Why Hikaru Nakamura Threw D Gukesh’s King Into The Crowd After Winning At Checkmate: Truth Behind The Viral Video

The first leg in the exhibition chess match Checkmate, USA vs India took place in Arlington, the first match in the series was a resounding 5 to 0 result to the Americans over India. A moment of that game has gone viral, Hikaru Nakamura took the king of the board belonging to the world champion of India D Gukesh and threw it into the audience, which is a controversial moment. 

Why Hikaru Nakamura Threw D Gukesh’s King Into The Crowd?

The act of throwing the king into the crowd is a strange and contentious element of the chess party, so it is no wonder that such an act offended many people in the society. This criticism is a reflection of the blowback of Magnus Carlsen throwing his fist against the air following his defeat to Gukesh at Norway Chess. It was the action of Nakamura at the end of a fast and dramatic game of bullets. His comment of observers, as well as himself, is that he had worked out the theatrics before. He argued that the drama of the format dictated that it would be a better accommodating spectacle should he win and that he would always throw the king. Others went so far as to assert that organizers had inspired theatrics like knocking over or throwing a king piece in order to increase the participation and amuse the audience. 

What Do The Critics Say About Hikaru Nakamura’s Action?

Nevertheless, not all people regarded it as an innocent performance. The chess fraternity reacted violently. Vladimir Kramnik, who is the former world champion, described the act as tasteless and vulgar and said that playing the king of the opponent in a theatrics is provocative and something that is not in line with the dignity of the sport, especially when it is targeted on a world champion. Kramnik did more by advising against the promotion of such gestures as a moral decay in the professional game. Similar concerns were raised by numerous fans. Critics claimed that although drama had its role, making an opponent piece of the drama especially the king a reward of a sort crossed the border to disrespect. In the meantime, observers pointed out that Gukesh remained calm, quietly picking up pieces and proceeding with business, and this earned him respect. 

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