Drama erupted at the exhibition chess event Checkmate: USA vs India on Saturday, as American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura drew sharp criticism for throwing away the 19-year-old world champion D Gukesh’s king after the World No. 2’s win over the Indian Grandmaster. The incident came as the USA team whitewashed India 5-0 in the opening fixture at the Esports Stadium Arlington.The move immediately sparked debate in the chess community, with FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky weighing in on social media. On X, Sutovsky wrote: “The event was a show. Fans were ecstatic. Players were encouraged to behave accordingly. All true. Now, for better or worse, name me one top player who would do what Hikaru did.”The official Checkmate: USA vs India account replied with tongue-in-cheek humour: “On behalf of the organizers, we admit having forced the players to have fun, to please the crowd and to forego the FIDE Etiquette. We sincerely apologize if the players, the live audience and the vast majority of online viewers had a good time.”Quoting this, Nakamura responded with three laughing emojis, further fueling online debate.
GM Hikaru Nakamura’s post on X
Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik was scathing in his criticism of the American Grandmaster. On X, Kramnik called the act “a diagnosis of the degradation of modern chess”: “I don’t know who came up with this childish, tasteless act. Likely this ‘thinker’ had no specific intention to humiliate Gukesh, but could have realized that this public gesture (using opponent’s KING) looks offensive and provocative ESPECIALLY against the World Champion.”Kramnik added: “There are players who show respect and mature gentlemanly behaviour, many prominent players in fact (Wesley So, Gukesh himself, and many others). Promoting for years the player known for his awful behaviour instead — deliberate action, damaging our game in my opinion.”Despite the tense moments and multiple near-wins from both sides, the USA dominated the match, leaving India without a single point in the first Checkmate encounter.
