Ukrainian grandmaster Olexandr Bortnyk has cast doubt on Hikaru Nakamura's status as the world's best online blitz player. In an interview, Bortnyk acknowledged that Nakamura ranks among the elite competitors but stopped short of naming him the top performer. According to Bortnyk, Magnus Carlsen maintains a commanding lead over the field and deserves the title of best blitz player by a significant margin.

Bortnyk suggested Nakamura's standing falls somewhere between second and third place in the blitz hierarchy. The Ukrainian GM emphasized that while Nakamura has achieved remarkable success, Carlsen's dominance remains unchallenged. Bortnyk dismissed suggestions that Carlsen's current form differs substantially from his earlier peak, asserting that the Norwegian still operates at a level apart from the competition.

Nakamura currently holds the top position on the Chess.com Blitz leaderboard and set a record rating of 3500 points in early October. Despite this achievement, a 75-point gap separates Nakamura from Carlsen, who ranks second on the ratings list. Bortnyk's comments highlight the ongoing debate within the chess community about who truly dominates the fast time controls.