Hikaru Nakamura reacted to recent statements by Magnus Carlsen concerning Gukesh’s performances. Hikaru disagreed with the idea that Gukesh has already peaked and noted his belief in a bright future for the young grandmasters.

Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura

World No. 2, streamer

“I think anybody who acts like Gukesh has reached his peak or it’s all over for him — they’re just not being honest with themselves. For example, Nepo recently commented on Gukesh’s blunders and performance at Tata Steel. It wasn’t a positive thing if you were to ask me.

When it comes to these kids — they’re going to play chess, who knows if they’re at their peak or they’re not at their peak. Let them play! Let’s see where they go, their future is very-very bright.

Anyways, Gukesh is 19 years old. If he’s already peaked — I’ll be shocked!”

Indian GM Gukesh Dommaraju (2754) became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion in 2024. Gukesh defeated Chinese GM Ding Liren (2734 Inactive) with a score of 7.5-6.5 in the match. In January, Gukesh participated in the Tata Steel Masters where he scored 6.5 points and finished 9th out of 14.

Credit: Lennart Ootes