Chess Meets Formula One: Nakamura and Leclerc Set for Strategy Showdown in Monza
By Robby B. · Tue, 01 Sep 2026
Chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and Ferrari star Charles Leclerc will face off in Monza in Se!ze, a chess-inspired strategy game blending the worlds of chess and Formula One.
Two very different worlds of strategy come together in Monza on September 1, as chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura faces Ferrari Formula One star Charles Leclerc in an unusual head-to-head challenge ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.Instead of competing on a traditional chessboard, Nakamura and Leclerc will play Se!ze, a chess-inspired strategy game developed with Leclerc and Chivas Regal. The name is derived from the French word seize, meaning sixteen — a reference to Leclerc’s iconic racing number, 16. The game will be presented as part of the Chivas Regal Arena of Mastery in Monza.For Nakamura, one of the world’s leading chess players and a hugely popular online chess personality, the contest presents a very different strategic challenge. He has already been studying Se!ze, experimenting with its opening phase and even creating an online version of the game to help prepare. Nakamura believes its simplified mechanics could also make strategy games more accessible to people who have never played chess.Leclerc, meanwhile, has a well-established interest in chess. He has previously played with former Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz and has taken part in a chess encounter involving fellow Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton and Azerbaijani grandmaster Teimour Radjabov. Leclerc has even faced Nakamura before during a simultaneous chess exhibition, although Nakamura won comfortably on that occasion.The Monza challenge highlights the natural connection between chess and Formula One: both reward preparation, calculation, adaptability and the ability to make accurate decisions under intense pressure. This time, however, Leclerc will be hoping that competing on unfamiliar strategic territory gives him a better chance against one of chess’s strongest players.