Hikaru Nakamura thought about the daring “Gambit” test against Arjun Erigaisi in a quarter-final chess of chaotic free-frustyle on Wednesday. The great American master then opened up to the new opening movement and also clarified his post-match remarks on his inventor Ian Nepomniachtchi.
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The Paris Grand Chelem Tour of the Freestyle 2025 chelem tour has so far presented one of the wildest games in the tournament, while the great American master Hikaru Nakamura and the Indian Director of Arjun Erigaisi fought a chaotic battle aboard your siege on the first day of the quarterfinals.
The game was titled by Nakamura’s daring experience with what is now nicknamed the “nepo gambit”. The idea of newly invented opening, inspired by the current world champion of Blitz chess, Ian Nepomniachtchi, saw Nakamura lose his advantage early, Erigaisi holding the advantage for the first 20 movements at least.
Nakamura on the nepo gambit test
Nakamura, trusting NEPO’s suggestion of the pre-match preparation room, is committed to the plan. But it didn’t take long for regret to slip.
“Apparently, I did a good job to act there if you think I looked happy. Because for roughly the first 1.5 hours, I literally wanted to get up from my board and strangle nepo! ” Nakamura said after the match.
But if there is one thing for which Nakamura is renowned, it is his resilience. While the complications accumulated, Arjun slipped, giving the American a chance to catch up. Nakamura took the opportunity and the game ended with a draw.
In her post-match analysis, Nakamura spoke frankly about the Gambit and stressed that her comments had been joking, urging fans not to criticize towards Nepomniachtchi.
“For all those who wonder, This is position number 841, I mentioned that because because I think that from now on, we should call it the nepo gambit because it was his big idea. In fact, I felt really good. I trusted Ian’s analysis. But Arjun, who is a very founded player in principle, simply takes the pawn and then goes G3. And suddenly, I am in trouble, “said Nakamura on her YouTube channel.
“I did a little joke after the end of the match – on the way I wanted to strangle Nepo because I had a bad position And how You should never trust Russian. I am put this at the very beginning of video so that no one tries to blow it up out of proportion to create a false drama It just doesn’t exist as I was Make a joke, “he added.
