Hikaru Nakamura poses at the Palacio de Santoña in Madrid during the Candidates TournamentPhoto Chess
Various sources estimate the fortune of chess player Hikaru Nakamura (Hirakata, Japan; 34 years old) at around 50 million dollars (47.3 million euros).
But only a small percentage of that amount is due to the prizes won in tournaments, such as the Candidates, which he is playing these days in Madrid (he is third).
It was at the beginning of the pandemic that the American, born in Japan, gave himself body and soul to
streaming
(playing or commenting on his own games live on the internet), which has made him the richest chess player of all time.
"In this tournament I lose money," Nakamura stressed to EL PAÍS a few days ago while on his way to the hotel to set up another
streaming
session on YouTube (1.3 million subscribers) or Twitch (a similar number of followers).
He is also very popular on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or POG University, and also generates substantial income from advertising for energy drinks, among others.
The same sources that have calculated Nakamura's earnings estimate that those of the world champion, the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen, should not exceed eight million euros.
The eight prizes of the Candidates Tournament add up to 500,000 euros, although it must be taken into account that the winner will share at least two million with the champion in the duel scheduled for April 2023.
Nakamura is not a peculiar chess player only in his income.
Born in Japan, his parents emigrated to the United States when he was two years old, and divorced soon after.
His mother joined forces with Sunil Weeramantry, a leading chess player from Sri Lanka, who discovered Hikaru's extraordinary talent.
At the age of six he already shone in tournaments, at 10 he began to break records of precocity and at 15 he surpassed a mythical one, that of the legendary Bobby Fischer as the youngest grandmaster (top category in chess) in the history of the United States. From the age of nine he stopped going to school to play more tournaments, and was educated at home by his parents.
More information
Follow the Candidates tournament, in EL PAÍS
Consulted by this newspaper about the earnings attributed to his son today, Weeramantry considers them "exaggerated", and clarifies: "Right now I don't think they will exceed 20 million, but it is true that his ability to generate money is increasing a lot".
Nakamura has just been signed by the powerful Misfits Gaming Group, a video game and electronic sports company, which guarantees him a substantial income.
That child prodigy continued to fuel controversy and debate in the world of mental sports as a twenty-something because he spent a lot of time playing games of one minute per player on the internet (not a few fans think that this is not chess), which most likely had a negative influence. in his progression towards the world title in the classic modality.
Also, as other elite chess players have done, he played poker intensely: “Many of the qualities that chess develops are very useful in poker.
The main difference is that if you play a game of chess close to perfection it is impossible for you to lose.
But in poker you can be beaten by the influence of luck”, he explains.
Nakamura, last Wednesday, at the start of the 5th round of the Candidates TournamentPhoto
In this context, it is not surprising that his work with the former world champion Gari Kasparov as a coach lasted less than a year, in 2011. They were bishops of different colors: “Obviously, working with one of the best in history was a great experience. learning source.
His intuition, his way of capturing the essence of a position, is bestial.
But our characters are very different”, emphasizes Nakamura in probable reference to the fact that the spirit of military discipline that has always defined the Russian, today a resident of New York and with a Croatian passport, is incompatible with the temperament of the American, much more flexible.
Still, Nakamura's sporting exploits in classical chess make him one of the great stars of the last quarter century.
He became the 2nd in the world of the classic modality on October 1, 2015, despite the fact that his balance with Carlsen is catastrophic: 14 defeats, one victory and 26 draws.
And his brilliance in the rapids is even more consistent.
Right now he is 10th in the world in slow games, and 2nd in fast (half an hour per side) and lightning (five minutes per player and game).
All this, despite the fact that the maximum expenditure of energy and time of his is not made in high competition, but in internet broadcasts.
Nakamura invests much of his earnings in stocks and frequently participates in charitable activities.
And there is another essential area where he stands apart from the vast majority of his elite colleagues: he almost always greets his fans with great kindness to sign autographs or take photos, or even lends himself to playing speed games for hours in the lobby of a hotel.
Contrary to the usual among mental sports stars, he understands that he is not paid just to play, but also to communicate.
And there is the answer as to why he plays the Candidates even though, in principle, he loses money.
In reality, he wins it because the international echo of his games and demonstrations will lead to an increase in his followers on the networks.
Another thing is to wonder if he could have become world champion if he had dedicated himself fully to high competition, but surely in that case his fortune would be much less.
He can still be the king (the decline in elite chess usually starts between the ages of 35 and 40), if he wins the Candidates Tournament in Madrid.
But then the million dollar question arises: can someone win it who, as soon as it ends, is looking forward to getting to the hotel to arm themselves with headphones and a mouse before another night of
streaming?
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