How smart is Hikaru Nakamura?

How smart is Hikaru Nakamura?
Hikaru Nakamura, born December 9, 1987, has established himself as one of the most remarkable chess players of our time. His journey began at a young age, and he quickly rose to prominence in the chess world. Known for his lightning-fast calculations and aggressive playing style, Nakamura achieved the prestigious title of grandmaster at just 15 years old – making him one of the youngest players ever to reach this highest ranking awarded by FIDE, the international chess federation.

Today, Nakamura has evolved beyond traditional chess competitions to become one of the most influential chess personalities in the digital age. With over 1.5 million followers on Twitch and a massive YouTube presence, he regularly streams chess content and educational materials to his global audience. During one of these popular livestreams, viewers witnessed an intriguing moment when Hikaru decided to take the Mensa Norway IQ test live. This naturally raised the question: How smart is Hikaru Nakamura?

The results were fascinating – Nakamura scored 102 on the matrix reasoning portion of the test, placing him in the average range. However, this requires important context: matrix reasoning is just one component of intelligence measurement, and the Mensa Norway test, while respected, is not a comprehensive professional IQ assessment. Given Nakamura’s extraordinary chess abilities, including his capacity to calculate complex variations and his success in both classical and speed chess formats, it’s clear that his cognitive capabilities extend far beyond what a single online test can measure. His tactical awareness, pattern recognition, and strategic thinking have been demonstrated countless times in high-stakes tournaments against the world’s elite players.

If you wish to take a FREE IQ test, you can find it here.