A high-voltage chess spectacle took place in Texas as the USA dominated the opening leg of the ‘Checkmate’ event, defeating India 5-0. While the American team’s clinical performance was impressive, it was Hikaru Nakamura’s post-match gesture that threw several chess lovers off.

In the headline match, World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura faced India’s 19-year-old prodigy D Gukesh. Gukesh managed to hold Nakamura to draws in the 10-minute and 5-minute rapid segments. Despite the pressure, Nakamura ultimately outplayed the young Indian Grandmaster. The decisive moment came in the final one-minute bullet round, where Nakamura cornered Gukesh’s king and executed a checkmate with Qd8.

What drew attention, however, was Nakamura’s unconventional celebration. Rather than a handshake or nod, he theatricall

See Full Page