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A fresh Chess drama has emerged with the highly anticipated showdown between the five-time Chess World Champion Magnus Carlsen and Grandmaster and Twitch streamer Hikaru Nakamura, or "GMHikaru," getting canceled due to unexpected circumstances. Hikaru took to his stream to explain what went wrong behind the scenes.
Earlier today (October 7), GMHikaru released a short teaser previewing the anticipated face-off between him and Magnus Carlsen. The scheduled event was slated to occur from November 28 to December 4, 2023, at the UFC Apex Arena in Las Vegas.
Nevertheless, midway through the YouTube video, Hikaru disclosed that the teaser was originally intended for an official release but was ultimately canceled due to a range of problems related to sponsorships, broadcast partners, and venue arrangements.
Magnus Carlsen vs. Hikaru Nakamura was set to take place during Ludwig's Chessboxing event
Hikaru Nakamura has disclosed that his six-day showdown against Magnus Carlsen was initially planned to align with the now-scrapped Chessboxing event organized by YouTube streamer Ludwig Ahgren.
For those unaware, Ludwig's event had to be called off because it failed to secure any official boxing association that was willing to sanction the fight in the state of Nevada or California. Both events have been called off due to a variety of reasons. This is what GMHikaru said:
"It has been re-scheduled many times already. It's been moved because of sponsors falling through, billionaires were interested, they lost interest at various times. There were broadcast partners that fell through."
(Timestamp: 04:31)
He added:
"I think people have some idea what that means as obviously the event was connected to the Chessboxing event happening in Vegas at the same time."
The streamer also disclosed that preparations for the event had begun as early as May, with promotional videos featuring both participants being filmed, as the event was initially scheduled for August 2023. However, it seems that all parties involved were unable to secure the necessary deals for its execution. He said:
"Obviously, it's a very very big disappointment that something that has been planned or has been in the works for a very very long time ultimately fell through. So it's a big disappointment obviously."
Another streamer and content creator, Levy "GothamChess," weighed in on the situation, disclosing that he had intended to participate as a commentator for Ludwig's Chessboxing event. However, the event was ultimately canceled. he said:
"I was ready to commentate it. I had a contract basically ready to sign and ready to go to be the main commentator for this event, for the match, and also for Chessboxing."
(Timestamp: 03:47)
He said:
"A part of me died a little bit when I found out the news today."
While Magnus Carlsen, who is not as active online as GMHikaru, is yet to comment on the situation, the latter has suggested that in the future, the event may be rescheduled if they can resolve issues related to the venue and other logistical problems.
