Nakamura's Hour-Long Think Backfires as Sindarov Turns Chess Drama Into Viral Upset

Hikaru Nakamura drew widespread attention after spending an extraordinary 67 minutes and 44 seconds on a single move in his game against Javokhir Sindarov at the FIDE Candidates Tournament.

Known for his typically fast and intuitive playing style, Nakamura's prolonged calculation stood out as one of the most unusual moments of the event. It's the opposite of what he usually does.

Rare Pause From One of Chess's Fastest Players

Hikaru Nakamura 67 minutes

The extended think time was particularly striking given Nakamura's reputation as one of the fastest top-level players in modern chess.

During this critical position, he appeared to enter deep calculation mode, weighing complex variations under intense tournament pressure.

According to Hola, the moment quickly became one of the most discussed incidents in recent Candidates history, with analysts noting it as one of the longest single-move think times ever recorded in the competition.

Sindarov Takes Control After the Turning Point

The shift in momentum came shortly after Nakamura's decision, as Javokhir Sindarov capitalized on the resulting position and gained a strategic edge.

The young Uzbek star maintained control through the critical phase of the game, converting his advantage into a strong performance.

Sindarov's handling of the position further proved that he's not just a young, elite player. He has already built his reputation as one of the most promising rising players in elite chess, particularly in high-pressure tournament settings.

Debate Over the Critical Decision

The chess community quickly reacted to the moment, with fans and analysts debating whether the long think reflected calculation difficulty, psychological pressure, or a specific opening challenge.

Some observers argued that the resulting position shifted dramatically in Sindarov's favor due to the decision, while others questioned whether earlier opening choices should have prevented such a complex situation from arising at all.

Viral Moment Spreads Across the Chess World

The unforgettable moment involving Hikaru Nakamura quickly spread across social media, where fans dissected the position move by move and debated its significance.

Memes and discussion threads turned the game into a viral talking point beyond the tournament itself. If you browse Reddit, you will discover a lot of funny comments about Hikaru's 67-minute pause.

Here are some of the comments we gathered from one subreddit:

"The yawn was part of the files."

"He's yawning due to the fact that the old man took 67 freakin' minutes only to come up with a wrong move."

"Sinda chilling."

"Old man got swindled by a castle."

"Can a man yawn in peace??"

"He should have played PUBG while waiting."

"Needs to stop skipping leg days."