Nakamura opens up on testing 'Nepo gambit' against Erigaisi in Freestyle Chess quarterfinals: 'Wanted to strangle Nepo'

Hikaru Nakamura reflected on testing the bold ‘Nepo gambit’ against Arjun Erigaisi in a chaotic Freestyle Chess quarterfinal on Wednesday. The American Grandmaster later opened up on the new opening move and also clarified his post-game remarks about its inventor Ian Nepomniachtchi.

The Paris leg of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour featured one of the wildest games of the tournament so far, as American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi delivered a chaotic, edge-of-your-seat battle on the
first day of the quarterfinals.

The game was headlined by Nakamura’s bold experiment with what is now being dubbed the ‘Nepo gambit.’ The newly coined opening idea, inspired by the current World Blitz Chess Champion Ian Nepomniachtchi, saw Nakamura lose his advantage early on, with Erigaisi holding the edge for the first 20 moves at least.

Nakamura, trusting Nepo’s suggestion from the pre-game prep room, committed to the plan. But it didn’t take long for regret to creep in.

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