| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| What was it like winning the Big one for one drop? Edit: Also what is Phil Laak like as a roommate? | I mean how do I describe what it was like, it was awesome. I wish there a way to go back to have that feeling again. It's the ultimate high that I don't know if I'll ever get back. It's incredible obviously. |
| Phil Laak is one interesting character...he's great, he's fun, he's always up for hanging out or gambling or whatever. | |
| Did you have 100% of yourself in the 1drop? | I did not. I had somewhere between 1% and 99%. |
| What is your biggest loss in poker? Financially or, you know, body parts etc. | Don Cheadle and I played a heads up match where if I lost, I had to do a full blown magic show at his house in a top hat for him and his guests. If I won, he had to come over and cook for me and up to 25 of my guests in a chef's apron. Of course I lost, and now I owe him a magic show. |
| Seeing as how you seem to enjoy gambling, have you made any trades on the stock market? | Yes, I have some money in stocks but I don't make any decisions on what to buy and what to sell. I let experts do it on my behalf and pay them a tilting commission. If I could go back and do the opposite of every stock tip I've ever gotten, I would be much better off financially. |
| What's your favorite place you've visited and why? | Istanbul, Turkey because it's a magical place filled with kind people, really good food, beautiful scenery, and believe it or not some of the best night life I've ever experienced. Also, the fish in Turkey are in a league of their own. ;) |
| What things would you do differently to learn and improve your game if you could go back in time to mentor yourself when you first were learning the game? If you were starting your poker career today what would you be doing to improve your game? What would you do to acceralate your learning curve? Thank You. | I would have definitely learned all of the poker games back in the day and I would have spent much more time at the table versus going out in my 20s. I left a lot of money on the table. But, I have no regrets and life is all about experiences. |
| I would study a lot off the Internet. I would know the math in and out. | |
| When did you first start playing poker? Why do you enjoy doing it? | I started playing poker when I was 19 years old. My roommate at the time played semi-pro and he got me into it. |
| I guess I enjoy the thrill of the highs and lows. | |
| And the money doesn't hurt. | |
| Craziest memory from living in Vegas? | I'll just say that I had a lot of fun in my 20s. Living in Vegas as a single guy for many years were some of the most memorable times of my life. But if you want specifics, I'll have to plead the fifth. |
| What is a typical day in the life of a Poker professional like? -What kinds of problems do you deal with? – What kinds of decisions do you make? | I wake up, work out, spend about 2 hours on emails and other work-related things at my desk, I eat, then I exist. |
| Everyone has problems, and I deal with them to the best of my abilities. I'm human just like anyone else. | |
| Where does your super positive outlook on life come from? | I don't know where it comes from, but at the end of the day, life is the ultimate freeroll. How you live it is your choice and I'd never want to be the guy on my deathbed with any regrets. |
| What's the hand that you remember the most? (Be it a hand you won or lost, or one of each if you feel like telling both stories). | The hand I remember most is AK vs the QQ of Guy Laliberte in the One Drop when I hit the King on the turn. The shift in my life just on that one card is pretty significant. Not just on a monetary level either. |
| I thought you were great casting the WSOP ME final table. What did you think of it? | I thought it was a pretty simple final table. I didn't like my commentary on day 1, but I thought I did well day 2 and day 3. |
| Do you think delaying the final table to November is a good or bad idea? | Yes, I love the delay. I love the build up. It's like foreplay. |
| What's your favorite thing to eat during a big tournament? | During the WSOP I go with All American Dave's food because it's tasty and more importantly healthy. But if I order food, I always try to go Thai. Love me some curry. |
| If you could hang out with other poker pros Who would it be(Phil Laak excluded) and what would you do(other than play poker)? | I would want to hang out with the people who are my friends in the poker world. We would do fun things just like any other group of friends. Burning Man, travel, party, go to a movie, eat, etc. |
| What car do you drive? And is it as much fun as it seems to troll Hellmuth? | I drive a Navigator. Nothing fancy. |
| Yes, it's really fun to pick on Hellmuth because he's such an easy target. | |
| Do you still perform any magic? If so, what kind of tricks do you like to do? | I still do magic for friends and social events. Not as much as I used to, but I still do, and I still love it. |
| What's your biggest loss or win in a single game? | I've had some really bad days and some really good days. I'd rather not share those numbers with the world. My apologies. |
| What is the most difficult table you've ever sat down to and did you honestly felt that you had an edge? | One Drop, the year I won, day 1. Ivey, Seidel, Marchese, Ben Lamb, Nick Schulman among others. I never felt like I had an edge. They're all wizards. |
