Grandmasters Anish Giri and Hikaru Nakamura have engaged in a public spat on social media, triggered by overlapping schedules between major chess events. The dispute centers on viewership and opportunities amid preparations for the Candidates Tournament 2026. While both players are set to compete in the upcoming event in Cyprus, their exchange highlights tensions in the evolving chess landscape.
A scheduling conflict between the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) and the Esports World Cup (EWC) has sparked a verbal clash between two prominent chess figures. The GCT, a traditional over-the-board circuit supported by Rex Sinquefield's funding and associated with grandmaster Garry Kasparov, overlaps with the EWC, a newer digital event backed by substantial Saudi investment that included chess for the first time last year. This overlap means some players committed to the GCT may miss the EWC finals despite qualifying.
Hikaru Nakamura, a 38-year-old five-time U.S. champion and popular streamer with 3.1 million YouTube subscribers, addressed the issue in a video. He suggested the conflict could benefit chess by opening spots for emerging players if established names skip the EWC. However, he implied that some regular invitees fail to attract viewers, a comment that drew criticism.
Anish Giri, the 31-year-old Dutch grandmaster known for his social media wit, responded on X (formerly Twitter). "Hikaru keeps saying how he alone brings all this 'viewership', but honestly, even an ad(!) I did for my website ChessMonitor did barely worse on my completely(!) inactive YT channel with 15x less subscribers than most of his recent videos. Grow bigger or be nicer, Hikaru. ✌️," Giri wrote.
Nakamura countered by dismissing the comparison, emphasizing his strength in live streaming over YouTube videos. He added, "Guys, you have started tad too early. Six weeks to Candidates. Kindly delay views-measuring contest up until the week to the start. It will be much more engaging then!" FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky attempted to mediate the discussion.
The exchange escalated as Giri accused Nakamura of self-interest to boost his EWC prospects by downplaying peers. Nakamura replied mockingly, "Chess players always going to think everything is about strategizing."
The feud occurs as both prepare for the Candidates Tournament 2026 in Cyprus, a key FIDE event. Magnus Carlsen, who has past rivalries with both, looms in the background. While not as intense as historical chess grudges, the online dispute underscores the growing role of personality and audience in modern chess.
