All posts tagged: Vladimir Kramnik

Vladimir Kramnik banned for 2 years, ordered to do 12 months of unpaid service | Chess News

Vladimir Kramnik banned for 2 years, ordered to do 12 months of unpaid service | Chess News

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3 min readJul 3, 2026 10:50 PM IST Nine months after grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky’s death, the FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission (EDC) has cracked the whip on former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik and handed him a two-year worldwide ban from participating in any FIDE chess competition or being involved in any chess-related activity as an arbiter, organiser, coach, trainer, or representative of a chess federation. The EDC has also imposed a supplementary sanction of 12 months of unpaid service against Kramnik for “the benefit of the chess community”. The ruling noted that the final 12 months of the two-year ban on Kramnik have been suspended for a three-year probationary period. This means that the Russian chess legend is actively suspended for a one-year period, provided there are no further breaches during probation. On his part, Kramnik responded to the ruling with a series of tweets. “Without going into details, the number of gross violations of major articles of the FIDE Regulations committed by the Ethics Commission in this case runs into the dozens,” Kramnik wrote …

Why people go crazy at the Candidates tournament

Why people go crazy at the Candidates tournament

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It was a smile from a member of the audience which hoodwinked Hikaru Nakamura into making an embarrassing blunder. The year was 2016, and in the second round of the Candidates, Nakamura, the great American hope, was facing off against the Russian Sergey Karjakin. In the middlegame, Nakamura, trying to give his eyes a rest from staring at the board, cast his glance into the audience, where his eyes fell on the then FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and an aide. Both held smiles on their faces. It got Nakamura thinking. “This sounds fairly embarrassing to say, but when I saw that they were smiling, for whatever reason, it made me miscalculate. I had seen a tactical idea on the board and when I saw them smiling, somehow I put two and two together. I thought that because they were smiling, there was some sort of trick in the position. It sounds really ridiculous as a professional chess player to let something like that get into your mind. I blundered, made a very basic miscalculation in …

‘Gukesh became world champion by chance’: Ex-world champion Anatoly Karpov | Chess News

‘Gukesh became world champion by chance’: Ex-world champion Anatoly Karpov | Chess News

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3 min readMar 19, 2026 06:38 PM IST Former world champion Anatoly Karpov has claimed in an interview with a Russian newspaper that reigning world champion D Gukesh got the crown by “accident”. It must be noted that Karpov’s own first world championship title back in 1975 had come after a forfeit from the American world champion Bobby Fischer. Karpov’s comments echo a familiar refrain in Russia, which last had a world champion in 2007, when Vladimir Kramnik was on the throne. Since then, two Russians—Sergey Karjakin in 2016 and Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2021 and 2023—have come close but have been thwarted. In the interview, when Karpov was asked about chess becoming younger and younger, with a 19-year-old currently on the throne, the 74-year-old said: “First of all, the Indian chess player became [champion] by chance, because he wasn’t supposed to win the match against the Chinese player [Ding Liren]. The Chinese player lost a game there that he shouldn’t have lost. Had he not, the Chinese player would have remained the world champion.” Karpov …

World champion Gukesh on Vladimir Kramnik’s cheating allegations: ‘Don’t support most of it’ | Chess News

World champion Gukesh on Vladimir Kramnik’s cheating allegations: ‘Don’t support most of it’ | Chess News

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3 min readFeb 24, 2026 07:21 PM IST World champion D Gukesh has finally spoken out about the unsubstantiated — but widespread — cheating allegations that have clouded the sport of chess over the last few years. The 19-year-old world champion believes that people have made cheating a “bigger problem than it is”. The youngest world champion in the sport’s history also criticised former world champion Vladimir Kramnik for his allegations about cheating in recent years. In recent times, Kramnik has rebranded himself as an anti-cheating crusader of sorts, levelling accusations on social media about online cheating in chess. Kramnik’s claims have involved lots of finger pointing at multiple players such as grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky. But there has been little actual evidence to back those allegations. Recently after the untimely death of Naroditsky, who was one of the most popular content creators in the sport, Kramnik was roundly criticised by everyone from Indian GM Nihal Sarin to FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich besides legends of the game like Viswanathan Anand and Levon Aronian also speaking out …

Vladimir Kramnik banned for 2 years, ordered to do 12 months of unpaid service | Chess News

Vladimir Kramnik hits back after Daniel Naroditsky’s toxicology report, claims ‘cynical smear campaign’ led to murder threats against family | Chess News

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Many in the chess ecosystem have criticised Kramnik for his accusations against Naroditsky of cheating in online chess tournaments, claims which Naroditsky’s close friends said were a reason behind him being deeply distressed just before his untimely death at the age of 29. After the toxicology report was made public, Kramnik posted a long message on X, claiming that a “cynical smear campaign was launched” to link him to Naroditsky’s death. He also claimed that this campaign had resulted in “murder threats” directed at him, his wife and children. Here’s what Kramnik’s letter said: I wish to once again express my thoughts for the family and loved ones of Daniel Naroditsky. The loss of such a young prominent chess player is an immense tragedy not just for them but for the entire chess community. In the immediate aftermath of this tragedy, a cynical smear campaign was launched, unjustly linking me—without any factual basis—to Daniel’s untimely death. This was followed by multiple direct murder threats directed at me, my wife and my children, which compelled me …

