you guys are all quite irritating and make not more that silly claims taken advantage of the incidental fact that American Naka is currently number 3 to say he is the only one that can avoid a Carlsen era ( he is not qualified for the candidates can you delay the multiple threads on Naka chances to be WC). Azeri player Rabjadov was #3 for long time and over 2800 and there were not multiple threads on him being WC (with reason), Aronian had been #2 and 2800+ for long time and keeps the good performances, Caruana reached 2800, Grischuck surpassed Kramnik at live ratings, Karjakin got the spot to Candidates this year because of Rating average (being younger that Naka)... However is Naka, Naka, Naka all the time ... who will point out candidates blunders in Twitter from his home sofa. US prepotency and ability to overlook everyone else is legendary
I've always loved Radjabov and his playing style, but his black openings require far too much from him to ever allow him to become number one. Also I think his recent losses have demoralized him. Caruana pumps up his rating playing in tournaments the ultra elite aren't a part of, as Nakamura has accurately noted. Also he grew up in the US, vastly benefited from US chess training and being a part of our country and getting the opportunities we provide, and then because he felt like it he decided to move back to his birth country and declare himself a non-UScitizen. I can see why people who don't like the US love him. I thought he would be really good but some big losses against the worlds best have shown me he's not as good as his rating would tell you.
Aronian is not making any headway on Carlsen. In fact he's losing it. I think he can maintain his current strength compared to the rest of the world, but I dont know if he can improve on it at this point.
Karjakin is an extremely strong player but he'll lose games out of nowhere, or go on random losing streaks. I don't know whats up with that, makes me have less confidence in him.
Grischuk is a strong player but maybe a little too trusting in his rapid abilities, and not that good at time management. He'll let time get really low during some of his games and then start moving quickly in the belief that he's an amazing rapid player. He is but against an elite 2700+ opponent with standard time he's probably gonna not do so well lol. Also I don't really like his openings/style so not inclined to root for him.
if Nakamura has said that (I find it find to believe) he is very wrong, basically lying cause the way to boost your rating is playing always against tough opposition and not in tournaments without elite players where every draw punish you, it is much better in order to increase your ratting play double round robin against Carlsen, Aronian and Kamsky. So, if he has stated such a think to explain Caruana rating boost in the last year he's being a demagogue, Naka plays only in top tourneys and in board one (unlike Grischuk, Karjakin, Mamedyarov...) with the US team and so his rating never changes drastically even if he has bad tourneys
So what youre telling me is that you're more deserving of a high rating if you can beat down lesser players, more so than if you can hold your own and draw or beat the strongest players? I'm sorry that just seems ridiculous. Not to mention the fact that playing against those players your rating wouldn't increase unless you were getting = or plus scores against them. Moving up to #3 in the world means he's winning or equal against pretty much everyone except the top two. Can you say the same about Caruana's number 6 ranking when he's playing some tournaments with a bunch of 2500-2600's in them and just boosting his rating?
It is imposible to make it to 2800 by beating 2500-2600's, I don't know what you are talking about... Yes, it is more difficult to keep a good rating if you play both high category and lesser category tournaments, who says the opposite doesn't have a clue on how the ELO system attach ratings to players
Also Nakamura has never lost a game to Caruana, Nakamura is +2 =7 against him.