Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura was born in Osaka (on December 9, 1987), in the city of Hirakata. When he was two years old, he moved with his parents to the United States. He started playing chess at the age of five and was trained by his stepfather, FIDE master Sunil Weeramantry. At age 10 he achieved the title of chess master from the United States Chess Federation, the youngest American to achieve the title. In 2003, at the age of 15, he obtained the title of Grandmaster, 3 months before Bobby Fischer's record.

He won his first U.S. Chess Championship in 2005, among the outstanding players of the tournament were Gata Kamsky and Alexander Stripunsky. He won this tournament four more times: 2009, 2012, 2015, and the last in 2019. He brilliantly won the Tata Steel tournament in 2011, with 9 of 13 points against top players like Magnus Carlsen and Viswanathan Anand. The same year he was trained by former world champion Garry Kasparov who had already trained Magnus Carlsen. He was the winner of the London Chess Classic in 2013 and the Zurich Chess Challenge in 2015 beating Viswanathan Anand. As the second board, he participated in the 42nd Olympiad in 2016, winning the gold medal for his country. He won the Gibraltar Chess Festival in 2016 beating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in tie-breaks, and in 2017 by beating David Anton Guijarro in tie-breaks. In 2018, he won the London Chess Classic super tournament beating Fabiano Caruana with a score of 18-10, and in the final beating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with a score of 15-13. This win contributed to obtain the Grand Chess Tour 2018.

In 2020, with the surge of online chess's popularity, Hikaru Nakamura rose to prominence as the top blitz chess player globally. He showcased his skills in various prestigious tournaments, such as the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour, where he secured a second place in the Magnus Carlsen Invitational. Additionally, Nakamura won the Chess.com Speed Chess Championship.

His transition to over-the-board tournaments in August 2021 further solidified his prowess, as he won the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz competition without a single loss, marking a triumphant return since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The year 2021 witnessed Nakamura's continued success, culminating in his fourth consecutive triumph in Chess.com's Speed Chess Championship, where he defeated GM Wesley So convincingly in the final match.

Nakamura's momentum persisted into 2022 when he earned a spot in the Candidates Tournament after a remarkable performance. In March 2023, he secured his first over-the-board victory of the year at the American Cup, defeating GM Wesley So once again in the final. His winning streak continued in April, as he clinched victory in the Chessable Masters during the Champions Chess Tour.

In June 2023 he won the Norway Chess by defeating Fabiano Caruana in the final round. This victory not only secured his title but also propelled him to the No. 2 spot in FIDE's July rankings, a position he hadn't held since 2015. In July, Nakamura showed his versatility by claiming his fourth Bullet Chess Championship title, triumphing over Magnus Carlsen in a closely contested Grand Final match.

Despite a setback at the Chess World Cup 2023 in August, where he faced a defeat to Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, Nakamura's consistent performance and impressive track record ensured his qualification for the Candidates Tournament 2024.

Nakamura's achievements extend beyond his recent successes, as he holds several notable chess records, including being the youngest to defeat an International Master and the youngest International Master at the time of his achievement.