Outsider to crowd-puller: How Hans Niemann, once accused of cheating by Magnus Carlsen, has retraced the steps to credibility | Chess News

Outsider to crowd-puller: How Hans Niemann, once accused of cheating by Magnus Carlsen, has retraced the steps to credibility | Chess News

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American Grandmaster Hans Niemann is one of the most polarising figures in chess. His persona, of a master of the oxygen-consuming headline who turns stubbornness into a shield, makes him easy to detest, equally tough to idolise, and almost impossible to ignore. He feels lost and confused when asked about his current standing in his career. “I’m at a point in my career where I’m honestly a bit lost. I feel like I’m just in a phase of confusion. Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t,” Niemann tells The Indian Express. Much of that uncertainty comes from his inconsistent results in recent tournaments, especially in shorter time controls, where he has fluctuated from brilliant to average in a short span. Yet, he can take solace that the discourse around him centres on his play rather than his past. This return to normalcy shows how far he has come since the controversies that threatened to stall his career. The global firestorm of Magnus Carlsen’s cheating allegations once turned Niemann to an outsider. He was exposed …

Delivering hand written notes, Vladimir Kramnik files lawsuit against FIDE, sues World chess body for defamation

Delivering hand written notes, Vladimir Kramnik files lawsuit against FIDE, sues World chess body for defamation

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Former World Chess Champion and controversial Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik has filed a lawsuit, suing FIDE, the world chess governing body for defamation in a Swiss civil court after he became the subject of a probe for allegedly harassing players with baseless cheating claims following the shocking death of American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky earlier in October. “As of today, I have initiated formal legal proceedings against FIDE in accordance with Swiss law in the Court of Lausanne,” Kramnik posted on X that he has been forced to take the legal route after being relentlessly attacked by fellow players and FIDE. Kramnik also shared a video where he is seen delivering handwritten notes directed towards FIDE. ALSO READ | Nihal Sarin on Daniel Naroditsky’s death: ‘He (Vladimir Kramnik) has kind of literally taken a life Kramnik’s post read further: “Under the applicable Swiss procedural rules, an obligatory preliminary procedure must first take place. This phase typically lasts 2-3 months. While certain interim decisions may be issued by the court already during this preliminary stage, its primary purpose is …

FIDE submits complaint to ethics and disciplinary commission against Vladimir Kramnik | Chess News

FIDE submits complaint to ethics and disciplinary commission against Vladimir Kramnik | Chess News

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The International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Tuesday submitted a complaint to the FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission (EDC) and named former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik as the respondent. “The referral follows concern in the chess community about repeated public allegations made by Kramnik against GM Daniel Naroditsky and GM David Navara, and comes after a review of the matter by the FIDE Management Board,” the chess body said in the statement. Naroditsky passed away last month at the age of 29 as the chess world mourned his demise. Kramnik, who had previously accused Naroditsky of cheating in online chess, raised his suspicion of Naroditsky’s sudden passing and posted a series of explosive tweets questioning the circumstances. The 50-year-old Russian GM hinted at potential substance abuse and deteriorating mental health. Kramnik had, without substantial proof, repeatedly accused the American player of cheating while playing online – an allegation that Naroditsky had firmly denied. Last December, Naroditsky had said on “Take Take Take” that cheating, according to him, is the worst crime a chess player can commit …

How FIDE tries to ensure there is no cheating at prestigious event like Chess World Cup

How FIDE tries to ensure there is no cheating at prestigious event like Chess World Cup

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A couple of hours before the playing hall for the FIDE World Cup at Goa’s Resort Rio opens its doors to grandmasters and spectators, a dedicated team of nine fairplay officers go about sanitising the spacious playing hall. It’s these men and women, whose job it is to keep the tournament’s integrity intact. The complexity of the job at hand for these fairplay officers comes from the fact that most of the players also stay in the same compound at Resort Rio as the playing hall. Cheating in chess has been in the news over the past year, thanks to former world champion Vladimir Kramnik’s crusade against online cheaters. While those who play the sport – and those who officiate it as arbiters – are keen to emphasise that online chess and over-the-board chess are two completely different beasts, an event like the Chess World Cup always puts the global governing body of chess, FIDE, on high alert to ensure fair play. Story continues below this ad Method behind the process So how do FIDE …

Levon Aronian: ‘Vladimir Kramnik needs professional help… he has saviour complex’ | Chess News

Levon Aronian: ‘Vladimir Kramnik needs professional help… he has saviour complex’ | Chess News

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When Vladimir Kramnik’s “crusade” against online cheating was at its peak earlier this year, one of the most prominent voices asking him to reconsider his hardline approach was that of Levon Aronian, who wrote a long post on social media imploring the former world champion to see reason. One of the most respected men in chess, Aronian was once a close confidant of Kramnik. But over the last few months, the relationship has frayed as the Russian legend has continued his campaign to highlight suspicions about cheating in online chess without providing what the rest of the game’s fraternity would consider conclusive or convincing evidence. This has gained even more notoriety after the passing of American grandmaster Daniel Narodistsky after he too was repeatedly alleged by Kramnik to have cheated in online chess. Aronian says that he has now stopped trying to convince Kramnik privately to reconsider his approach and believes that the former world champion needs professional help. Story continues below this ad “He’s in a place where I think he needs professional help. …