Hikaru nakamura height

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Fans frequently express curiosity about whether Nakamura is dating anyone, but he maintains a focus on his career and public engagements.

Nakamura has an older brother, Asuka. He is also a popular streamer on Twitch, where he entertains hundreds of thousands of viewers with his chess commentary.

Biography of Hikaru Nakamura

  • Full name: Hikaru Nakamura
  • Nickname: “The Speed Demon”
  • Profession: Chess player
  • Famous For- A chess prodigy
  • Net Worth: $50 million
  • Instagram handle: gmhikaru

Physical Status of Hikaru Nakamura

  • Height: 5ft 7in
  • Weight: 73kg
  • Eye Colour: Dark brown
  • Hair Colour: Black

Also Read: Viswanathan Anand: Profile, Age, Height, Achievements, And Career Stats

Personal Life of Hikaru Nakamura

  • Date Of Birth: 09 December, 1987
  • Place Of Birth: Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
  • Nationality: American
  • Hometown: NA
  • School: NA
  • College: Dickinson College, Pennsylvania
  • Hobbies: Adventure Sports, Running, and maintaining

Family Life of Hikaru Nakamura

  • Father: Shuichi Nakmura
  • Mother: Carolyn Nakamura
  • Brother: Asuka Nakamura
  • Sister: None
  • Martial Status: Married
  • Wife: Atousa Pourshiyan
  • Marriage: 2023
  • Children: None

Career Statistics of Hikaru Nakamura

  • Tournament Debut: 1998 New York Open, at the age of 10.
  • Grandmaster Debut: He earned the grandmaster title in 2003, at the age of 15, breaking the record made by Robert Fischer.

Records and Achievements of Hikaru Nakamura

Records:

  • 1998: New York Open (U12 section)
  • 2001: World Youth Chess Championship (U16) – Champion
  • 2002: Pan-American Chess Championship – Champion
  • 2003: World Junior Chess Championship – 2nd
  • 2004: FIDE World Championship Tournament (youngest participant) 
  • 2005: US Chess Championship – Champion
  • 2006: Chess Olympiad (Team USA Bronze)
  • 2007: Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Tournament – Champion
  • 2008: Monson Cup (Rapid & Blitz) – Champion
  • 2009: US Chess Championship – Champion
  • 2010: Tata Steel Chess Tournament – 2nd place
  • 2011: Grand Chess Tour – Champion
  • 2012: US Chess Championship – Champion
  • 2013: Tata Steel Chess Tournament – Champion
  • 2014: Sinquefield Cup – 2nd place
  • 2015: US Chess Championship – Champion
  • 2016: Chess Olympiad (Team USA Gold)
  • 2017: Candidates Tournament – Semi-finalist, Sinquefield Cup – Champion, London Chess Classic – Champion
  • 2018: Chess Olympiad (Team USA Bronze), Grand Chess Tour (Paris & St.

    Louis legs) – Champion, Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Chess – Champion

  • 2019: US Chess Championship – Champion
  • 2020: FIDE Online Nations Cup (Team USA Champion)
  • 2021: FIDE Chess.com Grand Swiss Tournament – 2nd place
  • 2022: Candidates Tournament – Quarter-finalist, World Fischer Random Chess Champion

Also Read: Magnus Carlsen: Biography, Achievements, Lesser-Known Facts

Achievements:

  • 1998: At the tender age of 10, Nakamura makes his tournament debut at the New York Open in the U12 section.
  • 2001: Earns the title of National Master at 13, the youngest ever in the United States.
  • 2002: Becomes an International Master at 14, showcasing his rapid progress.
  • 2003: Achieves the coveted Grandmaster title at 15, breaking Bobby Fischer’s record as the youngest American GM.
  • 2004: Makes his debut at the prestigious FIDE World Chess Championship tournament, marking his arrival on the global stage.
  • 2005: Claims his first US Chess Champion title, the first of five victories he would achieve throughout his career (2005, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2019).
  • 2006: Wins the bronze medal with Team USA at the Chess Olympiad, demonstrating his prowess in team competition.
  • 2007: Reaches the quarterfinals of the World Chess Championship and finishes 2nd in the Corus Chess Tournament, solidifying his place among the elite.
  • 2008-2012: Continues to dominate the US Chess scene, winning multiple national championships and establishing himself as the nation’s top player.
  • 2013: Triumphs at the prestigious Tata Steel Chess Tournament, defeating world champions and reaffirming his elite status.
  • 2014: Reaches the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship, vying for the ultimate chess crown.
  • 2016: Secures another bronze medal with Team USA at the Chess Olympiad and participates in the World Championship Candidates Tournament once more.
  • 2017: Bags victories at the Sinquefield Cup and London Chess Classic, showcasing his dominance in rapid and blitz formats.
  • 2018: Earns gold with Team USA at the Chess Olympiad, finally achieving the top podium after multiple bronze medals.
  • 2019: Captures his fifth US Chess Champion title, further cementing his legacy as the strongest American player.
  • 2020-2021: Focuses on rapid and blitz chess, winning numerous online tournaments and establishing himself as a streaming sensation.
  • 2022: Becomes the World Fischer Random Chess Champion, showcasing his versatility across chess variants.
  • 2022: Reaches the final of the FIDE Candidates Tournament, narrowly missing another shot at the World Championship.
  • 2023: Maintains his top-5 ranking in the world and continues to be a force in rapid and blitz chess, entertaining audiences with his online streams and commentary.

Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura was born December 9, 1987 in Hirakata, Japan.

He has won five U.S. Chess Championships (2005, 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2019), consistently ranking among America’s top players for over two decades. Our height comparison tool lets you stand next to Hikaru Nakamura and see the exact height difference.

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Convert Hikaru Nakamura's Height

Hikaru Nakamura is 170 cm tall, which is approximately 5'7".

His channel received a tenfold increase in audience size between February and June 2020. As of 2025, he is 37 years old. Nakamura said in September 2020, "At least at blitz chess, I'm probably the best or second-best player ever, in the entire history, at least online."

Nakamura has been nicknamed "The H Bomb" because of his explosive style of playing.

Nakamura's long-time second is USCF National Master Kris Littlejohn, who works with chess engines to prepare lines for Nakamura to play.

Nakamura has set several "youngest-ever" records in U.S.

chess history, including:

Youngest to defeat an International Master in a USCF-rated game (10 years, 0 months); later surpassed by Praveen Balakrishnan at 9 years 29 days, and then by Awonder Liang at 8 years 118 days;
Youngest to defeat a Grandmaster in a USCF-rated game (10 years, 117 days); later surpassed by Fabiano Caruana at 10 years, 61 days; then surpassed by Awonder Liang at 9 years 112 days;
Youngest International Master (13 years, 2 months); later surpassed by Ray Robson at 13 years, 1 month, by Samuel Sevian at 12 years, 10 months, and then by Awonder Liang at 12 years, 7 months and 6 days old.

Hikaru Nakamura

Who Is Hikaru Nakamura?

hikaru nakamura height

In addition to competitive play, he runs a popular YouTube channel and Twitch stream that attract millions of followers, where he shares gameplay insights, strategies, and entertaining content.

In terms of business, Nakamura has expanded his brand through partnerships with various chess-related companies and has also ventured into merchandise sales, further capitalizing on his popularity.

Nakamura was a coach and commentator throughout the event and will continue with the next PogChamps. 

Nakamura played exceedingly well in the Magnus Carlsen Chess Tour in 2020. His investments in tech start-ups related to gaming and education demonstrate his forward-thinking strategy in maximizing his chess legacy.

In 2006, Nakamura was offered a full scholarship to the University of Texas at Dallas but instead attended Dickinson College, with a partial scholarship, in order to take a break from chess.

He had joined the 2700 rating club the year before, in October 2008.

2010-2015

Nakamura’s career may be his performance at Wijk aan Zee in 2011 was the crowning achievement of his career to that point. Nakamura often plays games using "joke openings" while on stream, including the Bongcloud Attack, the Jerome Gambit and the Botez Gambit.

Use our interactive height comparison tool to visualize the difference. Born in Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan to a Japanese father and an American mother, Nakamura moved to the United States at the age of two. As a result, Nakamura’s +5 -0 =6 score was enough to beat Caruana and Dominguez by a half-point each. 

Earlier, Nakamura also won the Grand Chess Tour in 2018 that played into Nakamura’s strengths because it is dominated by rapid and blitz events.

His journey began at a young age, quickly rising through the ranks to become one of the top players globally. As of August 2020, he is the highest-rated blitz player in the world with a 2900 FIDE blitz rating and the fourth-highest rated rapid player with a 2836 rating. This considerable wealth primarily stems from his chess tournaments, streaming revenue on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, sponsorships, and his ventures into online chess education.

He represented TSM until June 1, 2022, then signed with Misfits Gaming on June 14, 2022.

Nakamura finished 2020 with a bang. In 2009, Nakamura authored the book Bullet Chess: One Minute to Mate. In 2003, he earned the title of Grandmaster at age fifteen—at that time becoming the youngest American ever to achieve this distinction. This is 5.0 cm shorter than the average height for men(5'8.9" (175 cm)).

Interesting Facts

  • Fluent in English; speaks some Japanese.
  • Has represented both Japan (as birthplace) and USA (as nationality).
  • Known for ultra-fast bullet games—sometimes playing blindfolded or with severe handicaps.
  • Was coached by his stepfather Sunil Weeramantry.
  • Has collaborated with celebrities like Magnus Carlsen on streams.

Hikaru Nakamura Height vs other celebrities

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Hikaru Nakamura Interactive Height Comparison

Use our interactive height comparison tool above to see how your height compares to Hikaru Nakamura.

Nakamura has stated that he prioritizes his streaming career over his chess playing career.

Career, Business and Investments

Nakamura's career continues to flourish in 2025, with numerous accolades to his name.