| Do you think you'd make a good politician with all the bluffing you do? | I think that one of my strongest traits is people, so I do believe I would be a good politician. Give me the White House. |
| Were there any specific and major steps along the path to being a successful poker player? | You have to have multiple set of skills, not just playing poker. You have to be leak-free and have great bankroll management. |
| Patriots or Buffalo tonight. Who you got? You ever bet on sports? | I'm not a big sports better, but if I had to bet, I would bet on the undefeated team. |
| Would you rather be attacked by a swarm of bees or a swarm of bears? | Well bees I could still live, no? With bears I have 0 outs, and I'm always going to go with more than 0 outs. |
| What's the most expensive toothpaste you've used or seen fellow pros use, and if you have the money, why not spring for luxury toothpaste all the time? | That question is a little advanced for me. I don't exactly keep track of other poker pros' toothpaste. I know that Daniel uses vegan toothpaste. |
| What are your other major passions, other than Poker? | I really enjoy being healthy. I'm pretty passionate about yoga and I'm huge into Burning Man. |
| Who do you consider the best poker player today? Toughest player you ever faced? Sexiest player you ever faces? | Best and toughest: Brian Rast. |
| I can't think of the sexiest. Poker isn't really a sexy sport. | |
| Favorite prop bet you've won? | Who could take two ambiens and stay up longer, me vs Phil on "I Bet You" |
| What's your beginning poker tips and do you suggest any poker books? | I would suggest just learning off the Internet. There's a lot of great knowledge available. |
| Hi Antonio huge fan! I totally respect how classy you are at the table. What are your poker goals for 2016 and what poker player do you respect the most? | My plans are to play poker...nothing different than '15 or '14. I do want to learn how to play PL Omaha Hi/Low. |
| Huge fan man. Miss your show with Phil "I bet you". Are you ever going to do another show like that? Was a lot of fun. | I'm not in the TV show making business, but if someone comes to us and wants to make a show, we're all for it. |
| What are the cash games like in China? | I don't really know. I went to Macau once but didn't really play. |
| When amateur players make it far enough in a televised game to start having sponsors on their shirt etc, how exactly does that work? Do the poker sites all just offer him x amount and he picks one? | If they know he's going to be on guaranteed air time, especially on ESPN, they offer certain players certain deals. |
| What's your favorite thing to do in Vegas besides poker? (Keep it clean) | Eat. There's some amazing restaurants off the strip that no one knows about. |
| Have you ever considered trying to live-stream on Twitch before? There are a lot of people who would love to watch. | Yes, the idea has crossed my mind, but right now it's not on the top of my priority list. |
| Favorite overall hotel in Vegas? Favorite casino to play poker in Vegas? | Aria and Bellagio are my favorites for both. |
| Your favourite video game? | Back when I played, I loved Super Mario Kart. |
| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| Hey Naka, I'm a huge fan. Thank you so much for doing this. How much does it actually matter which opening a player chooses? | Openings matter only in so much as you are not worse or losing out of the opening! |
| I've always wondered, does a gm have to have a bajillion games mostly memorized? How big a part of your study is analyzing the games of others? Do you spend time analyzing the games of people worse than you or only of other super gms? In a game of high level chess, does aesthetic count more than a computer-good position sometimes? Like, would you rather have a slightly worse position but one that more suits your style than your opponent's? Various databases that I've seen show that d4 is a more successful opening than e4 but e4 is more popular. Why is this? Why do master players online play so much blitz? Why not lengthy games? Who are your favorite players throughout history and who do you think are the best players? Thanks again. Good luck in chess! | I for one do not have a quadrillion games memorized. Mainly, it is more a matter of ideas/concepts combined with an understand of piece play and then of course tactics. But, because all professionals have studied and played chess for so many years, it is just inherently a part of our understanding. In this day and age, everyone is so good that being even slightly worse is too much! I will always take equality! I think in general, when you play chess on the internet its not serious competition, so the goal is to have a good time. Secondly, if I tried playing long games on the internet, I'd have trouble being motivated or keeping up the intensity. |
