"I think there's basically a 0% chance of that” — Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen on their children’s potential chess rivalry

Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen shared their views on a potential future chess rivalry between their children in the Freestyle Chess interview. Both grandmasters expressed doubt that they would push their children toward professional chess.

Hikaru Nakamura

American GM

“I think there’s basically a 0% chance of that. I would be very-very surprised if Magnus and Ella or Atousa and myself, if we steer our kids towards chess. I definitely won’t. So, it’s possible, but I have my doubts.”

Magnus Carlsen

Five-time world champion

“I will certainly encourage my kid to do whatever he wants to do, and if that is chess, then great. But I will not be pushing it in a major way for sure.”

Hikaru Nakamura and his spouse Atousa Pourkashiyan announced the birth of their first child on December 14, 2025. Magnus Carlsen and Ella Victoria Malone announced the birth of their first child, a boy, on September 27, 2025.

Credit: Lennart Ootes