Hikaru Nakamura (36) is one of the best chess players in the world. Under the name “GMHikaru,” the grandmaster also streams quite successfully on Twitch – and this apparently gives him a mental advantage in tournaments.
Who is it about? Hikaru Nakamura has been a grandmaster in chess since he was 15 years old and one of the best players in the world. The board game is surprisingly popular on Twitch. Under the name “GMHikaru,” the 36-year-old is one of the most-watched streamers in that category. On average, he reaches 7,209 viewers in the past 30 days (via SullyGnome).
On the occasion of the upcoming Candidates Tournament 2024 in Toronto, where the chess world champion will be determined, GMHikaru admitted that he primarily sees himself as a streamer.
On Twitch, however, GMHikaru has to face off against the LoL rage monster Tyler1, as he is Chess Streamer of the Year.
“Makes it easier to enjoy chess”
Why is Twitch so important to the grandmaster? As GMHikaru explains, this perspective takes the pressure off him to win the tournament. His focus is only on playing interesting, good chess. Winning is “nice and good,” but the reach he would gain from it is very small compared to streaming.
If I, let’s say, reach 5 million people through my online content, becoming world champion would only reach a fraction of that. That’s not self-confidence. I’ve found another way that – whether that’s good or bad – is much more lucrative and makes it significantly easier to actually enjoy chess.
Hikaru Nakamura via YouTube
GMHikaru also believes that many people misunderstand content creators. Streamers are mostly very intelligent and aware in their approach. Very little is acted out to create drama.
The chess grandmaster rose big on Twitch during the Corona pandemic: He started streaming much more and more often in 2020, gained 668,655 new followers, and increased his viewing hours by 1,460% (via SullyGnome).
Before that, as GMHikaru stated in an interview, he kept playing against the same people and chess had become boring. Now, as a content creator, he finds more enjoyment in the game and competitions.
The chess streamer summarizes: “I just play, try to be good, and that’s it. I think some players are under more pressure than others, but not me. I don’t really think about those things because it’s not a big deal for me.”
How far he gets with this attitude in the World Championship will be shown starting April 25.
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