Chess GM Hikaru Nakamura got the better of World Champions D Gukesh in the opening round encounter between the two at the Checkmate India vs USA event in Arlington on Sunday as Team USA triumphed over
Team India with a sweeping 5-0 score in the first edition of the event.
Nakamura celebrated his triumph over the teenage prodigy by tossing a piece from the board into the crowd in a moment of undulated joy.
HIKARU THROWS A PIECE TO THE CROWD TO CELEBRATE THE USA 5-0! @GMHikaru
What an event!! 🔥👏 @CheckmateUSAIND pic.twitter.com/LGnM8JLulJ
— Chess.com (@chesscom) October 5, 2025
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Although the match featured many tense moments and both teams had opportunities to win, Team USA rose to the occasion and secured several crucial victories. The competition included 10-minute, 5-minute, and 1-minute chess games. GM Nakamura concluded the event with a win in bullet chess against World Champion Gukesh.
Earlier in the event, Fabiano Caruana defeated Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi, giving his team the lead. The event features four of the world’s top ten players, leading women players, youth prodigies, and two of the most popular chess streamers, whose combined audiences exceed ten million followers.
The competition comprises five rounds, with each round featuring a USA vs. India pairing. Each player has 10 minutes, with a one-second increment after the clock falls below one minute. Games must continue until checkmate, stalemate, or flag.
Team USA will play with White in all games held in Arlington, while India will have White in the return leg. If a game ends in a draw, it moves to a five-minute overtime game, followed by a one-minute shootout, and then additional one-minute games until a winner is determined.
The lineup includes four of the top ten players in the world, leading women players, youth prodigies, and two of the most well-known chess streamers globally, whose combined audiences exceed ten million followers.
