and tossed it to the audience’s glee. The video of this moment soon went viral and sparked outrage on social media among both chess fans and former competitors alike.
Later, behind-the-scenes footage released showed this dramatic act wasn’t so spontaneous. The competitors had been told to add emotion to their matches, even making pieces or breaking the king piece suggested ways to make the match more of a spectacle for the crowd.
So while it looked spontaneous, Gukesh and the other competitors knew beforehand that such celebrations were encouraged.
The Backlash Was Real
Not everyone found the king-throwing moment amusing. Several people from the chess community came down hard on Nakamura:
- Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik called the act childish and vulgar
- FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky joined the criticism
- Many fans on social media accused Nakamura of disrespecting both Gukesh and the traditional nature of chess
- Critics argued that such behavior had no place in a competition built on respect and discipline
Gukesh himself has stayed quiet about the whole thing and hasn’t made any public comments about whether he felt disrespected or not.
Nakamura’s Response and Bollywood Challenge
Nakamura went on his Youtube channel to set the record straight and defend what he did. He made it clear that this was a strictly entertainment occasion, and nobody would ever do something like that in a serious tournament like the Candidates or a world championship.
He also mentioned that he threw the piece underhand because he steered in with baseball as a kid, and throwing it normally could actually hit someone in the crowd. Then came the fun part when Nakamura made a cheeky suggestion to the Gukesh.
If there’s a rematch in the near future and Gukesh manages to beat him, here’s what Nakamura thinks should happen:
- Gukesh should stand up right after checkmate
- Someone should cue up some Bollywood music
- Gukesh should start dancing right there on the chessboard
- Nakamura claims he would find this absolutely hilarious and wouldn’t be insulted at all
This suggestion shows Nakamura’s playful side and his attempt to lighten the mood after all the negative attention.
Why This Matters for Chess Fans
The whole situation demonstrates how chess attempts to engage new fans by merging traditional chess competition with interactive entertainment. Matches, like Checkmate, are set up to feel more like a competitive event than a quiet chess tournament. While purists may see nothing appealing about theatrical elements, these matchups bring chess to those who may have never watched a chess match.
The advantage for fans wanting to see how this story continues is that Gukesh and Nakamura are scheduled to meet in another match soon. They will compete against one another again at the Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown at the St Louis Chess Club on October 27, 28, and 29. Other chess competitors, Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, will join them. It remains to be seen if any Bollywood music makes an appearance.
For fans wanting to follow chess action and follow along with the entertainment moments during these competitive events, Khelofun covers formats and updates for all competitive formats. Khelofun connects fans to the action in the time chess and outdoor entertainment continues to blend.
The chess community remains split on whether Nakamura crossed a line or simply did what the event required. But one thing’s clear – this incident has made the next Nakamura versus Gukesh matchup much more exciting to watch. Will Gukesh take up the Bollywood dance challenge? Only time will tell.
