India, Sept. 11 -- World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura recently clinched the title at the Iowa Open, as he maintained his hunt for a spot at the 2026 Candidates. The Iowa C'ship victory saw Nakamura's live rating climb to 2815.8, and his peak rating is 2816. Earlier this month, he had also won the Louisiana State Championship.

The American GM is participating in lower-rated tournaments as he needs to qualify for the Candidates. According to FIDE rules, one spot at the tournament is reserved for the highest-rated player, in accodance with the six-month average rating based on Standard Rating Lists from August 1, 2025 to January 1, 2026.

Also, the berth is reserved for players who have played at least 40 classical games during the mentioned time ...