Hikaru Nakamura slams FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky for “personal insults” in Twitter rant

World No 2 Hikaru Nakamura has taken a stand against FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky for what he calls “personal insults” in a recent tweet. The American GM expressed his frustration in a video posted on his YouTube channel, calling out Sutovsky for targeting him in a long tweet amidst ongoing tensions surrounding the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour.

The feud between some of the world’s top players, including Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, and FIDE has been escalating over the upcoming Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour. Nakamura emphasized in his video that he is not the driving force behind the tour, which is being spearheaded by Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner. He expressed his confusion and disappointment at being singled out by Sutovsky, labeling it as a personal insult.

The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, set to take place in 2025, will feature five chess events in various cities around the world. However, the disagreement between FIDE and the organizers of the tour lies in the use of the term “World Championship”, with FIDE asserting its authority as the global governing body of chess.

Nakamura also criticized Sutovsky’s claims about the prize money provided by FIDE, stating that the figures mentioned were overall prize funds for the entire field competing, not individual player earnings. He highlighted that top players primarily earn their income from other events such as Norway Chess, Grand Chess Tour, and German Bundesliga.

The ongoing conflict between FIDE and top players like Hikaru Nakamura sheds light on the complexities and power dynamics within the world of professional chess. As the chess community continues to navigate these challenges, the future of the sport remains uncertain.