Garry Kasparov responds cryptically to Hikaru Nakamura’s controversial celebration against Gukesh

The recent Checkmate: USA vs India exhibition match sparked controversy after American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura dramatically threw D Gukesh’s king following his victory in a bullet game. The moment quickly went viral, dividing the chess community and fans alike.

Team USA dominated the event with a clean 5–0 sweep over Team India, which featured top players such as Arjun Erigaisi, Fabiano Caruana, Divya Deshmukh, and Carissa Yip. Yet, it was Nakamura’s post-game celebration that stole the spotlight, triggering intense debate online.

While some defended Nakamura, saying his actions added entertainment value and excitement to the game, others, including FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky, criticized it as disrespectful behavior.

Chess legend Garry Kasparov later reacted in his trademark cryptic fashion to a post on X by Magnus Carlsen’s coach, Peter Heine Nielsen. Nielsen wrote, “There are many things elderly conservative chess-guys like myself find hard to accept. But at least we should agree this makes chess look like a sporting event—spectators who care, teammates acting like teammates, and players celebrating victories.”

Kasparov’s vague response drew intrigue, adding another layer to the discussion.

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Meanwhile, YouTuber and Team USA member Levy Rozman (GothamChess) clarified that the dramatic celebration was encouraged by the event’s organisers. “Without context, it might seem like an unprovoked gesture, but it was meant purely for entertainment,” he explained.

Rozman added, “The winner of the Gukesh–Hikaru game was supposed to throw the king into the audience. I’m not sure if Gukesh would have done that, but Hikaru later spoke to him and clarified that it was all in good fun and not intended as disrespect.”