Nakamura Chooses Candidates Over Freestyle Chess Championship
In the crowded landscape of modern chess championships, the Candidates Tournament retains its unique prestige. It remains the sole path to the classical World Chess Championship match, the ultimate prize in the sport. India's D Gukesh currently holds that crown. As the Candidates approaches, a pressing question emerges. Could this be the final opportunity for some of chess's most established stars?
The Freestyle Invitation and a Notable Absence
FIDE recently announced a Freestyle Chess World Championship for February 13–15. The lineup features top players like Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, and Javokhir Sindarov. However, one prominent name was missing: American number one and world number two Hikaru Nakamura, the reigning Fischer Random World Champion.
When contacted, Freestyle Chess CEO Jan Henric Buettner clarified the situation. Nakamura received an invitation but decided to decline. Nakamura himself soon explained his reasoning. He stated he declined his slot to focus on an important tournament at the end of March and April. That tournament requires no decoding. It is the Candidates Tournament.
The Veterans' Last Stand at the Candidates
Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen has already tipped two Americans as favorites for the Candidates. He named 38-year-old Hikaru Nakamura and 33-year-old Fabiano Caruana as likely challengers. Add 31-year-old Anish Giri to this group. Suddenly, the Candidates narrative features three seasoned titans in their thirties. They all face what could be their final realistic chance at competing for the world title.
Veteran Indian Grandmaster Pravin Thipsay recently coached Caruana alongside Candidates contenders Praggnanandhaa and Giri. He believes the stakes are incredibly high for this trio. Thipsay shared his views in an exclusive interaction. He stated that in his opinion, one of them between Caruana, Praggnanandhaa, and Giri will qualify, and it could be anybody.
Thipsay referenced Carlsen's list, which places Praggnanandhaa third. He noted Giri has been in very good spirit in one-on-one situations. Because of the numbers alone, Thipsay feels one of them will qualify.
Challenges for Different Qualification Paths
Thipsay expressed caution about players who qualified through the World Cup. He named Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Andrey Esipenko. He admitted he feels a little scared for them. The World Cup format differs significantly. It involves one game with white, one with black, with time between them. The Candidates Tournament, in contrast, is relentless.
Nakamura presents a particularly intriguing case. Thipsay stated frankly that Nakamura will be the top seed. However, he has not played top opposition recently. If you keep playing lower-rated opponents, your attacking skills can get rusty because the defence is poor. You do not need all your weapons to beat them.
Stylistic Battles and Changing Strategies
For Anish Giri, the challenge is stylistic. He is known for his draw-driven games. Thipsay explained that in classical chess, Anish has a very specific nature. He draws a lot of games. We saw that in the Grand Swiss. He kept drawing, and when it mattered most, he won the final game.
That approach has often worked. It succeeded in the 2025 Grand Swiss, where Giri went unbeaten to lift the title. He qualified for the Candidates with six draws in eleven rounds. Thipsay notes that if you make ten draws and get two or three wins, you are already at eight points. That suits Anish's style.
But times may be changing. Thipsay pointed out that Gukesh scored nine out of fourteen during his Candidates win in 2024. So Anish may have to focus on winning more games. One win and thirteen draws will not take you there. Maybe four wins and one loss is better. That means changing strategy, from a solid player to an aggressive player. And he has to take more risks.
He beat Carlsen in 2010 when he was just sixteen. But now Anish is thirty-plus. This is his last chance to become the challenger.
The Final Chance for a Generation
The same logic applies to Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura. Thipsay admitted bluntly that for Anish, Caruana and Hikaru, this is the last chance in his opinion. If they do not qualify now, they will not qualify ever. Caruana played the World Championship match in 2018. After seven or eight years, this could be his final attempt.
Yet, the Candidates is no longer a tournament where experience alone guarantees dominance. Thipsay added that these younger players do not show clear weaknesses. They are complete players. Even the lowest-rated players cannot be treated as weak. Anyone can beat anyone. Many times, the tournament winner has lost to the player who finished last.
The Tide Turns Toward Youth and Vigour
This unpredictability tilts the balance towards youth. It favors what Thipsay repeatedly calls Gukesh's vigour. He added that his prediction a year back was that future world champions will mostly be under twenty-five or twenty-six. There is a risk that these three could finish second, third or fourth because they do not have the same vigour. The vigour Gukesh showed in 2023 and 2024 was different.
The veteran Grandmaster feels hunger matters at the end of the day. When you have been at the top for many years, earned a lot of money, enthusiasm for improvement naturally drops. Against someone like Gukesh, that matters.
As Nakamura focuses his energy on the Candidates, skipping the flashier Freestyle event, the chess world watches. It witnesses a potential last stand for a generation of champions against an unstoppable wave of young talent.
