It was a fun event with the organisers telling the players to interact with the crowd and if you
feel like it throw captured pieces or a checkmated King into the crowd. It was actually rehearsed.
From the India Today
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/other-sports/story/chess-hikaru-vs-gukesh-checkmate-tournament-controversy-2799624-2025-10-08
"Behind-the-scenes footage released by ChessBase India has revealed that the
moment was pre-planned and that Gukesh was fully aware of what would happen
in the event of a loss.
The video shows the organiser of the Checkmate tournament briefing players to
add flair and drama to the matches, actively encouraging showmanship and
theatrical gestures.
“When you checkmate the opponent, you should topple the opponent’s king,
capture it, and show the crowd. You can even throw the pieces from the board if
you want to make it theatrical,” the organiser is seen telling players during a pre-
match meeting.
@greenpawn34 saidIf that was according to the rules of the event, then I think that is okay.
It was a fun event with the organisers telling the players to interact with the crowd and if you
feel like it throw captured pieces or a checkmated King into the crowd. It was actually rehearsed.
From the India Today
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/other-sports/story/chess-hikaru-vs-gukesh-checkmate-tournament-controversy-2799624-2025-10-08
"Behind-the-scene ...[text shortened]... you want to make it theatrical,” the organiser is seen telling players during a pre-
match meeting.
But if distribution of chess pieces from GM games becomes more common, I think there should be some more orderly protocol, such as drawing lots based on ticket numbers, where this or that GM could hand the piece to the fan (after the game ends) -- which of course would make each piece even more special. And maybe the remaining (non-captured pieces) from each game could be sold in the lobby (which would help to buy replacement sets).
And maybe in other venues there could be ways to dramatize a loss in fun ways, such as some kind of ceremony where the loser spreads some flower petals around the lost king and the winner takes a kitchen blowtorch to the king (of course I'm thinking of Julia Childs here) -- but only if the participants had agreed to such a spectacle when signing the contracts for the event.
@64squaresofpain saidI don't think so, because some of those clocks have sharp edges, and someone might get hurt.
If one loses on time, could a player throw the clock into the crowd?
That would make for some well-timed drama! 😀
...
I'll get my coat.
And in general, I don't think throwing chess pieces into the crowd is a good idea -- does chess really need any baseball-stadium-Karen incidents to go along with its own special flavors of incidents and dramas?