Latest news with #Nakamura
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First Post
23-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
D Gukesh makes rare Titled Tuesday Blitz appearance with an eye on future; leaves Hikaru Nakamura shocked
It wasn't the most memorable outing for world champion D Gukesh, who made a rare appearance in the Titled Tuesday Blitz, leaving Hikaru Nakamura shocked. But Gukesh's latest move was well calculated, as the Indian Grandmaster has his eyes firmly set on the future. read more Chess world champion D Gukesh looks determined to improve his Blitz game as he made a rare appearance in the Early Titled Tuesday online competition on 22 July, finishing 18th in the competition, which was won by world No.2 Hikaru Nakamura. While Nakamura won the contest with a score of 9.5, Gukesh finished with eight points after three defeats. The 19-year-old Gukesh's three losses came against eventual winner Nakamura, International Master LR Srihari and Grandmaster Parham Maghsoodloo. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Determined Gukesh looks to improve Blitz game The Early Titled Tuesday Blitz is played in the Swiss system, where players have three minutes to finish the game and get an increment of one second for each move. This is very different compared to the Classical format, in which Gukesh won the World Chess Championship. During the Championship, Gukesh had 90 minutes for the first 40 moves. Thus, the Blitz format has still not been one of the strengths of the youngest world champion of all time. Gukesh has earned a reputation for being a player who is less about instinct and more about calculation. The lack of time in faster time control games doesn't often allow Gukesh the luxury to calculate moves at his own pace, leading to unintended mistakes. The Chennai star recently showcased some improvement in the faster format as he won five consecutive Rapid games earlier this month at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia tournament, including winning a match against world No.1 Magnus Carlsen. But he also suffered five consecutive defeats in the Rapid round of the tournament and finished third in the overall standings. The rare participation in the Early Titled Tuesday indicates that Gukesh is determined to improve his game in the faster formats. 'Rather shockingly, one of the rare occurrences is seeing current world chess champion Gukesh actually playing in a Titled Tuesday event,' Nakamura said on his YouTube channel after winning the Early Titled Tuesday title. 'He has played this event before, but it's very rare to see him play.' While Gukesh rarely plays online Blitz games, Carlsen, Nakamura, and India's Arjun Erigaisi are often seen competing in Titled Tuesday and Freestyle Friday online tournaments. These tournaments are hosted by with the winner taking home a prize of $1,000.
Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
World champion Gukesh D finishes 18th in rare Titled Tuesday appearance event after losing 3 games out of 11
Gukesh D, the youngest world champion in the history of the sport, made a rare appearance in the Titled Tuesday online event and ended in 18th position with a score of eight wins from 11 games. The event was won by Hikaru Nakamura, who has now won 105 Titled Tuesday online events. The Titled Tuesday is an online blitz chess tournament. It must be noted that Gukesh rarely plays in online tournaments and blitz, one of the fastest formats in the sport, is not his forte as evidenced at the recent SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia tournament. Gukesh was playing in the Early Titled Tuesday tournament (there is a Late Titled Tuesday event also later in the day), where his three losses came against International Master LR Srihari, Nakamura and Parham Maghsoodloo. He beat a couple of strong players like Alexey Sarana and Jan-Krzysztof Duda (who helped him become world champion as a second). 'Rather shockingly, one of the rare occurrences is seeing current world chess champion Gukesh actually playing in a Titled Tuesday event,' Nakamura said on his video recap for his YouTube channel after winning the title. 'He has played this event before, but it's very rare to see him play.' The online Titled Tuesday tournament — which is organised by twice on Tuesday each week — sees a prize fund of $1,000 for the winner. Players like Magnus Carlsen and Nakamura are regulars at the events, usually also opting to play the event when they're in the middle of over-the-board chess tournaments as long as the tournament timings don't clash. The Titled Tuesday tournament is played in the Swiss format, where each player gets three minutes on the clock for a game with a one second increment added to their clock for each move. Gukesh had previously played in the event a few months ago, where he had almost won the event with a score of 9.5 out of 11. He ended only behind eventual winner Javokhir Sindarov on tiebreak regulations. Gukesh is not a regular in online tournaments, preferring to prioritise playing in over-the-board classical events, a strategy that has gone well with his style and propelled him to the world chess championship throne at the age of 18 last year. Blitz is not one of the formats he excels in, as became apparent at the recently-concluded SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia tournament where Gukesh was leading the tournament after nine rounds of rapid, but fell to third after 18 rounds of blitz after just four wins and three days. Gukesh's calculation-based style of play is not conducive to a fast time control like blitz. As Nakamura pointed out on his YouTube handle while analysing his game against Gukesh: 'When I played bishop to f8 (18…Bf8), I was basically asking Gukesh what he was going to do? Here Gukesh spends almost one minute (in a three-minute game) before playing bishop to b4 (19.b4). This really highlights the differences between players like Gukesh, who are more about pure calculation, as compared to more intuitive platters like myself or Praggnanandhaa or Hans Niemann. There was nothing wrong with the move but specifically because he spends one minute on the clock, he's now on the backfoot, he's down by 30 seconds.'
