Chess is boring for people; players like Gukesh, Pragg can take it to next level: Hikaru Nakamura

Time of India

4 days ago

Live Events
(You can now subscribe to our
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
For "boring" chess to grow in the Western world, having strong personalities is a must, reckons American Grandmaster and World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura , who is impressed with the way Indian fans have embraced their stars like D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa . A chess player-cum-streamer par excellence, Nakamura realised early that personality-based initiatives work best for a player in a "boring" sport like chess, and he soon went in pursuit of blending his game with the technology to build his image.He is one of the most keenly-followed chess players in the world for his insights and live streaming of matches as he continues to ply his trade on the board in different time zones."For most people, it's (chess) just a very boring game. So, the only way you can get beyond that is to find a way to showcase your personality, to make the fans want to cheer for some of the players," said Nakamura during an interaction on the sidelines of Norway Chess."And, especially in India, you see it when you have a Gukesh, or Praggnanandhaa, or Arjun (Erigaisi) playing in, say, a World Cup, these sorts of events," he added.Nakamura, 37, earned his GM title at the age of 15, becoming the youngest American at the time to do so. He is one of the best Rapid and Blitz players in the world and won Norway Chess in 2023.Nakamura will once again vie for the prestigious title in the six-player double round-robin tournament here.The American said the avenues for the growth of chess in India are fathomless given the way Indians flock to watch the likes of reigning world champion Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, among others."The Indians flock, and they all watch it. And, so, I think that's more about the personality and who the players are and the country they represent. So, if you can get the general public or the fans from countries behind the players, then sky is the limit in terms of potential," added Nakamura, who was an integral part of the USA team for several Chess Olympiads, including a gold-winning run.He said that compared to the Western country, India was in a prime position to encash on personalities of players to take the game to the next level."When you look at the West, you look at the US or England or some of these Western countries, I'm not so sure that the interest is at that level yet (compared to India). But if you want to move in a direction where you hope chess can become bigger, then I think it's (building the game around personalities) a necessary part of it. So, for me, I don't really mind (showcasing my personality)."He felt that for making the sport bigger and better, while things like heart-rate monitors and other things might work, there was no substitute for personality-based initiatives."If you want chess to become bigger, you need more interest. And the only way I think you can really do that is with personality because, fundamentally for most people, chess is very boring."If you're not very serious about the game, you can't really follow it very close. And I know there are a lot of things. You have heart-rate monitors, other things to try and make it more interesting."