Another season of Chess.com’s premier streaming event, Arena Kings, is in the books. Season 8 concluded on Wednesday, December 15, with GM Hikaru Nakamura (@Hikaru) winning the Championship Final and earning the $4,000 prize for first place. Nakamura won an additional $4,150 during the season for total earnings of $8,150.

Congratulations to @GMHikaru for winning today’s Arena Kings KO tournament AND all of Arena Kings Season 8! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/o0o0n4xSgl

— ChesscomLive (@ChesscomLive) December 15, 2021

In the last round of the Championship Final, Nakamura defeated GM Raunak Sadhwani (@champ2005) by a 3-1 score. Sadhwani won $425 during the season and $2,000 in the final for a total of $2,425 in prizes.

The full broadcast of the Championship and Championship Final, with hosts NM James Canty III and, for the FInal, GM Daniel Naroditsky.

Season 8 consisted of the usual weekly arena tournaments, of which there are 12, including two Chess960 (Fischer Random) tournaments. December 15 was the culmination, a two-hour Championship arena followed the Championship Final knockout.

Throughout the season players earned points for their standing each week. Players who scored at least 100 points were eligible for the Championship. 

Season Standings

The top eight finishers advanced to the Championship Final, where Nakamura toppled IM Renato Terry (@miterryble), GM Jose Martinez (@Jospem), and GM Sadhwani on his way to victory.