Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura is the most popular streamer and commentator on chess in the world, and one of its finest players at speed chess. He is ranked #1 in blitz chess. Many consider him to be the greatest American chess player since Bobby Fischer. Nakamura, whose mother is American, immigrated from Japan to the United States at the age of 2.

In December 2022, Hikaru won his fifth straight world Speed Chess Championship, by defeating the reigning classical world chess champion Magnus Carlsen. He followed that triumph by winning for the fourth time both "Titled Tuesday" speed chess tournaments in one day, "something no one else has accomplished even once."

On October 30, 2022, Hikaru Nakamura won the world championship in the coveted Fischer Random Chess format, after winning an armageddon tiebreaker.

Nakamura is also a leading defender of integrity in the game, against cheaters. Nakamura was an early defender of Magnus Carlsen as he stood against the chess cheating scandal, and was subsequently victimized by a frivolous, harassing lawsuit as a result.

He is a 5-time United States chess champion, and led the U.S. team to win the gold medal at the 2016 Chess Olympiad. He became a grandmaster at a record-breaking age for an American of only 15 years old.

As of October 30, 2022, he ranks #6 worldwide in chess.

As to his popularity on Twitch:

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In March, when he first started streaming in earnest, an average of 2,000 people tuned in live to watch Nakamura. As quarantine intensified, that number jumped to 18,000. Now his fanbase has grown to 366,000 followers.

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On Facebook he has 229,000 followers.

Tactician

Hikaru Nakamura is thought to emphasize tactical advantage in his moves, while his rival Magnus Carlsen is felt to place more consideration on positional strength.

Tournament record

Nakamura defeated Wesley So by 13.5-12.5 in the 2020 Speed Chess Championship.