Hikaru Nakamura, born on 9 December 1987 in Hirakata, Japan, is an American grandmaster. A five-time US Champion known for his fast, aggressive style, he is also the most-followed chess streamer in the world.
Quick facts
- Title: Grandmaster (2003, aged 15)
- Born: 9 December 1987, Hirakata (Japan)
- Federation: USA
- Peak rating: 2816 (October 2015)
- US Championships: 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018
- Other: 2016 Olympiad gold, 2022 World Fischer Random Champion
A grandmaster at 15
Nakamura's family moved to the United States when he was two, and he grew up in White Plains, New York. He learned chess at seven from his stepfather, FIDE Master Sunil Weeramantry. In 2003, aged 15 years and 79 days, he became a grandmaster – at the time the youngest American ever, beating Bobby Fischer's record by three months.
Years at the top
He won the US Championship in 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018. His rating peaked at 2816 in October 2015, and he was No. 1 on FIDE's first official rapid and blitz lists in May 2014. He represented the USA at seven Olympiads and won team gold at Baku 2016.
In 2022 he won the FIDE Grand Prix series and became World Fischer Random Champion, beating Ian Nepomniachtchi in Armageddon. At the Candidates he finished 7th in 2016, 4th in 2022, 2nd in 2024 and 5th in 2026. On the September 2026 FIDE list he is world No. 2.
The face of online chess
A content creator since 2018, Nakamura is widely credited with popularising online chess through his Twitch and YouTube streams. He is the author of Bullet Chess: One Minute to Mate (2009).
Hikaru Nakamura on Chess School
Nakamura is one of the advisors of the talent programme. This category collects Nakamura-related content on Chess School, including the game in which he fell victim to the Turkish Gambit and his comments on the opening.
Source: Wikipedia: Hikaru Nakamura
