Nakamura Critiques Gukesh’s Time Management and Intuition at Freestyle Chess Grand Slam
In a recent encounter at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Weissenhaus, Germany, American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura highlighted areas of concern in reigning World Champion D Gukesh’s gameplay, particularly focusing on his time management and intuitive decision-making.
Gukesh’s Performance at Weissenhaus
D Gukesh, who clinched the World Championship title in December 2024, has faced challenges in the ongoing Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. During the round-robin stage, he concluded without a single victory, securing four draws and one loss, placing him tied with Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Vincent Keymer at two points each. Despite these setbacks, Gukesh advanced to the knockout stages as the eighth seed in a ten-player field.
In the quarterfinals, Gukesh faced Fabiano Caruana, where he suffered a defeat, pushing him into the 5-8 placement playoffs. Here, he encountered Hikaru Nakamura. Their initial rapid tiebreak game concluded in a draw, but Nakamura secured victory in the subsequent game, leading to a 1.5-0.5 win over Gukesh.
Nakamura’s Observations
Post-match, Nakamura provided insights into Gukesh’s gameplay.
