A union made in the world of 64 squares: Hikaru Nakamura and Atousa Pourkashiyan are now married!
A happy surprise came in the world of chess last night (July 26, 2023) when world number two, Hikaru Nakamura, and women grandmaster, Atousa Pourkashiyan, announced their marriage on Atousa’s Instagram page. The couple kept their dating profile low-key for a long time and eventually announced the news after tying the knot. A match made in heaven or over a chess board? One can argue, but needless to say, the fans are ecstatic. As the news came to light, wishes from all over the world came pouring in for the newlyweds. Find out more about both of these highly talented players in this article.
The Big News
For years, Hikaru Nakamura and Atousa Pourkashiyan have been dominating the world of chess. This time around, they were in the news as the centre of attraction for taking a leap forward in their personal lives together. The couple announced their marriage to the world through an Instagram post, which was posted by Pourkashiyan. Later, Hikaru confirmed the news himself in a subtle way while responding to a fan on Reddit. Together, the couple are quite popular in the world of chess and social media. While earlier they hadn't announced their relationship, Pourkashiyan was seen accompanying Hikaru on a few chess tours. The news came as a shock to some and as a long-overdue reality to others. Read ahead to find out all about the couple and this beautiful union.
Atousa Pourkashiyan: The Queen
Atousa Pourkashiyan is a 35-year-old Iranian-American woman chess grandmaster who was born in Tehran. Pourkashiyan is the all-time leading female chess player in Iran. She has won the title of Iranian women's champion seven times (in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2014). FIDE awarded her the title of Women Grandmaster in 2009, and she has played as the top board for the team Iran in the women’s chess Olympiad six times (from 2000–2014). A few years ago, Pourkashiyan moved to the United States, and last year, in December, she changed her federation to represent the U.S. team. Pourkashiyan is one of the strongest women grandmasters out there, with an Elo of 2313 (peak Elo: 2397). On July 26, 2023, she announced her marriage to Hikaru on her Instagram page, where she has more than 10,000 followers.
A few of Atousa Pourkashiyan’s Best Games
Hikaru Nakamura: The King
Little can be said about Hikaru that is not already known to everyone in the chess world. World number two, a famous YouTuber, Twitch streamer, and five-time U.S. chess champion, Hikaru is a chess prodigy who became a grandmaster at the age of 15. He has a peak rating of 2816 and has played as part of the U.S. team in five chess Olympiads.
Born in Japan, Hikaru’s family moved to the United States when he was just two years old. His chess journey began at the age of 7, and at the age of 10, he became the youngest American player to beat an IM. At the same age, he achieved the title of chess master (CM), and in 2003, at the mere age of 15 years and 79 days, he earned the title of grandmaster (the youngest at that time).
In the world of chess, Hikaru has won many games and laurels. Highly respected in the community, he is one of the biggest chess streamers in the world. With more than a million fans around the world, he is one of the best chess grandmasters the world has seen.
A few of Hikaru Nakamura's Best Games
Undoubtedly, fans all over the world and the chess community were elated to hear this news. People from around the globe have been showering the newlyweds with congratulatory messages and warm wishes.The official FIDE twitter account put up a tweet for the couple as well.
Famous Chess Grandmaster Nigel Short tweeted after hearing their marriage news.
There were many funny and cute quotes as well!
r/HikaruNakamura, the subreddit that GMHikaru runs, is where he frequently engages with his fans during his streams. Over 56K people are members, which is impressive. There he made the announcement as well while replying to a comment stating: As Warren would say, "Marry the right person. I'm serious about that. It will make more difference in your life. It will change your aspirations, all kinds of things."
Many famous players like WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni, GM Harika Dronavalli, IM Irene Kharisma Sukandar, and more wished the couple good luck!
With many recent wins under his belt, Hikaru is now is now en route to the FIDE World Cup, which will go on from July 30 to August 21 in Baku, Azerbaijan. We, at ChessBase India, wish the couple nothing but the best in their future endeavors.