New Delhi: World No.3 Hikaru Nakamura expressed his wish to meet Indian comedian Samay Raina later in the year for the Chess World Cup 2025. Although the official announcement regarding the host from the global governing chess body FIDE, the All India Chess Federation (AICF) have confirmed that the country has been finalised to stage the global event.
Raina is currently under the scanner for his reality-comedy show India’s Got Latent igniting a nation-wide outrage. The 27-year-old stand-up comedian has also been a public figure in the world of chess for his contributions of streaming the game on his YouTube channel along with his interaction with some popular players across the globe.
Hikaru Nakamura Confirms Attendance at Chess World Cup 2025 in India
Although there isn’t much clarity over Nakamura being aware about the topical issue in India, the American Grandmaster said that he will finally have his moment to meet the comedian in India while confirming his presence in the World Cup.
“It would be fun to finally meet Samay! I think I haven’t met him yet. I know he’s in the US and he’s done some stuff (performing in stand up shows in the USA and UK). It would be a lot of fun (to meet Samay),” Nakamura said on ChessBase India
“It’s wild to see — obviously I don’t follow Indian culture super closely — but at the start of the pandemic he was kind of a comedian, kind of known. And now he’s like a big superstar! Everywhere! It’s definitely amazing to see what he’s done with comedy and chess. Hopefully I will have a chance to meet him,” the 37-year-old added.
Samay Raina is currently on a tour to the United States for his stand-up show Unfiltered. He was seen playing chess amid his show at the Moore Theatre in Seattle. The comedian has been receiving summons from Maharashtra police and Assam police after being booked for the distasteful comments passed on his show.
Nakamura recently participated in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tournament staged at the Weissenhaus resort in Hamburg, Germany. He finished fifth in the tournament.
World No. 3 chess player Hikaru Nakamura plans to meet Indian comedian Samay Raina during the Chess World Cup 2025 in India. Raina, known for his chess-related YouTube content and stand-up comedy, is currently facing controversy. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
