Anish Giri has taken potshots at Hikaru Nakamura and Ian Nepomniachtchi following their feud, which began at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team event earlier this month in London.
"I'm getting very disturbed whenever Nepo is brought up. I'm like, how did everybody come on time and you didn't?" Giri told Take Take Take.
"I think it was more of a heat-of-the-moment situation. Again, I felt that it was unjust what was happening. Not even what was happening, but the fact that they just finished the match," he added.
The controversy began when WR Chess lost the first match of their two-game quarter-final against Germany and Friends. The team protested, arguing they hadn’t been officially notified of the start time, causing their players to arrive late. Alireza Firouzja showed up 15 seconds late for his three-minute game, while Ian Nepomniachtchi had only 1 minute and 4 seconds left on his clock, and Hikaru Nakamura just 38 seconds. All three lost their games as a result.
After lengthy discussions, the organizers permitted the teams to replay the first match.
"They lost. Are they going to play again? And intuitively, I feel that their chances of winning the match are, like, massive. And then I realized, well, that's because, you know, they're taking two shots. And they shouldn't have taken the first shot.
"Of course, I understand it all happened in the moment. But I just didn't like the notion of all of them sitting there entitled.
"And I'm like, yeah, how did everybody come on time and you didn't? Like, you know? They saw the entitlement, like, yeah, how did it even happen? Like, you know, I didn't really like the way it went. And the fact that nobody was fighting for the other team," he added.
Nepo, in response, had thrown comments like: "Big expert in law, Anish. Since when?" and "Next FIDE president" at the Dutch GM.
"Anish seems so smart, but whenever he opens his mouth… it's already questionable," said Nepo.
"Why does he care so much?" Nakamura had asked.
When coaxed about Ian Nepomniachtchi and Nakamura gossiping about him, the World No. 10 said: "If Ian and Hikaru are able to sit alongside each other and gossip about me, you know, then me and Ian will surely be fine as well. Because these two, like, they have so much bad blood. I mean, like, it is so bad for so many years."
"And they've had so many incidents that if they managed to overcome it, me and Ian will manage to overcome it as well. I'm not confrontational until I feel that there's been injustice. And when I feel that there's been injustice, it kind of triggers me.
"I've had these issues with Magnus as well. Like, I'm ready to be his best friend.
"But I felt that he's done something which was not just somehow an unfairness of a situation. It just triggers something in me. I don't know why that is. Otherwise, I'm very peaceful."
"I'm getting very disturbed whenever Nepo is brought up. I'm like, how did everybody come on time and you didn't?" Giri told Take Take Take.
"I think it was more of a heat-of-the-moment situation. Again, I felt that it was unjust what was happening. Not even what was happening, but the fact that they just finished the match," he added.
The controversy began when WR Chess lost the first match of their two-game quarter-final against Germany and Friends. The team protested, arguing they hadn’t been officially notified of the start time, causing their players to arrive late. Alireza Firouzja showed up 15 seconds late for his three-minute game, while Ian Nepomniachtchi had only 1 minute and 4 seconds left on his clock, and Hikaru Nakamura just 38 seconds. All three lost their games as a result.
.@anishgiri on the @lachesisq conflict in London during the World Rapid & Blitz Team Championships. pic.twitter.com/COlfYluJpE
— Take Take Take (@TakeTakeTakeApp) June 30, 2025
After lengthy discussions, the organizers permitted the teams to replay the first match.
"They lost. Are they going to play again? And intuitively, I feel that their chances of winning the match are, like, massive. And then I realized, well, that's because, you know, they're taking two shots. And they shouldn't have taken the first shot.
"Of course, I understand it all happened in the moment. But I just didn't like the notion of all of them sitting there entitled.
"And I'm like, yeah, how did everybody come on time and you didn't? Like, you know? They saw the entitlement, like, yeah, how did it even happen? Like, you know, I didn't really like the way it went. And the fact that nobody was fighting for the other team," he added.
I think we need a Chess Reality Show ☠️@anishgiri pic.twitter.com/G6EbkXRgbk
— Abhyudaya Ram (@ram_abhyudaya) June 16, 2025
Nepo, in response, had thrown comments like: "Big expert in law, Anish. Since when?" and "Next FIDE president" at the Dutch GM.
"Anish seems so smart, but whenever he opens his mouth… it's already questionable," said Nepo.
"Why does he care so much?" Nakamura had asked.
When coaxed about Ian Nepomniachtchi and Nakamura gossiping about him, the World No. 10 said: "If Ian and Hikaru are able to sit alongside each other and gossip about me, you know, then me and Ian will surely be fine as well. Because these two, like, they have so much bad blood. I mean, like, it is so bad for so many years."
"And they've had so many incidents that if they managed to overcome it, me and Ian will manage to overcome it as well. I'm not confrontational until I feel that there's been injustice. And when I feel that there's been injustice, it kind of triggers me.
"I've had these issues with Magnus as well. Like, I'm ready to be his best friend.
"But I felt that he's done something which was not just somehow an unfairness of a situation. It just triggers something in me. I don't know why that is. Otherwise, I'm very peaceful."
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