Michelle Zhang, a 12-year-old chess player from Halifax, held world No. 2 chess player Hikaru Nakamura at bay for 65 moves during a first-round match at the Maritime Open Chess Championship in Prince Edward Island, putting up such a strong fight that the superstar admitted feeling nervous and concerned during their game. The young player, who has been competing in chess since age 6 and regularly watches Nakamura’s YouTube streams where he has over three million subscribers, could hardly believe it when she spotted him at breakfast and learned he would be her opponent. Zhang was half nervous and half excited to face someone she considers a celebrity in the chess world, with other players and fans treating his appearance like he was Taylor Swift walking into the tournament. Nakamura made the surprise last-minute appearance because he needs to play 11 classical-rated chess games before the end of the year to qualify for the 2026 FIDE Candidates tournament, viewing his trip to P.E.I. as a chance to give back to the chess community.
In his post-match recap on YouTube, which Zhang eagerly watched once it went live, Nakamura complimented her skills and offered a detailed breakdown of where she went wrong while admitting he felt he laid many traps and was relieved to win after she held her own until the final moments. Zhang reflected that Nakamura might have underestimated her a little bit and said she wished she had achieved a better result, acknowledging she ran low on time and made a blunder at the end. Despite losing, she considered watching his recap a great educational opportunity and felt validated hearing him admit his concerns during the match. With 25 years of age difference between them, Zhang has plenty of time to practice for a potential rematch, though she says she doesn’t have big dreams beyond wanting to get better at the game and continue improving one move at a time.
