Chess grandmaster Fabiano Caruana revealed that his interview, where he criticized the Freestyle Chess event rules, was temporarily deleted from the organizers’ YouTube channel before being restored.
The Interview That Vanished (Then Reappeared)
Fabiano Caruana, one of the world’s top chess players, recently shared a surprising incident on his podcast, C Squared. He claimed that an interview he gave, where he voiced concerns about the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Las Vegas, was removed from the official YouTube channel.
His co-host, Christian Chirila, first noticed the absence. Caruana confirmed it, adding that the video was eventually put back up. He expressed confusion over why it was removed in the first place, believing there was no need for such action.
Why Caruana Spoke Out
Caruana wasn’t offended by the deletion, but found it counterproductive. He emphasized that his intention was not to cause trouble, but to provide constructive feedback to the organizers. Since he plans to play in more of their events, he felt it was important to highlight issues for future improvement.
He mentioned having “complaints which I’m sure they’ll work on in the future to do better.” This proactive approach, he believes, is essential for the growth and fairness of the game.
Audience Interference: A Key Grievance
So, what exactly were Caruana’s complaints? His main issue revolved around the live audience experience during the games. He was particularly unhappy that spectators in the playing hall had access to live commentary with a slight delay, and crucially, could see the “eval bar” – an indicator of each player’s standing in real-time.
This information, combined with audible reactions from the crowd, created an environment he found distracting and potentially unfair.
The Loudest Moment: Nakamura Match
Caruana recounted a specific incident during his match against Hikaru Nakamura. He described being “very annoyed” by the “outside interference.” Spectators were “yelling” and “screaming” particularly when players were low on time, making it incredibly difficult to concentrate.
Despite wearing noise-cancelling headphones, the shouts were “very audible.” He recalled a moment where both he and Nakamura blundered due to the commotion, turning a complex position into a chaotic one.
Caruana revealed he only learned about the audience having access to the evaluation bar at the players’ meeting before the tournament began. This transparency issue, coupled with the disruptive noise, left a “bad taste” for the grandmaster.
- Fabiano Caruana’s critical interview was temporarily deleted, then restored.
- His main complaint was about live audiences having access to real-time game evaluations and causing audible distractions.
- He believes his feedback is constructive and important for improving future chess events.
This incident highlights the ongoing debate within chess about balancing fan engagement with maintaining a fair and focused playing environment for top athletes.
