Gukesh Beats Hikaru: Calm Composure Over 38-Year-Old Tantrums

D. Gukesh, India’s 19-year-old chess prodigy, has once again proven that class and composure matter more than age or ego. In the Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown 2025 in St. Louis, Gukesh defeated 38-year-old Hikaru Nakamura — one of the world’s most experienced and unpredictable players.

This isn’t just another win. It’s poetic justice. Because many still remember that infamous moment when Hikaru, after a victory, threw Gukesh’s king off the board — a gesture that felt more like frustration than sportsmanship. Fast forward to 2025, and the young man he once dismissed is now the reigning World Champion, beating him over the board with grace and quiet precision.

The contrast couldn’t be sharper: A 38-year-old veteran, unable to hide his disdain toward Indian players, versus a 19-year-old symbol of calm focus and maturity. It shows that you can grow older without growing wiser — that mannerisms and respect are traits not defined by experience but by character.

While Hikaru has long thrived on emotional outbursts and performative aggression, Gukesh embodies the new age of chess — balanced, analytical, and humble in both victory and defeat.

This victory wasn’t just about rating points. It was a statement — that Indian chess is no longer playing catch-up; it’s setting the standard.

In the end, Gukesh didn’t just beat Hikaru on the board. He beat him in grace, maturity, and what it truly means to be a champion.