The world’s number-two ranked chess player just made Canadian chess history. Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura captured the 2025 Maritime Open Championship in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, with a commanding 5.5 out of 6 performance. But this wasn’t just another tournament win—it was a carefully calculated move in Nakamura’s campaign to qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, the gateway to the World Chess Championship.
Nakamura is on a strategic push to fulfill FIDE’s requirement of 40 classical rated games to earn a spot at the Candidates by rating. Before heading to Prince Edward Island, he had already swept through tournaments in Louisiana and Iowa, earning perfect scores and pushing his game count to 29. The six rounds in Summerside now bring him to 35, leaving only five games remaining before qualification is secured. You can read more about his journey in Chess Ninja’s “Hikaru’s Road to the Candidates”.
With Magnus Carlsen opting out of world title contention, Nakamura’s path to the Candidates looks increasingly clear. If he maintains his 2800+ rating and completes the 40-game requirement, he’ll likely join the eight-player lineup vying to challenge reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in 2026.
For Canadian chess fans, Nakamura’s surprise entry was electric. The Maritime Open, held October 11–13 at Credit Union Place, usually draws regional strong players—but rarely a global superstar. The event was broadcast live on Chessdom, letting fans across Canada follow every move.
Among the locals, none drew more attention than 12-year-old Michelle Zhang of Halifax, who faced Nakamura in Round 1. As reported by CBC News, Zhang held her own for 65 moves before losing in a tense endgame. Nakamura later praised her precision and composure during his post-game analysis on YouTube noting that she made no serious errors until the endgame.
“It’s been fun. It's been pretty chaotic. It's been short, a lot of people asking for autographs and signatures,” Nakamura told CBC, describing the weekend as a chance to “give back to the chess community.”
Despite being the overwhelming favorite with a 2816 rating, Nakamura faced a strong Canadian lineup that included seasoned International Masters (IMs):
· IM Mike Ivanov of Ontario met Nakamura in Round 3, and held Nakamura to his only draw of the tournament
· IM Mark Plotkin also of Ontario played a Modern Defense with the black pieces against Nakamura, but was ultimately defeated (recap).
· IM Tangi Migot of Quebec gave Nakamura a tough fight before succumbing in Round 5 (update).
The event also saw contributions from FM Adam Dorrance of Nova Scotia, solidifying the Open as one of the strongest Canadian tournaments of the year.
Nakamura’s near-perfect 5.5/6 result cost him just three rating points—dropping from 2816 to 2813—but provided six crucial games toward his goal. According to Reddit’s r/chess discussion, he now needs only one more small event to clinch qualification.
While some critics in the past had framed these events as “rating farming,” most Canadian fans were simply thrilled. As one user wrote, “That’s an incredible experience and tale for a small Maritime club!”
For Nakamura, Prince Edward Island was more than a tournament stop—it was another confident move on the strategic board leading him to the Candidates. And for Canadian chess, it was proof that even the smallest corners of the country can host moments of world-class brilliance.
Photo Credit: Fred McKim
