Why did Nakamura lose 'easily' to Sindarov? The American grandmaster reveals the truth

Hikaru Nakamura Javohir Sindarovadmitted a major preparation error after the game against

American chess player Hikaru Nakamura, who suffered an unexpected defeat against Uzbek grandmaster Javohir Sindarov at the Candidates Tournament, revealed what happened during the preparation process before that game.

According to Nakamura, one of the decisive mistakes was related to the fact that he entrusted the preparation process entirely to his team and analysts.

The American grandmaster realized one thing after the game: the necessary variation was missing from the important file.

1. Nakamura did not fully control the preparation

Hikaru Nakamura has achieved great success in recent years not only in chess but also in creating internet content. He emphasizes that his main principle in working with a team is to delegate tasks to trusted experts.

However, at the Candidates Tournament, this very method became an unexpected problem.

“One of the main reasons for my success in content is my strong team around me. I don't interfere much in the processes; I trust people completely.”

Nakamura says that even before the game against Javohir Sindarov, he left most of the preparation to his analysts.

2. “Perhaps I should have double-checked it myself”

The American grandmaster later critically evaluated this decision.

In his opinion, instead of fully trusting the variations prepared by the team, he should have personally reviewed them.

“Even at the Candidates Tournament, I had little control over most of the preparation. I left everything to the analysts. Perhaps I should have double-checked it myself...”

However, Nakamura did not take sole responsibility for this situation. He did not hide the fact that the error in preparation was a flaw in his team's work.

3. The decisive question: “Was there a castling in the file?”

As soon as the game ended, Nakamura turned to his assistant, Kris Littlejohn.

His question revealed the main problem in the preparation:

“Was there a castling in the file?”

The assistant's answer was short but very important:

“No, it wasn't in the file; that is our mistake.”

Thus, according to Nakamura, he found himself in an uncomfortable position due to a serious flaw in the preparation materials.

4. Why was Nakamura upset with his team?

The American grandmaster said he wasn't entirely sure who made the mistake during the game.

But after subsequent checks, he realized that the flaw in the preparation materials was due to an error in the team's work.

Nakamura openly criticized this situation.

“To be honest, the team let me down.”

These words show that in high-level competitions like the Candidates Tournament, every small detail of preparation is of decisive importance even for the strongest chess players.

5. An important victory for Sindarov

While the game against Javohir Sindarov highlighted the flaws in Nakamura's preparation, it was recorded as an important result for the Uzbek grandmaster.

In chess, a problem in an opponent's preparation can certainly be a factor. However, taking advantage of such a situation correctly, making accurate decisions during the game, and reaching victory requires high skill.

Main conclusion

Conclusion: the price of one mistake was very high

Hikaru Nakamura revealed that there was a serious flaw in the preparation process after his defeat against Javohir Sindarov.

According to him, the file prepared by the analysts did not contain an important variation — a continuation involving castling Nakamura also admitted that he did not personally check the preparation enough.

As a result, a game at the Candidates Tournament became more than just a fight on the chessboard; it became an event that showed how important team preparation and personal control are in major tournaments.

Most interestingly, Nakamura's open admission added another dimension to the victory over Javohir Sindarov: the American grandmaster did not hide the reasons for the defeat and revealed the preparation error behind it.