| Are there still aspects of chess that humans do better at than computers? How incredible does a computer have to be to beat the best humans? Could my Macbook or cell phone do it? If a computer disagrees with you, do you always think that the computer must be right? How do you think Fischer would do against top players like yourself, Carlsen, or Kasparov? How would Morphy do? What's your top goal in chess? Do you think you'll achieve it? | 1.e4 is certainly NOT more popular at the top levels of chess today! I think in general because many of the great champions (Fischer and Kasparov specifically) opened with 1.e4, it remains very popular at the amateur level. The only two aspects of chess which humans are better at are: blocked positions where only one side has a break due to the long term concept and ideas which are beyond a computer horizon and secondly, pure attacks like in the Kings Indian. I am not sure if a computer on a cell phone could beat the top humans, but any laptop would be more than sufficient to trounce us pitiful humans into oblivion! Fischer would almost certainly lose to all of us, but this is due to the fact that the game has so fundamentally changed. If Fischer had a few years to use computers, I think he would probably be on the same level. I certainly hope to become World Champion, but it is a long process and I simply need to play good chess for now! |
| My favourite players are Kasparov, Fischer and Tal. Mainly because they were more tactical and aggressive which is how I tend to play. | |
| When you visualize a chess position, such as during a blindfold game, or when going over a score without a board present, what do you see? Do you see a full board and pieces, just like you were actually looking at a real board, or do you have some kind of abstract representation in your mind (such as a list of pieces and key squares and their attack/defense relationships)? | When I play 1 blindfold game or any amount, (I have done 15 on two separate occasions) I essentially see the whole board, but I very rarely calculate deep lines beyond 2-3 moves. In tournaments such as the Amber Blindfold and Rapid where it is 1 game against another top level play, I very often will calculate 2-3 lines of about 5-6 moves. I wish I could say that I am some sort of mathematical genius and I see a bunch of right triangles or some picasso style art lines, but that would be going too far! When I see the board, it is usually the blue board from the chess program chessbase with the white and black pieces. I suspect that for most modern day players, blindfold chess is a lot easier because of the endless hours we have all spent studying chess on computer screens. |
| On chess.com, there is a mysterious GM Phoenix who has a very high rating, with much speculation as to his identity. The main guess was that it was you. When you officially showed up on chess.com, Phoenix stopped showing up, furthering that speculation. Were you GM Phoenix? | I will take the 5th on your question about GMPhoenix! :) |
| We played in Round 3 of the 1997 Super Nationals chess tournament in Knoxville. We were both 2-0 and played on the podium while your dad took pictures from below-you were white and played the scotch. You had this intimidating strategy of standing behind me while I was pondering my next move. I still wonder, were you just trying to see the board from a different perspective, or intentionally trying to psych me out?! :) | I highly doubt that I could have come up with such a strategy at 9! :) I wish I could remember, but asking me to remember a game from 17?? years ago is too much! |
| Do you think there will ever be a time in the future when Chess960 is a serious competitive chess format? Do you feel it does a good job of shaking up the theory-heavy metagame for more "casual" observers? | Great question, apetresc! |
| I think chess960 is great as it is simply pure intuition and understanding without theory or computers. In my opinion, a lot depends on the trends. For example, at the moment everyone is playing the Berlin Defense which has severely reduced the number of games with 1.e4 If this trend of attempting to "kill" the excitement continues, it is hard to believe 960 won't take over at some point. However, if we start seeing a lot of deep preparation and exciting games in in the Najdorf or Dragon, then I think the scope of normal chess will continue for a very long time. | |
| Hey, I was wondering how big of a role computers play in your chess life. | Hello Jack, your question is very pertinent not only to my chess career but the very future of chess as well. I would say that nowadays, when I study, computers comprise 90% overall. |
| Do you ever play against them as practice? | I do not play against computers anymore because it is severely depressing to lose every game without ever even having a chance! |
| What do you think we can learn from computer chess and what can't we? | I think mainly what can be learned from computers is a deeper understanding that almost all positions are ok with accurate play. In the past, many people assumed certain positions were automatically bad, but computers have shown that the rules and thought processes aren't always accurate! |
| So when do you decide a position is gone as in unplayable? A full minor down or just a lack of counterplay and a pawn or something? Thanks. | In general, one gives up when either they are down too much material, mate is imminent or if there is little to no counterplay. If there is a chance of a swindle or a hope, then there is no reason to resign. Play till there are no chances left! |
| How often does the average top-ten chess player get laid? | We aren't rock stars! :-D. |
| Is chess still fun, or does it just feel like a job now? | Chess is certainly still enjoyable but it has taken on a more serious role as it is my full time career. It will always be fun, but it will never be the same as when I was 12-13-14 years old and just playing the game without any worries in the world. |
