At the “Checkmate: USA vs India” event in Texas, fans saw a shocking moment. American star Hikaru Nakamura threw D Gukesh’s king into the crowd after winning their game. Clips spread fast online, and many called the act rude and disrespectful.
Soon, the truth came out. The organisers had planned the king toss to make chess more entertaining. Chess expert Levy Rozman explained that the winner was asked to throw the king as part of the show. Nakamura later spoke with Gukesh and made it clear that no insult was intended.
Nakamura shared that the match gave him one of his best chess experiences. He enjoyed celebrating a win with fans, something rare in the usually quiet world of chess. Not everyone felt the same. Russian legend Vladimir Kramnik slammed the move, calling it vulgar and harmful to the game. He said chess should focus on respect and tradition, not theatrics. The incident sparked a big debate. Should chess stay serious and traditional, or embrace showmanship to attract new fans?
