Ian Nepomniachtchi held on to a critical draw against Fabiano Caruana with the black pieces in Round 9 of the Candidates Tournament on Monday, inching him closer to a second straight berth in the Chess World Championship. Unibet now lists Nepomniachtchi as an overwhelming -10000 favorite to win the Candidates […]
Tag: Hikaru Nakamura
Ding Liren, Fabiano Caruana Lead Field of Eight Chess Hopefuls at 2022 Candidates Tournament
Eight of the world’s top grandmasters will meet in Madrid starting on Thursday with a trip to the Chess World Championship on the line as they compete in the 2022 Candidates Tournament. The winner of the double round-robin event will potentially take on Magnus Carlsen for the World Chess Championship […]
Hikaru Nakamura, Richard Rapport Book Positions in 2022 Candidates Tournament
One of the world’s most popular chess streamers and one of the game’s brightest young stars will each have a chance to play for the World Chess Championship later this year as Hikaru Nakamura and Richard Rapport have qualified for the 2022 Candidates Tournament. The winner of the 2022 Candidates […]
Speed Chess Championship Odds: Nakamura Faces Ding with Finals Berth on the Line
Wesley So has already booked his spot in the finals of the 2021 Speed Chess Championship. Now, Hikaru Nakamura will try to make it to the final pairing and earn a shot at his fourth straight title when he takes on Ding Liren in the second semifinal on Thursday. So […]
Carlsen, Nakamura Advance to Dream Final Between Rivals at New in Chess Classic
In 2020, Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura turned the emerging elite online chess scene into something of a personal rivalry between the two grandmasters. Now, the two will meet for the first time in a Champions Chess Tour final, as both advanced out of the semifinals of the New in […]
Magnus Carlsen Overcomes Slow Start, Advances to New in Chess Classic Semifinals
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen extended his undefeated streak at the New in Chess Classic to 23 games on Wednesday, defeating grandmaster Teimour Radjabov to go through to the semifinals of the online tournament. Radjabov held the top-seeded Carlsen to four draws in their first set on Tuesday, setting up […]
Opera Euro Rapid: Carlsen Qualifies First, Nakamura Falls Short of Knockout Rounds
Magnus Carlsen cooled down from his torrid pace over the first two days of the Opera Euro Rapid, but still qualified as the top seed heading into the quarterfinals of the online chess event. Carlsen started the tournament with a 7/10 score, then scored 2.5 points on the final day […]
PogChamps 3: Third Edition of Celebrity Chess Tournament Adds Mainstream Stars to Field
The first two PogChamps online chess tournaments surpassed all expectations. Featuring lineups of Twitch celebrities, they became two of the most-watched events in chess history. Now, PogChamps 3 will attempt to push the envelope even further in February. Chess.com announced on Monday that PogChamps 3 will begin on Feb. 14, […]
Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura Eliminated in Stunning Airthings Masters Quarterfinal Matches
Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura entered every online chess tournament of the COVID-19 era as the clear favorites to make the final. But neither will reach that stage at the Airthings Masters, as both grandmasters fell in shocking fashion in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Skilling Open champion Wesley So also […]
Airthings Masters Delivers Christmas Cheer for Champions Chess Tour Fans
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, Speed Chess Championship winner Hikaru Nakamura, and Skilling Open winner Wesley So lead the field of 12 grandmasters who will compete in the Airthings Masters beginning on Dec. 26. The Airthings Masters is the second event and the first major of the Champions Chess Tour, […]
Hikaru Nakamura Fends Off Maxime Vachier-Lagrave for 2020 Speed Chess Championship Title
For a moment during the one-minute portion of the 2020 Speed Chess Championship final, it looked as though Maxime Vachier-Lagrave might beat Hikaru Nakamura at his own game. But the American GM turned things around, putting together a decisive string of victories to capture his third straight title in the […]
MVL Upsets Carlsen, Faces Hikaru Nakamura in Speed Chess Championship Final
French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave pulled off a major upset in the Speed Chess Championship on Friday, defeating World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen 13-11 to reach the finals of the online blitz and bullet tournament. Vachier-Lagrave outscored Carlsen in both the five-minute and three-minute portions of the match, then held on […]
Magnus Carlsen Battles Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in Speed Chess Championship Semifinals
World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen returns to action on Friday when he’ll take on French grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave for the right to face Hikaru Nakamura in the Speed Chess Championship final. Nakamura booked his place in the final with a tight 13.5-12.5 win over fellow American Wesley So on Wednesday. […]
Hikaru Nakamura Faces Wesley So in All-American Speed Chess Championship Semifinal
Hikaru Nakamura stands two wins away from claiming his third straight Speed Chess Championship title. But he’ll face one of his toughest challengers in his semifinal match on Wednesday when he takes on fellow American grandmaster Wesley So. Nakamura and So matched up in the final of the 2018 Speed […]
Carlsen, Nakamura Heavy Favorites in Speed Chess Championship Matches
Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen came into the Speed Chess Championship as the top two seeds and the prohibitive favorites to reach the final. On Thursday, both will get the chance to prove their dominance and move into the semifinals, though they’ll face dangerous Russian opponents gunning for upsets. Carlsen […]
Skilling Open Final: Carlsen, So Battle for First Champions Chess Tour Title
Magnus Carlsen looks to continue his dominance of the online chess scene while Wesley So will attempt to put his stamp on the new Champions Chess Tour as the two world-class grandmasters face off in the final of the Skilling Open. Carlsen and So will battle in the first of […]
Skilling Open Semifinals: Carlsen Battles Nepomniachtchi, Nakamura Faces So
Hikaru Nakamura came back from down a set, and then again down a game in blitz tiebreakers to get past Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and advance to the semifinals of the Skilling Open online chess tournament. Nakamura moved on to face fellow American Wesley So, while World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen will […]
Skilling Open Quarterfinals: Carlsen, Nakamura Top Round Robin; Firouzja, Le Out on Tiebreaks
Alireza Firouzja lost his final two games on Tuesday to fall into a five-way tie for sixth place and miss out on the Skilling Open quarterfinals on tiebreaks, despite winning six games in the round-robin. Both Firouzja and Le Quang Liem missed out on qualification on eight points, the same […]
Skilling Open: Carlsen, Nakamura Lead 16 Grandmasters in Champions Chess Tour Opener
The new online Champions Chess Tour gets underway on Sunday as a field of 16 grandmasters takes the stage for the Skilling Open. The Skilling Open begins with a full round-robin of rapid chess, after which, the top eight players will qualify for the knockout stage where they’ll play head-to-head […]
Speed Chess Championship Odds: Aronian, Caruana, Giri First-Round Underdogs
Many of the world’s top chess players are competing in the 2020 Speed Chess Championship on Chess.com, a $100,000 online knockout competition that pits grandmasters against each other in a series of blitz and bullet games. While Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura are heavy favorites to get through the early […]