When grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura flung D Gukesh’s king into the crowd after his checkmate at Checkmate: USA vs India, chess fans worldwide were left stunned. The 37-year-old American’s fiery celebration, pumping his fist and tossing the chess piece into the stands, quickly went viral, drawing both cheers and criticism. D Gukesh, meanwhile, maintained his composure, smiling calmly as the audience reacted in shock at the Esports Stadium Arlington.
Levy Rozman reveals organisers planned the act
As reported by Hindustan Times, the dramatic gesture wasn’t spontaneous. YouTuber and chess streamer Levy Rozman, popularly known as Gotham Chess, revealed that the move was part of the show’s entertainment script.
“Without context, it will look like an unprovoked gesture. But we were encouraged by the organisers to do that stuff,” Rozman said on his YouTube channel. “I forgot that if I won my game against ChessBase India’s Sagar Shah, or he won, we were supposed to break the king. It was for the entertainment angle.”
Rozman explained that the winner of the Gukesh–Nakamura match was meant to toss the king into the crowd, adding that Nakamura later clarified to Gukesh that no disrespect was intended. “Hikaru spoke to Gukesh later and explained that it was all for show and no disrespect was meant,” Rozman said.
Rozman was also a member of Team USA, which went on to beat India 5–0 in the exhibition event.
A showy event meant to bring flair to chess
The Checkmate: USA vs India event was designed as a high-energy exhibition rather than a traditional chess tournament. The organisers featured WWE-style player announcements, dramatic lighting, and a roaring live audience to bring a sense of spectacle to the game.
“I don’t think I have ever played with so much audience in a stadium and such energy in the arena,” The Indian Express quoted Gukesh as saying.
Nakamura also called it “one of the best in-person experiences” of his career. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said, “Chess can be such a lonely job, so it felt amazing to celebrate in front of a crowd.”