| Why do you play chess? | I play chess because it pays the bills! ;) However, more importantly, I play because I enjoy the game! It is also really special having the opportunity to see lots of new and different cities and countries around the world! |
| How much does being a professional chess player pay? | Being a professional chessplayer is not an easy profession, as you need to be in the top 30 to make a good living. Fortunately, I am amongst the top 30! |
| Who do you support for FIDE president? | I do not particularly support one side over the other as both candidates have serious flaws. However, one must look at what the incumbent has done over the past 20 years. It does not seem as though chess has fundamentally moved forward in a new direction. At the same time, it remains to be seen whether the opposition leader will be able to bring in money and sponsors which he speaks of in his campaign. |
| Hello there, very nice to see you doing an AMA. I've been wondering if there are times or any major time in your life that you've found chess to be boring? Also if that has happened what have you done to change this, or have you changed yourself so that you understand it's work and do it despite it being boring to you? Thanks again :) | I have tried to avoid being too philosophical, but I think in general, everything becomes boring after a while. Nothing is as fun as it was when you first started playing. The key is to stay motivated and just continue trying to learn more. |
| You are considered one of the best blitz players in the world, if not the best. You should comment some of your games and post them to YouTube, a la KingcrusheChessexplained/curtains. I would pay to see that! What do you think? | To start, I have actually seen a few of Kingcrusher's videos on youtube and they are pretty good! At the moment, I am the #1 rated blitz player in the world, so I am certainly competitive. However, I do believe that because of my focus on becoming a better classical player over the last few years, I have gotten worse at blitz. |
| Do you think that, with perfect play, chess is a win for white, win for black, or draw? Will we ever be able to mathematically prove this, or find the hypothetical "perfect game of chess"? | With perfect play, chess is and always will be a draw! Perhaps we will one day be able to prove the result of chess, but there will need to be a quantum leap in computing technology as well as storage capacity in order for this to be possible. I sincerely hope that this does not happen in my lifetime. |
| It seems that you are more in control of your emotions currently than has been the case in the past. Is this something you agree with and if so, is it something you consciously work on or do you feel it's something that has come with age? | Hello Veritas, and thank you very much for your question which I will try to answer very truthfully! ;) |
| I'm not sure that I am ever really in control! I would never really say that I worked consciously to become calmer and more mellow, but I think that lifestyle plays a big roll. In my late teens and early 20s, I spent a lot of time out on the west coast (Vancouver in particular) and this really helped a lot. Although, I do think that with every passing year, I become more mellow! | |
| Thank you so much for your response. I'm so happy that you answered. I lived in Vancouver for a couple of years myself. I am looking forward to watching you play your next tournament. Thanks again. | You are very welcome! My next tournament will be in Azerbaijan from April 20-30. |
| I have been wondering about your Japanese heritage. How often do you visit and can you speak Japanese? | I was born in Osaka, Japan to a Japanese father and am American mother. However, my parents separated and I moved back to the US when I was 2 years old. After that, I grew up with only English. I did take some Japanese lessons when I was about 10, and also took Japanese 101 during my 1 semester at Dickinson College. |
| However, at this point my Japanese is pretty mediocre and I wouldn't say I know more than 20 words. Sadly, it's probably my 4th best language :( | |
| I went back to Japan about once every 3 years growing up until I was 18. While I saw my Japan dad, I never had the opportunity to meet my half-siblings. | |
| EDIT: How do you view your fellow Top Ten players in the world relative to the greats of other time periods? | I find that it is almost impossible to compare different generations of players. All of us are only as good as we are because of the greats who came before us. |
| II: When you're watching a super-tournament that you're not participating in (such as the Candidates this year) do you watch it as a fan or do you use it to size up the competition, examine others opening preparation and search for new ideas? | As I mentioned above, the cycle for getting to a Candidates tournament, let alone winning it is a very long one and my next chance is 2 years away! Therefore, I can only focus on playing top level tournaments and trying to improve my overall results and game! When I am not competing, I watch the top level tournaments mainly to see what openings are popular and who is coming up with the best ideas. |
