Nakamura says Carlsen's form 'very concerning', delivers worrying prediction on world No 1's future: 'His brain is…’

Hikaru Nakamura has expressed concern over Magnus Carlsen's form following the world No 1's shocking run in recent events.

Carlsen has been the undisputed king of chess for more than a decade, and had continued to dominate last winter as well as earlier this year, winning the World Rapid and Blitz Championships as well as the inaugural FIDE Freestyle World Championship.

The five-time world champion, however, had suffered four Classical defeats and failed to finish among the top-three at the Norway Chess, his home event where he was expected to win a record-extending sixth title.

What made the Norwegian Grandmaster's performance even more shocking was the fact that the 35-year-old suffered a rare double against a single player, losing twice to eventual champion R Praggnanandhaa.

More from Chess

That was followed by an unpredecented four consecutive losses at World Rapid Team Championships in Hong Kong last week, including a defeat in just 30 moves against Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi.

Also Read | Magnus Carlsen sinks to historic low after horror rapid campaign in world team championship

According to world No 2 Nakamura, who is also a popular chess streamer and is considered among the greatest speed chess players of all time, Carlsen's form is "very concerning", especially considering the fact that he was "consistently getting outplayed".

"What would you say about Magnus's current form? Very concerning, very concerning is what I'd say about Magnus's form," Nakamura was quoted by Endgame AI as saying.

"He was getting outplayed in some of the rapid games. It wasn't just one or two blunders. It felt like he was consistently getting outplayed," he continued.

'Happens to everybody as you get older'

The 38-year-old American GM also raised a point that has been discussed by other experts following Carlsen's sudden dip in form – that of his inability to cope with pressure when low on time, which he attributes to the age factor.

"Another big concern is that when Magnus gets low on time, his brain is turning to mush. That happens to everybody as you get older, including players like Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand. Once it starts, it's going to keep getting worse over time.

"I don't think Magnus suddenly can't win tournaments or isn't the best player in the world anymore, but I think he's going to be far less consistent than he used to be," Nakamura added.

Also Read | 'Magnus Carlsen may not be as dominant...': Vincent Keymer reflects on chess world No 1's recent decline

Carlsen had represented WR Chess at the World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships and produced a much better performance in the Blitz leg of the event after a forgettable run in the Rapid tournament.