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FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky Takes Aim at Hikaru Nakamura After War of Words with Magnus Carlsen
The chess world is currently embroiled in a heated controversy involving world No 1 Magnus Carlsen, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky, and American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. The tension escalated when Sutovsky took aim at Nakamura in a long post on social media, prompting a strong response from the popular streamer.
Nakamura, in a video posted on YouTube, expressed his confusion at being targeted by Sutovsky, stating that he has little involvement in the contentious Freestyle Grand Slam Chess Tour co-founded by Carlsen. He emphasized that the tour is spearheaded by Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner, not himself.
The feud between Carlsen, Nakamura, and FIDE has highlighted the complexities of the chess world, with accusations flying back and forth. Nakamura refuted Sutovsky’s claims about FIDE events providing significant income for players, arguing that top players earn more from non-FIDE events like Norway Chess.
The inaugural Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, set to kick off soon, has been at the center of the controversy, with FIDE objecting to Carlsen and Buettner labeling it as a ‘World Championship’. Carlsen’s recent actions, including the jeans controversy at the World Rapid Championship and sharing the blitz world title with Ian Nepomniachtchi, have further fueled the tensions between the parties.
As the chess world watches the drama unfold, it remains to be seen how the situation will be resolved and what impact it will have on the future of the sport. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.