Chess, although not a very popular and spectacular sport, is, of course, one of the most interesting and fascinating. It is for this reason that famous grandmasters are praised and very much appreciated.
Hikaru Nakamura is one of the most famous and strongest modern chess players in the world, who has repeatedly defended his high rank of chess grandmaster.
short biography
Hikaru Nakamura is a United States citizen, but was born in Japan. His father is Japanese by birth and his mother is American. When Hikaru was only 2 years old, his family moved to permanent residence in the United States.
The boy began to show interest in chess as a child, when he learned to play at the age of 7. Mentor of the future grandmaster was his stepfather Sunil Weeramantri, who was an experienced chess coach. He taught him the basics of the game, showed the most profitable moves and strategies, and the boy quickly absorbed the knowledge and learned to put it into practice.
A large number of various interesting facts are connected with his personality, and his career in professional chess is very exciting and remarkable.
Hikaru Nakamura Chess
His professional career in chess began in childhood. Already at the age of 10, he became a world famous chess player, having shown himself worthily in many prestigious tournaments and competitions. The number of awards began to grow by leaps and bounds.
Having become a famous athlete and received the title of Grandmaster and many awards, Hikaru Nakamura today continues to actively participate in many different prestigious international chess competitions.
In 2009, he won the Fischer Chess Championship (chess960). And in the next 2010 he became a finalist of the World Cup, where he performed as part of the American team. This is a very high achievement in the world of chess sports, which for many remains unattainable.
In the game, he uses an attacking strategy, trying to put pressure on his rivals. On top of that, he is one of the best representatives in blitz chess, as he often wins in just a few moves.
Interesting Facts
Hikaru Nakamura has a lot of fun with his personality. For example, he became the youngest holder of the status of master of the American Chess Federation (United States Chess Federation). This is the most prestigious organization in America, associated with chess and drafts. Not all eminent and experienced chess players are honored to become its members, and Hikaru Nakamura managed to achieve this at the age of ten. This is a unique case.
An even greater achievement was the title of FIDE Grand Master (International Chess Federation), which he received at the age of 15, which is a record. Previously, Robert Fisher was considered the youngest holder of this title .
No less interesting fact can be called his world-famous confrontation with the strongest computer chess program Komodo. Hikaru Nakamura in the game against Komodo was defeated for the fourth time, and ended the first three games in a draw. The player was given a small handicap: a pawn and one move.
Despite the fact that the grandmaster was defeated in the fourth match, this is still a very strong indicator, since not all professional chess players can play 3 games in a draw against Komodo .
"Confession of a geisha"
The famous chess player is often confused with the writer who wrote the novel “Confession of a geisha”. The fact is that their names are consonant. The author of the book is Kiharu Nakamura, and Hikaru Nakamura has nothing to do with Geisha.
This novel is a prime example of modern Japanese prose, which is in high demand among readers from around the world. The book is very rich and interesting, has a peculiar style and atmosphere.
This is a love melodramatic story that tells the difficult life story of Kiharu Nakamura herself. In fact, this is her memoirs, where she openly tells what Tokyo geishas had in the pre-war era.
After World War II, she moved to the United States, having married an American. The whole story of her life without beauty and fiction was told by the author of the book.
Conclusion
Hikaru Nakamura is one of the most prominent representatives of modern chess sports. While still quite young (he is not 30 years old), he has already entered the history of sports as one of the outstanding grandmasters.
He not only continues to actively participate in sports, but is also a regular on various American TV shows and radio programs. The media often speak of him as a brilliant chess player, although he does not consider himself to be such.
Despite his outstanding achievements in sports, few people know his name, since interest in chess is not so high. But among fans of this sport, he is a true legend and an idol for many beginner chess players. Now his career is in full swing, so who knows what and how else he will be able to surprise the audience.