| What is a typical day like for you when you're not playing in a tournament? | A typical day for me when I am not playing chess varies, but I will always study a few hours a day, (2-3) watch some of the BBC series, whether it is Frozen Planet, Planet Earth or one of the others, I will read some (I recently finished reading Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller by Chernow) and study about 1 hour of Italian! However, when tournaments are happening within the next week or two, I will be studying a lot more chess! |
| Favorite unorthodox opening? | I would have to say that my favourite unorthodox opening has to be 1.b3! If it was good enough for Bent Larsen, then surely it is good enough for me! |
| I sometimes (just because) play 1.e3 and then follow that up with b3. Is there any particular reason to play b3,Bb2 first? | It is chess! Be creative, and have fun! Your question is too deep and nuanced even for me! :) |
| Are you good at other strategy games, such as RISK or strategy computer games? Does chess translate to other types of strategy like that? | The only other board game which I am pretty decent at besides chess is backgammon. As for computer games, I cannot really comment as I was pretty terrible at StarCraft! |
| What is the most common mistake new chess players make when trying to learn the game? What's a better way to get started on the path to improvement? | I think the most common mistake new chess players make it that they are too impatient and want to know everything right away. Everything is a process and you need to not rush! Beyond that, I think just playing as much as you can, studying tactics and essentially trying to take in as much chess as you can, ESPECIALLY if you are young! |
| Hello Hikaru! Big fan here! In a time where the majority of elite players choose safe and dry positions I really appreciate your aggressive and entertaining style, constantly going for complications. | Thanks for the compliment weasl! My general approach/philosophy is that we are all going to die, so might as well try to create some interesting games which will be remember 50-100 years from now! |
| Is it easy for you to switch off from chess completely, or do you pretty much think about or calculate positions in your head all the time? | Unless I am thinking about chess, I find it quite easy to not think about it. For example, after my recent tournament in Zurich, I did not have a single though about chess during my 2 weeks of vacation! |
| You have been known to play non-mainstream openings at times. Is this mostly a tactic to throw off booked opponents, a trick to force a certain type of position, general curiosity, trolling, or something else? | Thank you for the question LastChance! |
| For the most part, I tend to consider myself a creative person in almost any endeavour I am actively involved in whether its games like chess or tennis, I like to be creative. Therefore, when I play offbeat openings its more because I prefer the pure aspect of just playing moves and seeing fresh new positions. There is certainly a psychological aspect as well since most people tend to frown upon offbeat openings. However, I will always take creativity, new positions and playing the game over studying the Berlin Defense for 6 hours every day! :-D | |
| What's going on in your head when you realize during the game that you are winning? | Thank you for the question, ColoradoSheriff! |
| In general, I try not to think too much about outside factors during the game except for the position on the board. However, it does get difficult not to start wandering off and thinking about the future during especially critical games. Nevertheless, as with any other game or sport, focus focus FOCUS is the key! | |
| – for you personally, what was the most fun tournament you ever participated in, and why? | The first question has been asked many times, and there isn't one particular moment which stands out. It is more due to a special significant event. For example, winning the US Championship in 2005 will always be very special as it was my first US Championship! Just as, for example, the Turin Olympiad in 2006 was special since it was both my first Olympiad, and the first time I got a team medal (bronze)! |
| – do you still play poker? What was the 2011 WSOP experience like and do you plan to enter again someday? | I do still play poker occasionally, but due to the ban on internet poker here in the US, it is rather inconvenient to have to drive a few hours to a casino. Therefore, while I still play occasionally, it isn't something which I spend much time. |
| Thanks so much! Looking forward to watching you shaking up Candidate’s this year! | I did not qualify for the Candidate's tournament this year, but thank you for the compliment! |
| I am sad neither yourself nor Fabiano will be playing in it this year. | In general, it seems to me that the entire system needs to be overhauled as you have 4 out of the top 10 players in the world not playing in the Candidates. |
| Do you often hang out with other professional Chess player's in non-chess contexts? Is there down-time at tournaments where you just socialize with one another? | Most of my life has been spent around chess tournaments and chessplayers so it is only natural that many of my friends come from the chess world. However, I do not hang out with other "professional" players. We all are amiable, but at the end of the day it is a competition! |
