Viswanathan Anand 'disappointed' with Vladimir Kramnik's 'unfound cheating allegations' against Daniel Naroditsky
(Courtesy : FIDE)
Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik faced off in the 2008 World Chess Championship.
Indian chess legend and five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand has expressed disappointment with former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik’s public cheating allegations in online chess.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony of the ongoing FIDE Chess World Cup held in Goa, Anand, who is the current FIDE Deputy President stated that while the issue of cheating is real, Kramnik’s approach of naming players publicly without presenting evidence is not in good taste.
Vladimir Kramnik became the World Chess Champion after defeating Garry Kasparov in 2000 and held the world title until Anand won in 2007. The Russian has been on an accusing spree since last one year and has criticised several titled players for cheating during live streams.
His most high-profile accusations targeted US Grandmaster and chess commentator Daniel Naroditsky.
Naroditsky, who publicly denied the claims, spoke about the severe emotional impact the allegations had on him. And, his sudden death in October 2025 brought the chess community together, intensifying the scrutiny around Kramnik’s vindictive behaviour.
India’s Nihal Sarin was also on his radar. The young Indian was one of the first to speak out on Twitter after Naroditsky’s death apart from others like GothamChess, Nemo and Anna Cramling.
In response, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich previously said Kramnik had “gone too far” and formally asked him to provide detailed proof and methodology behind his accusations.
Anand echoed this position, noting that while cheating must be addressed, public accusations without conclusive evidence can damage reputations and fuel hostility within the chess community, especially among younger players who look up to top grandmasters.
The rise of online chess, especially during and after the pandemic, has brought new challenges to fair-play enforcement. With millions of games played through platforms like Chess.com and Lichess, and with engine strength (like Stickfish, Leela, AlphaZero etc.) surpassing human ability, cheating detection systems rely heavily on player game behaviour patterns and suspiciously high accuracy during matches.
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Anand emphasised that chess needs stronger systems and education rather than public crusades like Krammnik. His remarks signal a broader approach with calls for accountability not only for those who cheat, but also for those who make public allegations without established evidence.
The FIDE’s Ethics Commission is currently examining the matter and if proven, the Russian legend may face severe reputational damage.
What did Viswanathan Anand say about Vladimir Kramnik?
Anand, who is the current FIDE Deputy President, said he has been “quite disappointed” with the with Kramnik as behaved in the matter and will ensure FIDE take steps to take care of this.
What are the accusations against Vladimir Kramnik?
Kramnik has been accused of making unfound cheating allegations against players in online chess. One of the players he accused of cheating was the late Daniel Naroditsky.
What happened to Daniel Naroditsky?
American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky passed away on October 19, 2025, at the age of 29. Prior to his death, Naroditsky was publicly accused by Vladimir Kramnik of cheating in online chess.
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Veeran Rajendran believes there’s never a dull moment in chess. A sports writer for over a decade and a chess trainer for the past five years, he spends most of his day playing, watching, or analysing the game. His work blends storytelling with strategy, making chess engaging for enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
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