American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has also been critical of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, likening the result to a “lottery.” His statements reflect the unpredictability of the event and how difficult it is for players to get a World Chess Championship match.
World No. 2 ranked Nakamura feels that the outcome of the tournament is often a matter of luck as well as skill. He has expressed that he will not play in the next edition, citing the unfeasibility of playing the 40 qualifying games necessary.
Nakamura to Skip Candidates Tournament?
Nakamura has indicated that he might give the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour a higher priority than classical chess tournaments, and other top players might do the same.
“As for the idea of playing 40 [required tournament] games is unrealistic. I essentially have to make a choice, do I want to work on the Freestyle Chess or do I want to attempt to play 40 games?” Nakamura was quoted as saying by Chess.com.
He further emphasized the tournament’s unpredictable nature, stating, “Getting into the Candidates is very tough, winning the Candidates is basically a lottery. I don’t think anybody’s going to prioritize that over playing Freestyle.”
If Nakamura chooses to focus on the Freestyle Chess Tour, he will join World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, who has repeatedly expressed his disinterest in reclaiming the World Chess Championship title.
A New Trend Among Top Chess Players?
Nakamura and Carlsen’s choices may presage an increasing trend among top players, prioritizing independent leagues over FIDE-approved events. Their relationship with FIDE is said to have been strained in the past few months, particularly after the initiation of the Freestyle Chess Tour.
The 2024 Candidates Tournament in Toronto between April 3 and April 22 decided the World Chess Championship challenger. Indian Grandmaster Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest-ever Candidates Tournament winner and subsequently the youngest undisputed World Champion after he beat Ding Liren in the last classical game. Nakamura came in second in the table.
The Candidates Tournament of 2026 is already planned, but the dates have not been confirmed. It will be held in the same eight-player double round-robin format.
Nakamura Shines in High-Pressure Chess
Although Nakamura receded from classical chess, he still performs well in competitive events. He recently proceeded to the Open Champions Final of The American Cup 2025, where he will compete against Fabiano Caruana.
His path to the final involved a grueling six-game playoff against 15-year-old wunderkind Abhimanyu Mishra. Nakamura conceded the test, admitting he made things “unnecessarily complicated” in the quarter-finals.
In the meantime, the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is underway, with its second leg scheduled to run in Paris between April 8 and April 15. Nakamura qualified after placing fifth at Weissenhaus, where the first leg ran from February 7 to February 14. Vincent Keymar took the first leg, defeating Caruana in the final, while Carlsen took third place.