| Thank you for the AMA! As a fellow Japanese American, you are one of my biggest inspirations in chess. Here are my questions: - who was the player that you looked up the most when you were a child? - what do you think are the major differences between chess in Japan and in the states? - what are some characteristics (both in and out of the games) that made some legendary chess players in the past (Kasparov, Fischer, etc)that you think made them so difficult to beat at the time? | When I was a child, I looked up to Kasparov. He was both the best and most charismatic player as well as having an aggressive and exciting style. I think the main difference between chess in Japan and the US is that in Japan there is the Japanese version of chess (Shogi) which really limits the number of kids who are exposed to chess. This is why there are so few Japanese players, let alone masters. |
| I think with Kasparov and Fischer it was everything from their personality to their play which was very intimidating. | |
| Will the sunglasses strategy ever return? | I would love to wear sunglasses more often, but unfortunately due to concerns (unfortunately justified in this day and age) about cheating, I doubt I will be doing it very often. |
| I really like your aggressive style and that you play for wins. | Elmobob, thanks for the question! |
| What do you do up in your hotel room after a particularly awful defeat? | I usually watch some Breaking Bad! |
| What is your favorite part about being a Grandmaster? Travelling? Not having a '9 to 5' job? Thanks. | My favorite part about being a professional chessplayer (not a Grandmaster as plenty of them do work normal 9-5 jobs) is that I am my own boss and make my own schedule. |
| What kind of board and pieces do you prefer playing with? Does the degree of simplicity/luxury have any impact on your level of enjoyment? | For the most part, I just like a nice wooden board with weighted pieces. However, I have some antique sets which I thoroughly enjoy as well. |
| Which is the mountain peak you are the most proud of? | I have done many day climbs, but I would have to say my two favorites are Sawtooth in the Sierra Nevadas and Black Tusk in Vancouver, British Columbia! Sometime in the future, I will go to Colorado and do a few 14ers! :-D. |
| Can you give an example of something new you have learned about chess within the last one or two years? | Almost every day, I learn something new about chess from looking at old games or studying tactics! |
| Have you ever thought about producing any content for the community, perhaps live commentating some games on the ICC? | I have considered doing content, and I will be doing some commentary on chess.com shortly! |
| Are you still technically the chess960 champion? What is the future of chess960 do you think? Would you be happy if all tournaments switched to 960? | I am still currently the 960 champion, but as to the future who knows! I attempted to answer this question earlier response. |
| Are you playing in the US Championship this year, since it doesn't overlap with Norway? | I have not decided on the US Championship, but I have chosen to play a tournament in Prague instead of Norway. |
| How high is your level on ChessTempo? | Hello Dance, |
| I have never played chess on ChessTempo, but I will check it out. At the moment, I am playing on chess.com! | |
| Are you familiar with Go at all? Any interest? | Yes, see the link below! However, I am a terrible player! |
| Link to scontent-b-ord.xx.fbcdn.net | |
| Who has been the most challenging opponent you've faced? And also who has surprised you the most in a match (someone you predicted wouldn't have a chance but came close/won)? | Without a doubt, I am having the most problems with Aronian! I have lost something like 6 games in a row! |
| @GM Hikaru Nakamura are there any books that you feel after reading helped you improve? | Recently, I have really taken a liking to the My Great Predecessors series by Kasparov. |
| I love Chess and hate it at the same time. What is the fastest game you have ever played? The longest? | The fastest game I have ever played is maybe 20 minutes (I can't recall the shortest offhand). My longest game would have to be an 8 1/2 hour game I played with GM Meier in Dortmund back in 2011. |
| As a world class, how many hours do you focus on chess per week? Describe what the study plan for a GM is like. Like percentage do you work on opening prep, what percentage on going over past games, etc. What books/study plan would you recommend for a class A-B level player? | I already gave a general response to a schedule during a week. As for specifics, I think it's probably 80% openings 10% endgames, 10% reviewing your games. |
| I was thinking that when Deep Blue beat Kasparov the problem was that the board is too small. A supercomputer can numbercrunch an 8 by 8 board. But a human could adapt to a board 100 times bigger more easily. What do you think? (For you it might be too late too change ;) ) | There have been many proposed changes to the chess rules, but none of them have worked so far! I think the problem is that its hard to remain pure to the game without changing a major rule. Perhaps you are the person to introduce the new groundbreaking idea! |
| You're known to get quite emotionally invested in your games. Why is this? Do you feel it helps or hinders your game overall? | When one plays a game or has a job, it seems natural to take pride and want to do your absolute best. This is probably why I give everything for the game of chess. |
