‘Can be enjoyable to lastly meet Samay Raina! He’s an enormous famous person!’: Chess World No. 3 Hikaru Nakamura

Raina is well-known amongst chess followers for his ‘OP’ phrase phrase, and promoted the game by means of his on-line exhibits in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. He’s additionally credited by many to have performed a key function within the rise in reputation of chess.

Presently, Raina is underneath the highlight for the improper causes, after a controversial YouTube video. The incident occurred on his present India’s Bought Latent, the place one among his visitors Ranveer Allahbadia made a weird incestuous abuse-laden comment. Since then, all India’s Bought Latent episodes have been taken down, and at the least two FIRs have been failed towards Raina and the visitors on his episodes, together with Allahbadia.

Hikaru Nakamura unknowingly joins Samay Raina-Ranveer Allahbadia controversy

It was evident in the course of the latest Weissenhaus Freestyle Chess Grand Slam occasion that Nakamura didn’t find out about Raina’s controversy, and unknowingly expressed his need to fulfill him. Chatting with ChessBase India, he revealed that he could be visiting India later this 12 months for the FIDE World Cup, and likewise said that he would get to fulfill Raina.

“It might be enjoyable to lastly meet Samay! I feel I haven’t met him but. I do know he’s within the US and he’s completed some stuff (performing in rise up exhibits within the USA and UK). It might be loads of enjoyable (to fulfill Samay)”, he mentioned.

“It’s wild to see — clearly I don’t observe Indian tradition tremendous carefully — however at first of the pandemic he was form of a comic, form of identified. And now he’s like an enormous famous person! In all places! It’s undoubtedly superb to see what he’s completed with comedy and chess. Hopefully I’ll have an opportunity to fulfill him,” he added.

The Weissenhaus Grand Slam occasion additionally noticed D Gukesh in motion, however the reigning world champion had a winless run, and completed in eight place.