Nakamura on Reddit: “Focus is the key”

On Wednesday Hikaru Nakamura did an “AMA” (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit, a social news and entertainment website where registered users submit content in the form of links or text posts. The result was a very honest and interesting “interview” with one of the more colorful chess players of our generation! Below is a selection of questions and answers; you can read the full Reddit AMA here.

NoveltyAccount67

How do you think Fischer would do against top players like yourself, Carlsen, or Kasparov? How would Morphy do?

GMHikaru
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.

lootKing
Who do you support for FIDE president?

GMHikaru
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.

harlows_monkeys
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)?
If you see a board, is it a 3D board, or is it like a diagram from a book? If a 3D board, is it some particular set you like, or something generic?

GMHikaru
Hello Harlow_Monkeys!
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.

apetresc
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?

GMHikaru
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.

VeritasOmnias
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?

GMHikaru
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!

ColoradoSheriff
What's going on in your head when you realize during the game that you are winning?

GMHikaru
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!

weasl
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.
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?

GMHikaru
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!
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!

LastChanceToLookAtMe
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?

GMHikaru
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

robotikempire
I have been wondering about your Japanese heritage. How often do you visit and can you speak Japanese?

GMHikaru
I was born in Osaka, Japan to a Japanese father and an 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.

elmobob14
Hikaru,
I really like your aggressive style and that you play for wins.
You've mentioned that you think you are the prime contender to challenge (and defeat) Magnus, but you haven't fared so well against him in the past. In light of this, why do you feel this confidence? What will be different in the future? (I hope this isn't rude, I actually really like your confidence. I'm rooting for you.)

GMHikaru
Elmobob, thanks for the question!
My main reasons for the boost in confidence is that I have had him under pressure in the last 4 games. While one would be wise to remember the past, it is important to remember that you can also change everything in the future!

ZzzoBored
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?

GMHikaru
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.

aravindreds
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?

GMHikaru
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!

Zabooni
If you weren't playing chess for a living what do you think you'd be doing?

GMHikaru
If I was not playing chess, I would either be working at a hedge fund or a linguist/archeologist doing something with ancient history.

sleepstandingup
Are there any blunders that have really stuck with you?

GMHikaru
Yes, I had nightmares about the Carlsen game for 4 days afterwards...

Update: The title of this article was changed because the original title did not reflect properly Nakamura's thoughts about Fischer.