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First Post
21-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
‘FIDE can't accept Magnus has moved on': Nakamura explains how FIDE is still trying to lure Carlsen back to World Chess Championship
If Hikaru Nakamura is to be believed, FIDE is still hoping that Magnus Carlsen will make a U-turn and compete in the World Chess Championship. According to Nakamura, that's the only reason the rating spot in the Candidates Tournament still exists. read more Magnus Carlsen returning to the World Chess Championship cycle will be a mega boost to the classical format. Image: Freestyle Chess American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has criticised the FIDE rating spot qualifying route for the Candidates and feels that the rating spot method has been kept alive by the International Chess Federation to lure Magnus Carlsen back to compete in the World Chess Championship. The FIDE rating spot is one of the many ways to qualify for the FIDE Candidates chess tournament. The winner of the Candidates goes on to compete against the world champion in the World Chess Championship. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The FIDE rating spot will be awarded to the highest-rated player according to the six-month average rating based on FIDE Standard Rating Lists from 1 August 2025 to 1 January 2026. The player would also have to fulfill other criteria like playing at least 40 games calculated for FIDE Standard Rating Lists from 1 February 2025 to 1 January 2026 (including at least 15 games in any of the 6 consecutive rating lists). FIDE wants Carlsen to fight for world title? Nakamura, who is close friends with world No.1 Carlsen, feels the only reason FIDE is still pursuing the rating spot qualification method is that they want to keep an option for the five-time world champion in case he decides to make a U-turn. Carlsen has in the past announced that he is not interested in taking part in the World Chess Championship. 'I've said that there are many things over the last couple of years that FIDE has gotten wrong and one of the big things is there should not be a rating spot. I think having a rating spot is a huge mistake,' Nakamura told Chessbase India. Also Read | Magnus's menace: How young Indian Grandmasters are proving to be his toughest challengers 'It maybe is not politically correct to say this, but my view about the rating spot, it's simply, you know, 'we're sorry, Magnus. Here's here's your chance to play the Candidates and become world champion again if you're really interested'. And I don't think there's any other reason that FIDE have the rating spot. I think it's literally on the off chance that Magnus wakes up tomorrow and suddenly he decides that he wants to play classical seriously again,' Nakamura said. 'FIDE, for whatever reason, can't get over the fact that Magnus has moved on from classical chess and he has no interest in the world championship.' Carlsen relinquished the world title in 2022 after holding the crown from 2013. He was succeeded by Ding Liren, who lost to India's D Gukesh in December 2024. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The other qualifying routes for the FIDE Candidates tournament are finishing in the top three in the World Cup, finishing in the top two in the Grand Swiss tournament and finishing at the top of FIDE Circuit points standings.
Metropolis Japan
21-07-2025
- Metropolis Japan
Ama: Women of the Sea
Mie's Legendary Sea Women Keep Tradition Alive Despite Setbacks By Gendel Gento Chizuko Nakamura (Funado) Pre Dive Credit: Christopher Douglas Nowhere is Japan's deep connection to the sea more apparent than in the Ise-Shima region of Mie Prefecture. While most visitors are drawn inland to the Ise Grand Shrine, Shinto's holiest place of worship, a trip to the coast is well worth it to meet the ama. Written with the characters 海女 (ama) meaning 'sea woman,' these fearless female divers still live and work as they have for thousands of years. They refuse to use modern equipment such as scuba gear or oxygen tanks, relying solely on holding their breath. Most famous for historically harvesting pearls, most of the ama's actual catch today is the seafood the region is famed for, such as abalone. Toba and Shima together are home to nearly half of Japan's remaining 2,000 ama—a number that is rapidly dwindling. The average age of these divers is around 70 and climbing, with some ama continuing to dive well into their 80s. A Life Beneath the Waves: Nakamura Chizuko of Osatsu Nakamura Chizuko, 72, was born and raised in the Osatsu area of Toba, a region that claims to have the highest concentration of active ama in Japan. 'Since around fifth grade, I spent my summer vacations diving for abalone,' she reminisces. 'My mother was also an ama, so as a child, I would add my catch to the seafood the sea women had gathered.' Nakamura became a professional diver at 20 and now has over five decades of experience. 'Being an ama is part of my life—a source of income and energy. For me, it has been something natural, ever since childhood.' As her family also works in fishing, her day begins at 3 am, hauling up nets and sorting the fish by type. Then she heads out for diving. 'My day usually ends around 3 pm,' she says. 'If there's no work at the ama hut, I might spend the whole day farming.' The hut that Nakamura refers to is part of the Osatsu-kamado Ama Hut Experience, where guests savor succulent meals of freshly caught seafood grilled over charcoal—often prepared by the very ama who harvested it. This project helps divers supplement their income while preserving and sharing their culture with visitors. Climate Change and the Future of Ama Diving Nakamura says that there are both joys and challenges to being an ama. 