After Carlsen, Nakamura expresses disinterest in chasing chess world title, prefers Freestyle: ‘Mainly a lottery’

American grandmaster
Hikaru Nakamura has lately expressed a candid viewpoint relating to the FIDE Candidates Match, suggesting that its final result is much like a “lottery.” Nakamura’s sentiment displays the match’s unpredictable nature and the challenges gamers face in securing a spot to play in opposition to the World Chess Champion.

World No.2 Nakamura feels that the Candidates Match is an unpredictable affair the place outcomes will be as a lot about luck as ability. Nakamura appears unlikely to take part within the subsequent Candidates Match, stating that the requirement of taking part in 40 qualifying video games is just not lifelike.

Nakamura opts out of Candidates Match?

He emphasised that he should select between Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour or classical tournaments, suggesting that different prime gamers may also snub the Candidates Match and go for the brand new format.

“As for the notion of taking part in 40 [required tournament] video games is just not lifelike. I mainly need to decide, do I need to give attention to the Freestyle Chess or do I need to attempt to play 40 video games?” Nakamura was quoted as saying by chess.com.

“Stepping into the Candidates may be very robust, profitable the Candidates is mainly a lottery. I don’t assume anyone’s going to prioritise that over taking part in Freestyle,” he added.

If Nakamura decides to prioritise the Freestyle Chess Tour over the Candidates, he would be the subsequent massive participant to choose out of the race to develop into the world title challenger. World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has already confirmed a number of instances that
he isn’t fascinated by difficult for the title.

Nakamura, Carlsen to set new development in chess world?

It’ll additionally underline a development of prime gamers prortising personal leagues over FIDE tournaments as the connection between the top-ranked gamers together with Carlsen and Nakamura and FIDE have turned fairly bitter over the previous few months because the launch of the Freestyle Chess tour.

The 2024 Candidates Match was an eight-player occasion held to find out the challenger for the World Chess Championship 2024. It happened at The Nice Corridor in Toronto, Canada, from 3 to 22 April, 2024, alongside the Girls’s Candidates Match. The occasion was
received by Indian grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju, making him the youngest ever winner of a Candidates Match and the youngest ever World Chess Championship challenger.

Following this historic achievement, Gukesh went on to develop into the
youngest undisputed World Champion by defeating Ding Liren within the 14th and final classical sport of the world championship. Nakamura completed second within the standings. The subsequent version of the Candidates Match will likely be held in 2026. The dates haven’t been finalised but however it will likely be performed in the identical 8-player double round-robin format.

Nakamura’s current feedback concerning the Candidates Match being a “lottery” come at a time when he’s excelling in high-stakes tournaments exterior of conventional classical chess. The five-time US Chess Champion has been showcasing his prowess in The American Cup 2025, the place he lately secured a spot within the Open Champions Remaining in opposition to Fabiano Caruana.

Nakamura’s journey to the ultimate was removed from easy, as he needed to overcome a troublesome problem from 15-year-old prodigy Abhimanyu Mishra in a gruelling six-game playoff. Nakamura himself admitted that he made issues unnecessarily difficult within the quarter-finals. Nakamura has additionally been a dominant power in Freestyle Chess.

In the meantime, the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is underway with the second leg of the occasion set to kick begin in Paris from 8 to fifteen April. Nakamura has certified for the second leg by ending fifth in Weissenhaus, the place the opening leg happened from 7 to 14 February. Vincent Keymar received the primary leg by defeating Fabiano Caruana within the last. Magnus Carlsen completed third.