Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, the world’s number-two ranked chess player, continued his quest for the 2026 FIDE Candidates Tournament by dominating the 70th Iowa Open Chess Championship. The five-round Swiss tournament, held at the Graduate Hotel in Iowa City, saw Nakamura deliver a flawless 5.0/5 performance, further solidifying his path toward qualifying for the prestigious event that determines the challenger for the World Chess Championship.
“I’ve said that there are many things over the last couple of years that FIDE has has gotten wrong and one of the big things is there should not be a rating spot. I think having a rating spot is a huge mistake,” Nakamura told Chessbase India in an interview earlier this year during the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.
“It maybe is not politically correct to say this, but my view about the rating spot, it’s simply, you know, ‘we’re sorry, Magnus. Here’s here’s your chance to play the Candidates and become world champion again if you’re really interested’. And I don’t think there’s any other reason that FIDE have the rating spot. I think it’s literally on the off chance that Magnus wakes up tomorrow and suddenly he decides that he wants to play classical seriously again,” Nakamura said, quoted by The Indian Express “FIDE, for whatever reason, can’t get over the fact that Magnus has moved on from classical chess and he has no interest in the world championship.”
Nakamura road to Candidates 2026 so far
09.01.2025 Hikaru Nakamura wins Louisiana State Chess in a bid for Candidates 2026 spot
09.06.2025 Hikaru Nakamura continues his quest for Candidates Chess 2026
09.06.2025 Hikaru Nakamura, “I will collect all US State Chess Championship Honorary Titles on my Road to the Candidates 2026”
09.07.2025 Iowa Chess Open Championship 2025 LIVE
09.08.2025 Hikaru Nakamura with 5,0/5 in Iowa on the road to Candidates Chess 2026
09.09.2025 Hans Niemann’s take on Nakamura’s Road to Candidates 2026
10.09.2025 Hikaru Nakamura, “There should be no rating spot, FIDE kept it for Carlsen”
Nakamura pointed out how players like Ding Liren and Alireza Firoujza had gamed their way to securing a rating spot in the past.
Read: Ding Liren finishes the quest to be eligible for Candidates Tournament
Nakamura continues his Road to Candidates 2026, where Caruana already awaits him, and two more will join via the Grand Swiss 2025, happening at this moment in Samarkand. Hikaru noted, “I’ve already made it very clear that I’m not playing the Grand Swiss or the World Cup. So it’s either that or nothing. Yeah, my plan is is pretty simple.”
