Hikaru Nakamura threw D Gukesh’s king into the crowd after defeating him (Screengrabs/X)

Hikaru Nakamura has defended his controversial act of tossing D Gukesh’s king into the crowd after defeating the Indian grandmaster in the exhibition event Checkmate: USA vs India. The incident sparked criticism on social media from fans and former players, with some accusing Nakamura of disrespecting both the game and Gukesh. Speaking on his YouTube stream, Nakamura clarified that the stunt was part of the entertainment format suggested by the event organisers. “It was not an insult. If it were a serious event, like the Candidates, of course you would never do such a thing. Nobody would! It doesn’t matter if it was Magnus Carlsen, Hans Niemann, Anish Giri, or me. But this was a purely entertainment event,” he said.Watch Nakamura tossing Gukesh’s king piece to the crowd He also explained the technical side of his underhand toss, which he attempted to ensure no one was hurt. “Because of the way the king is shaped, I could not really throw the king like a baseball. If the king were like a baseball, I would have probably thrown it halfway deep. But with the king, I could have actually hurt someone. And there was no other way to give it to the fans unless I was going to walk and hand it over.” Nakamura, who satirically mimicked his baseball-throwing skills as a southpaw from childhood, also addressed what could happen in the reverse match scheduled in India later this year. Should Gukesh win, Nakamura suggested a playful celebration for the Indian grandmaster.

“Assuming we go to India and play a match in India. I would tell you what Gukesh should do if he wins. He should just stand up, they should queue up the Bollywood music, and he should start dancing or something. He should start dancing at the chessboard in front of me. Something like that. That would not insult me. That would be no insult whatsoever,” Nakamura said. The playful suggestion for Gukesh’s potential victory highlights the light-hearted spirit of the event, even as the chess community debates the boundaries between entertainment and respect for the game.