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Nakamura vs Hansen
April 9, 2021
From Polygon
By Cass Marshall
https://www.polygon.com/22373729/che...ht-controversy
Hikaru Nakamura: biggest streamer on Twitch and a member of prominent esports organization TSM
Eric Hansen: runs the educational Chessbrah Twitch channel
Hansen and Nakamura had a Blitz match near the end of March in which the two players miscommunicated. Hansen offered Nakamura a draw, which Nakamura denied. Nakamura offered Hansen a draw shortly afterward, which Hansen did not see. Nakamura let the clock run out on the Blitz in protest.
Nakamura accused Hansen of trying to win via “flagging,” which is a tactic in which one player simply runs down the other player’s clock while avoiding a checkmate. It is a legitimate strategy, although it’s often seen as cheesy by people within the chess community. Both players were streaming the match, making it possible for viewers to see both perspectives.
Nakamura argued that Hansen should have accepted the draw, and that choosing to continue the game and then winning via flagging was poor etiquette. Other chess commentators noted that Nakamura has previously won games via flagging.
In response, people who shared video of the match and player cams — including Hansen — received copyright strikes that were attributed to Nakamura. Hansen did not reply to a request for comment. Polygon reached out to TSM for comment on Nakamura’s behalf, but did not receive a response in time for press.
One of Nakamura’s Twitch moderators claimed that the copyright strikes were made through a third party on behalf of Nakamura — specifically, Bent Pixels, which has a partnership with TSM.
Hansen discussed the issue in depth during a three-hour stream on April 7, saying that Nakamura had a long history of toxic and violent behavior in the competitive chess community. Hansen also said that his channel is being held hostage by copyright strikes, alleging that Nakamura will file takedowns against any videos containing a negative depiction of his behavior or image. During the stream, Hansen also discussed a physical fight from 2018 that happened at a party in St. Louis after a drunken Blitz match, which is part of what has the chess community reeling. The footage was recently released in full on YouTube, and shows other prominent chess players at the party during the conflict. While the rivalry between Hansen and Nakamura has been public for a while now, news of the fight — not to mention footage — has cast the friction between them in a new light for fans.
The video starts innocently enough, with both men playing chess as others watch. Then, the scene shifts, and both of them are brawling on the street. Hansen appears to choke Nakamura while onlookers make jokes and even call out suggestions to the two of them. The fight appears to end without the arrival of police or outside intervention.
Since Nakamura is a prominent member of the chess community, and arguably the face of competitive chess online, this is a high-profile conflict. Some members of the chess community are choosing not to comment; large forums like chess.com or the chess subreddit are forced to moderate the discussion. Other communities, like the Anarchy Chess subreddit, are going wild with memes about the controversy. The entire affair is a reminder that no matter how innocent or mundane a community appears to be from the outside, it’s always complex and multifaceted for those involved.
Full fight video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FcokIxe50A
after: Eric addresses the Hikaru Copyright Drama
April 9, 2021
From Polygon
By Cass Marshall
https://www.polygon.com/22373729/che...ht-controversy
Hikaru Nakamura: biggest streamer on Twitch and a member of prominent esports organization TSM
Eric Hansen: runs the educational Chessbrah Twitch channel
Hansen and Nakamura had a Blitz match near the end of March in which the two players miscommunicated. Hansen offered Nakamura a draw, which Nakamura denied. Nakamura offered Hansen a draw shortly afterward, which Hansen did not see. Nakamura let the clock run out on the Blitz in protest.
Nakamura accused Hansen of trying to win via “flagging,” which is a tactic in which one player simply runs down the other player’s clock while avoiding a checkmate. It is a legitimate strategy, although it’s often seen as cheesy by people within the chess community. Both players were streaming the match, making it possible for viewers to see both perspectives.
Nakamura argued that Hansen should have accepted the draw, and that choosing to continue the game and then winning via flagging was poor etiquette. Other chess commentators noted that Nakamura has previously won games via flagging.
In response, people who shared video of the match and player cams — including Hansen — received copyright strikes that were attributed to Nakamura. Hansen did not reply to a request for comment. Polygon reached out to TSM for comment on Nakamura’s behalf, but did not receive a response in time for press.
One of Nakamura’s Twitch moderators claimed that the copyright strikes were made through a third party on behalf of Nakamura — specifically, Bent Pixels, which has a partnership with TSM.
Hansen discussed the issue in depth during a three-hour stream on April 7, saying that Nakamura had a long history of toxic and violent behavior in the competitive chess community. Hansen also said that his channel is being held hostage by copyright strikes, alleging that Nakamura will file takedowns against any videos containing a negative depiction of his behavior or image. During the stream, Hansen also discussed a physical fight from 2018 that happened at a party in St. Louis after a drunken Blitz match, which is part of what has the chess community reeling. The footage was recently released in full on YouTube, and shows other prominent chess players at the party during the conflict. While the rivalry between Hansen and Nakamura has been public for a while now, news of the fight — not to mention footage — has cast the friction between them in a new light for fans.
The video starts innocently enough, with both men playing chess as others watch. Then, the scene shifts, and both of them are brawling on the street. Hansen appears to choke Nakamura while onlookers make jokes and even call out suggestions to the two of them. The fight appears to end without the arrival of police or outside intervention.
Since Nakamura is a prominent member of the chess community, and arguably the face of competitive chess online, this is a high-profile conflict. Some members of the chess community are choosing not to comment; large forums like chess.com or the chess subreddit are forced to moderate the discussion. Other communities, like the Anarchy Chess subreddit, are going wild with memes about the controversy. The entire affair is a reminder that no matter how innocent or mundane a community appears to be from the outside, it’s always complex and multifaceted for those involved.
Full fight video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FcokIxe50A
after: Eric addresses the Hikaru Copyright Drama
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