5-time Global Champion and Global No. 1 chess participant Magnus Carlsen hasn’t ever been one to sugarcoat his critiques, and this time his feedback had been directed at long-time rival Hikaru Nakamura. Chatting with Take Take Take, the Norwegian was once blunt about Nakamura’s present push to qualify for the 2026 Applicants Event via a run of smaller open occasions.“I more or less appreciate the way in which he is going about it as a result of it is so shameless… it is the pragmatic and most likely the correct factor to do,” Carlsen admitted. But he additionally didn’t grasp again his grievance of the gadget itself, including: “It appears to be like love it’s a gadget that would do with some solving, however I am not a part of that s*** anymore.”The remarks got here simply after Nakamura stormed during the seventieth Iowa Open, the place he completed with a really perfect 5/5 rating. The victory driven him nearer to the 40 classical video games he will have to entire ahead of December 31 with the intention to protected eligibility for the Applicants by means of score. These days at 2816, he has matched his career-high score first completed a decade in the past.In Iowa, Nakamura ruled conveniently. His hardest problem got here in spherical 4 in opposition to 2147-rated CM Anjaneya Rao, however after a misstep with 29.Qd1?, Nakamura pounced and transformed cleanly. Towards the remainder of the sphere, whose reasonable score was once simply over 2000, he cruised with none severe risk.Complaint has swirled round his determination to play in what he himself as soon as described as “Mickey Mouse tournaments”. Detractors argue it undermines the aggressive spirit of Applicants qualification, whilst others, like GM Susan Polgar, emphasise that Nakamura has been absolutely clear: “He overtly tweeted and streamed concerning the tournament. There was once no rule damaged.”For his phase, Nakamura has defended the run as extra than simply self-serving. In his newest recap, he highlighted the price for native gamers: “It is a chance to present again… I’m positive [my opponent] will cross directly to develop into a minimum of a world grasp down the street. It’s an revel in I feel he’s going to cherish for a long time.”With 11 video games nonetheless to play, all eyes are on Nakamura’s subsequent transfer and on how for much longer Carlsen will stay throwing darts from the sidelines.