| On chess improvement: what would you say is the best advice for amateurs to follow to help them get better? | Best advice for amateurs is to try and play as much as you can, but also study your games and try to understand the mistakes and why you made them. |
| Can you comment on the psychological aspect of the game, and how much mental strength plays a role? It seems as if some players almost use a sort of sorcery to psych out their opponent. Does that aspect exist at the top levels? | In terms of the psychological aspect, mental strength is crucial. If you do not have absolute confidence and belief in yourself or are feeling insecure in any way, there tend to be dire consequences on the chess board. This will tend to affect both your calculation and evaluation assessments. |
| Also, was this factor partially at play in your recent near defeat of Carlsen? Thanks. | My recent game against Carlsen had nothing to do with the psychological aspect. I just had a 1 in 100 hallucination. |
| In most of your interviews I see you wearing a Barca jersey, what do you think their Chances are of winning the champions league this year? | I think there chances are reasonable, and it will certainly be exciting. As long as Real Madrid doesn't ever win, I am happy! :) |
| Hello Hikaru. Thank you for doing this AMA. | No problem, any time! |
| Do you ever get "tired" of chess and what do you do when/if it happens? | I certainly have moments where I get sick of chess. Usually when this happens, I take a long break and look or do anything except chess. |
| Your games and playing styles have always been marked by a reckless, aggressive, attacking style which is usually decisive one way or another. How were you been able to reconcile your attacking instincts with the positional play that is necessary to succeed at a high level? What advice would you give to somebody who is enjoys dynamic, tactical games, but struggles in positional planning? | I think the main way to learn is by playing those types of positions. So essentially, I think it is necessary to make a conscious effort to force yourself into those less tactical positions where you need to find different ways of playing instead of just tactics. |
| Hello, Hikaru. Thanks for the AMA. At the top levels of grandmaster play, how many moves are made that are either prepared, memorized, or from book before you are into unknown territories and playing strictly from the OTB position? | I would say on average, someone will introduce a novelty or play a lesser known variation by about move 15. There will almost never be any surprises before move 10. |
| Howdy, thanks for doing this- I'm a huge fan that tries to follow all of your tournaments. | Sheer-Luck, amusing question! |
| It seems like someone can't play chess for long without observing some unusual people and/or situations. What do you think is the most amusing chess anecdote you've picked up over the years that you'd be willing to share? | There are way too many stories which I will save for my book of chess stories in 20 years! Nevertheless, I remember a game from a tournament quite a few years back, where someone got up went to the restroom then came back only to see someone else sitting in their spot having played 3-4 moves. Suffice to say it was a very confusing situation! |
| Mr. Nakamura, Nice to meet you, thank you for your contributions to the chess world and for doing this AMA. My question: How do you like your olives? Small and black and fleshy or are you the large green juicy type? Have a great day! | I love olives! They are especially good with a nice vodka martini! |
| Here's a tough one. In the past, sometimes your tweets have rubbed some people the wrong way, e.g. after the Olympiad, "A sad fact of team competitions, you're only as strong as your teammates." (I'm paraphrasing.) How do those statements affect your relationship with colleagues and other players? | My teammates understood perfectly well that it was not intended at them. It was a simple statement, but sometimes people choose to see extra hidden meaning. |
| Gata and I will always be the bruisers for Team USA. | |
| You also follow Napoli FC, a football club in the city of Naples, whose manager ideologically believes that the game is similar to chess in the aspect of exerting control from the center. How did you actually end up following the club though, which I believe is not an automatic choice for mainstream followers of the game? | Buona sera, aravindreds! |
| My fiancée is Italian and lives in Naples. Therefore, I have been spending quite a lot of time there in the past year and a half. One day, I hope to meet Rafael Benitez! | |
| What other "board games" do you play? Baccarat? | Primarily backgammon. I have never learned enough about games like craps or baccarat. |
| I've always wondered how the top players treat each other outside of the playing rooms. Do you guys ever grab a beer together or something? From tournament streams it just seems like the relationships between players are purely respectful and professional. | I would say that in the past 60s 70s 80s even the 90s, chess was a lot more fun and enjoyable with everyone being good friends. Nowadays, there is quite a bit of separation and we all do our own thing. |
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