4/5/2026 – Drawing on a game from the previous Candidates, Hikaru Nakamura's win over Alireza Firouzja is revisited through a detailed analytical lens, leading to a study-like endgame. The position, refined after further work, offers a challenging exercise inspired by practical play. Alongside this, a brief statistical note highlights recurring opposite-coloured bishop endings in encounters involving Fabiano Caruana, adding context to recent Candidates battles. | Photo: FIDE / Michal Walusza (Candidates 2024)

3/16/2026 – Hikaru Nakamura was defeated 6–4 by Awonder Liang in a three-day training match in Saint Louis held as preparation for the Candidates Tournament. After two drawn classical games, all eight encounters in the rapid and blitz sessions ended decisively, with Liang ultimately prevailing. The match provided Nakamura with competitive practice ahead of a demanding event, for which several of his future rivals have recently been active. | Photo: Saint Louis Chess Club / Lennart Ootes

3/15/2026 – Hikaru Nakamura is playing a training match against Awonder Liang in Saint Louis as he fine-tunes his form ahead of the Candidates Tournament, which begins in two weeks' time. The three-day encounter, running from 13 to 15 March, combines classical, rapid and blitz games. Liang, ranked 25th in the world, provides strong opposition in a match broadcast live on Nakamura's Kick channel. | Follow the games live starting at 18.00 CET (13.00 ET, 22.30 IST)

1/21/2026 – World number one Magnus Carlsen and world number two Hikaru Nakamura appeared at ICE Barcelona for a blindfold exhibition match. The encounter, staged at the international gaming and tech expo, was accompanied by live commentary from Levy Rozman, a.k.a. GothamChess. Beyond the game itself, the event offered spectators insight into elite calculation, modern chess culture and the game's growing crossover with digital entertainment. | All photos: BETBY

11/25/2025 – The quarterfinals of the 2025 Speed Chess Championship have concluded, producing two compelling semifinal pairings for the live stage in London this February. Magnus Carlsen will face Denis Lazavik, while Hikaru Nakamura is set to meet Alireza Firouzja in a clash of leading speed-play specialists. The event, organised by chess.com, continues to combine online matchplay with an on-site finale, bringing rapid-fire chess to a live audience on 7–8 February 2026.

11/14/2025 – “It's difficult to make predictions, especially about the future” is a well-known witticism about the pitfalls of predictions. The quote is often attributed to American baseball legend Yogi Berra, but sometimes also to physicist and Nobel Prize winner Niels Bohr. Predictions about the future may be difficult, but they can still be fun. Hikaru Nakamura recently ventured predictions about the round of the last 16 and the possible winner of the World Cup 2025.

11/11/2025 – Hikaru Nakamura has completed his campaign to qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament by reaching the required 40 classical games. The world number two played the Washington Dulles Open last weekend, sharing first place and fulfilling the FIDE threshold. His strategy of entering smaller North American tournaments has proved effective, leaving him well-placed to claim the rating qualification spot for the Candidates. | Photo: Rick Massimo / US Chess

10/18/2025 – Hikaru Nakamura continued his bid to qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament by winning the Maritime Open Chess Championship in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Playing against much lower-rated opposition, the world number two scored 5½/6 to take first place outright. Though he lost a few rating points, the event brought him closer to fulfilling the 40-game requirement for the rating qualification spot. | Photo: Hikaru Nakamura's X account

10/7/2025 – Team USA claimed a 5-0 victory over Team India in "Checkmate: USA v. India", a new-format exhibition held at Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event combined top-level chess with a live sports-style presentation, featuring unconventional rules such as no resignations and active audience participation. Hikaru Nakamura sealed the clean sweep by defeating world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, capping an evening that tested how far chess can be taken as a stadium spectacle. | Photo: Ashwin Subramanian

9/30/2025 – Hikaru Nakamura, currently ranked second in the world, gained nine Elo points in the FIDE world rankings over the last two months by scoring 11 points from 11 games in weaker tournaments; his strongest opponent had an Elo rating of 2250. Each win earned him 0.8 Elo points. However, following a rule change by FIDE, such Elo gains will no longer be possible from 1 October. Previously, when calculating Elo ratings for players with 2650+ points, a maximum difference of 400 points from the opponent's rating was assumed. For example, for a player with 2750 points, all opponents, regardless of their actual strength, were assumed to have a minimum rating of 2350. According to the new rule, the actual Elo rating difference now counts.

9/11/2025 – Hikaru Nakamura is working to meet the requirement of playing enough classical games in 2025 to qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament by rating. The world number two recently entered two state-level events in the United States, scoring perfect results in both. He won all seven games at the Louisiana State Championship in New Orleans, before adding five more victories at the Iowa Chess Open in Iowa City. These results bring his total to 29 classical games, with 11 still needed by year's end. | Photo: Nakamura's X account

7/21/2025 – Levon Aronian won the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas by defeating Hans Niemann 1½–½ in Sunday’s final, securing his first title and the $200,000 top prize. Magnus Carlsen beat Hikaru Nakamura to finish third and maintain his lead in the overall tour standings. Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu claimed fifth and seventh place, respectively, as the first Freestyle Chess event held in the United States came to a close. | Photo: Lennart Ootes