World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has long been regarded as one of the most dominant forces in chess history. A five-time world champion and the highest-rated Grandmaster of all time, Carlsen has set benchmarks across formats.
Yet in a candid admission, the Norwegian star acknowledged that there is one arena where he trails behind his longtime rival and friend, Hikaru Nakamura.
The bullet chess debate
During a recent interview, both Carlsen and Nakamura were asked to settle a popular debate: who is the stronger player in Bullet chess under a one-minute time control with no increment?
Nakamura, widely known for his online presence and lightning-fast tactical instincts, did not hesitate.
“That’s obviously me with no increment,” Hikaru Nakamura said when asked who is better in Bullet chess between him and Magnus Carlsen.
He further explained the edge he believes gives him superiority in the ultra-fast format.
“I think years and years of mouse skills play a huge part. But the funny thing is, I don’t enjoy Bullet as much as I used to, because there are several times when I play now and I just freeze for five or ten seconds. So, I think I’m better than Magnus, but even saying that doesn’t bring a lot of joy because, actually, I find no-increment Bullet a bit unpleasant these days. Maybe I’m getting old,” the FIDE Candidates 2026 participant added.
Magnus Carlsen concedes the gap
What surprised many was Carlsen’s reaction. Rather than contest the claim, the reigning chess icon agreed without hesitation.
“Yeah, there’s a mountain of evidence that Hikaru is better than me at no-increment Bullet,” Carlsen said. “So, I’d say at a certain point it was close-ish when I was playing a lot of bullet, probably seven or eight years ago. Now it’s not close at all.”
For a player who has dominated classical, rapid and blitz formats, the admission was striking. However, context matters.
Magnus Carlsen has not been as active in Bullet chess in recent years, while Hikaru Nakamura continues to thrive in the online speed-chess arena.
Why bullet chess is different
Bullet chess is the fastest format in the sport, typically played online with less than three minutes per side — and sometimes just one minute. '
Unlike classical chess, which rewards deep calculation and long-term strategy, Bullet demands lightning reflexes, intuitive decision-making and exceptional mouse precision.
In that hyper-accelerated environment, Nakamura’s experience and consistency appear to give him the edge — even over the game’s highest-rated legend.