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The chess world has been set ablaze after American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura threw World Champion D Gukesh’s king into the crowd following his victory at the Checkmate: USA vs India exhibition event in Arlington, Texas.

The viral moment came right after Nakamura checkmated the young Indian prodigy in a tense one-minute bullet game, sealing a 5-0 sweep for Team USA. As the audience erupted, Nakamura leapt out of his chair, grabbed Gukesh’s fallen king, and tossed it into the cheering fans. The clip spread across social media within minutes, sparking a heated debate over whether the celebration crossed the line of sportsmanship.

The Game That Started It All

Gukesh, who entered the match after a rocky FIDE Grand Swiss run, had initially held his ground against Nakamura, managing draws in both the 10-minute and 5-minute games. But in the chaotic bullet decider, the American star turned the tables with a rapid back-rank checkmate as his queen and bishop trapped the Indian champion’s king.

“I was winning, the crowd knew I was winning, so I was really happy to hear all the noise!” Nakamura said afterward, brushing off the criticism.

The event itself broke from traditional chess norms. Organisers removed the option to resign or offer draws, forcing every game to be played until checkmate or stalemate, and the crowd was encouraged to shout during the match, creating a spectacle unlike any professional chess setting.

From Calm to Chaos

While Nakamura celebrated with flair, Gukesh responded in stark contrast. The world champion quietly reset the chessboard after the match, a move that drew praise from fans and fellow players for its display of respect and composure.

ChessBase India’s footage of the moment has already amassed hundreds of thousands of views.

Community Divided Over Nakamura’s Gesture

The internet was quick to react, and not kindly. Many fans felt Nakamura’s move was disrespectful to the reigning world champion.

“Enough playing the gentleman role. It’s important to call out the unprofessional behaviour,” wrote one user.
“Had Gukesh thrown Magnus’s king into the crowd, the entire chess world would have demanded sanctions,” another fan posted.

Others took a lighter tone.

“The king went to meet his people. He’ll return to his throne soon,” joked one commenter.
Another quipped, “Bro finally touched a world champion’s piece and couldn’t handle the power.”

Still, a few defended Nakamura, suggesting the theatrics were planned to spice up the exhibition.

“We skipped some levels here, could’ve just knocked his king over and that’d be it,” said one post.
“Hikaru is usually graceful — looks like this was all by design, but it definitely hurt the game’s image,” wrote another.

USA Dominates, India Seeks Revenge at Home

The match wasn’t just about Gukesh and Nakamura. Team USA swept the entire series: Arjun Erigaisi fell to Fabiano Caruana, Divya Deshmukh lost to Carissa Yip, Sagar Shah was beaten by streamer Levy Rozman (GothamChess), and young prodigy Ethan Vaz lost to 14-year-old Tani Adewumi.

Team India will get their shot at redemption in the second leg of Checkmate: USA vs India, which will take place in India, where Gukesh and his teammates will hold the white pieces.

With emotions running high and the spotlight firmly on Nakamura’s controversial celebration, the rematch promises to be one of the most talked-about events in modern chess.