Leclerc Duels Nakamura in Monza Strategy Showdown
Charles Leclerc will compete against chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura in the custom strategy game Se!ze on September 1 in Italy. The event, part of a Chivas Regal partnership, precedes the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. Se!ze draws on chess elements and Leclerc's racing number 16.
Event Details
Charles Leclerc will face five-time chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura in the custom game Se!ze on September 1 in Italy.[1] The Chivas Regal Arena of Mastery event occurs ahead of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.[2]
Se!ze is a chess-inspired strategy game developed by Leclerc in partnership with Chivas Regal. The name references his racing number 16, pronounced as "seize" in French.[1]
Partnership Context
This marks the second major step in Leclerc's collaboration with the whisky brand after a special CL16 edition release earlier in 2026.[1] The public matchup will be livestreamed on Chivas Regal's YouTube channel.[2]
Nakamura, who has visited an F1 race previously, joins the event to explore strategy and mastery themes.[1]
Connection to Monza
The timing aligns with preparations for Ferrari's home race at Monza, where strategic decisions often decide outcomes on the high-speed layout.
Related reading
- [1]Charles Leclerc Set for Strategy Showdown Ahead of 2026 F1 Italian Grand Prix (Exclusive) (si.com). Accessed 2026-08-25.
- [2]Chivas' Charles Leclerc challenges chess grandmaster (thespiritsbusiness.com). Accessed 2026-08-25.