'The most enjoyable part is talking with my fellow divers after we come up from the sea. However, the schedule is tight and there are so many things to do. I'm always racing against the clock.' She's also concerned about the future—not just the lack of new divers, but increasingly, the effects of climate change. 'Due to global warming, sea temperatures are rising, and the marine life we harvest is decreasing in number.' From California to Shima: The Story of Hayashi Kimiyo Hayashi Kimiyo, 71, was born in Shima but, curiously, got started as an ama in America. 'After graduating from junior high school, I went to the U.S. and worked in San Diego and Los Angeles for two years doing ama diving shows for tourists,' she recalls. After returning to Japan and continuing to dive in Nanki Shirahama for 12 years, she eventually returned to Shima at age 29 and became 'a real ama.' More than 40 years later, she's still going. 'Being an ama is my life, it's a job I love—both my mother and grandmother were sea women.' Her typical day starts with a trip to the beach at 8 am, where she builds a fire in the ama hut to warm up. At 10 am, she changes and heads out to sea to dive for an hour. After a lunch break, she heads back for a second dive at 1 pm, spending another hour harvesting. The Changing Sea and a Vanishing Profession Until recently, divers used to go out to sea about 100 days a year, but Hayashi says she has been out to sea far less lately. 'The marine environment has deteriorated, and there are fewer abalone, the main catch for ama. The sea is in a state known as isoyake, where seaweed on which abalone feeds is rapidly declining.' As a result, abalone populations have declined, along with the income of ama divers themselves—making the profession even less appealing to younger generations. In order to fight isoyake, the city hall is leading efforts to eradicate gangaze, a sea urchin-like pest that eats seaweed, while also working on seeding and cross-breeding to increase the amount of seaweed. 'If the sea conditions improve, perhaps more people will become ama again,' Hayashi hopes. 'Similar things happened in my mother's time as a sea woman, so maybe it's cyclical?' However, her own daughter is not an ama. 'When she was a child, a swimming pool was built here so the ocean no longer felt familiar to her. Lifestyle changes may have altered how younger generations relate to nature. ' Tourism as a Lifeline for the Ama Sea Women For her part, Hayashi has found a new passion teaching visitors about her way of life through the travel agency MIEscape. 'I'm enjoying working in the tourism industry now. Tourists ask me a lot of questions about the work of ama divers, our history and culture. Foreign visitors, in particular, are very interested in us.' She is eager for the trend to continue. 'I would be very happy if more tourists continue to come.'
Indian Express
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Hikaru Nakamura says FIDE has only kept rating spot to Candidates for Magnus Carlsen
Hikaru Nakamura is one of the prime contenders to qualify for next year's Candidates tournament via the ratings spot route, but that doesn't mean he likes the concept of a ratings spot. The ratings spot is one of the many pathways to qualify for the eight-player Candidates tournament, which is the final step to challenging for the World Chess Championship title. The FIDE rating spot will be given to the highest-rated player according to the 6-month average rating based on FIDE Standard Rating Lists from August 1st 2025 till January 1st 2026 provided the respective player has played at least 40 games calculated for FIDE Standard Rating Lists from February 1st 2025 till January 1st 2026 (including at least 15 games in any of the 6 consecutive rating lists). Nakamura has said that the only reason FIDE, the global governing body of chess, still is giving away a ratings spot is to keep the door open to former world champion Magnus Carlsen, who has repeatedly said that he's not interested in playing either the Candidates or the World Championship. 'I've said that there are many things over the last couple of years that FIDE has has gotten wrong and one of the big things is there should not be a rating spot. I think having a rating spot is a huge mistake. 'It maybe is not politically correct to say this, but my view about the rating spot, it's simply, you know, 'we're sorry, Magnus. Here's here's your chance to play the Candidates and become world champion again if you're really interested'. And I don't think there's any other reason that FIDE have the rating spot. I think it's literally on the off chance that Magnus wakes up tomorrow and suddenly he decides that he wants to play classical seriously again,' Nakamura told Chessbase India in an interview during the ongoing Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. 'FIDE, for whatever reason, can't get over the fact that Magnus has moved on from classical chess and he has no interest in the world championship.' Nakamura pointed out how players like Ding Liren and Alireza Firoujza had gamed their way to securing a rating spot in the past. Players can also qualify for the Candidates via the 2024 FIDE Circuit (Fabiano Caruana has secured this spot), finishing in the top 3 at the 2025 FIDE World Cup, finishing in the top 2 at the Grand Swiss tournament or by rating. Nakamura said that for him, the only plan to qualify for the Candidates was via the ratings spot whose existence he was criticising. 'That is the only plan. I've already made it very clear that I'm not playing the Grand Swiss or the World Cup. So it's either that or nothing. Yeah, my plan is is pretty simple,' Nakamura said.
