Hikaru Nakamura is the top-rated chess player in the nation. On the U.S. Chess Federation’s website, the 29-year-old is described as the “strongest American chess player since Bobby Fischer.” Nakamura moved to St. Louis in 2010, largely because of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis, which hosts this year’s U.S. Chess Championships April 13–30. Nakamura became the youngest American grandmaster at age 15, breaking Fischer’s record. When SLM caught up with him by phone, he was in Naples, Italy, taking a few days off between chess tournaments in Gibraltar and Zurich, Switzerland.
When did you start playing chess?
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
When I was 7. My stepfather and brother were strong amateur chess players. They were traveling to tournaments throughout the U.S., so I tagged along and was exposed to the game. I inevitably picked it up.
At what point did you decide to pursue it seriously?
Probably when I was 14 or 15, when I became the youngest grandmaster in America in history at the time. Once I reached grandmaster, it focused me 100 percent on chess.
What traits do chess players need?
Short-term memory loss. When you’re playing in a tournament, it’s important that you don’t dwell on what happened. If you play the first round and lose, don’t dwell on it. The next game comes very quickly. If you are thinking of the previous game, it tends to affect you psychologically. The second thing is to learn from your mistakes.
How many moves ahead do you see?
In general, five to 10, but it depends on the situation. For example, in some games, you reach the end game early on, and you are looking at sequences or ideas that may go 20 moves down the road.
Is physical training important?
Absolutely. Because of technology [with players able to compete anytime and learn strategies online], the playing field is much more even. Games go a lot longer, and you have to maintain your focus.
How long do games typically last?
Because of technology, it will take four or four-and-a-half hours, assuming no one does anything crazy. You have to stay focused, because one mistake is enough to cost you the game.
Who are some of your toughest opponents?
Mostly the other elite players. For example, the current world champion, Magnus Carlsen. I don’t have a good score against him. The Armenian player Levon Aronian is another player I don’t have a good score against. In general, everyone at the top is so strong that it varies. There might be one player you have a very bad score against. Then you win a couple of games, and the trend changes.
What advice would you give to a casual player?
Just play. Try to learn as much as you can. A lot of players these days have high hopes that they’re going to become the world champion, but it’s important to just play the game and enjoy it.
What’s the value for adolescents?
Chess is very good for critical thinking. When you are starting out, you are going to lose. The key is to learn from the errors and go on from there. It’s not a whole lot different than life.
What do you do to blow off steam when you’ve been in a tough tournament?
I try to get away from it for a couple of days. Tournaments are very exhausting. Chess, in some ways, is harder than a normal sport. In football, for example, once you reach the playoffs, you play one game and if you lose, you’re done. You move on. In chess, you are not afforded that luxury. You might start off a tournament with two or three losses in a row; you’re not allowed to say, “I’ve had enough. I’m not going to play anymore.” You have to keep going. Because of the way it’s set up, it’s very important at the end of a tournament to just forget about it and take a few days to relax.
