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World champion Gukesh on Vladimir Kramnik’s cheating allegations: ‘Don’t support most of it’
While talking about cheating in chess, world champion D Gukesh said that the issue was "being made bigger than it actually is"
India's D. Gukesh during a press conference at World Rapid & Blitz Championship 2025 in Doha. (PHOTO: FIDE/Anna Shtourman)
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 against the Russian.
Now, the reigning world champion Gukesh has also spoken about Kramnik’s comments on cheating, and about the whole issue itself.
Gukesh at @PragueChess:
“I don’t support the most of Kramnik’s allegations.”“I’m against any kind of unfair or unethical play. I’ve never done that, and I really hope nobody does that.”
“About Kramnik, what he has been doing I’m obviously not supporting that.”
“Many people… pic.twitter.com/DrdXxLe5EP
— Keti Tsatsalashvili (@keti_chess) February 24, 2026
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“About Kramnik… what he has been doing lately, I’m not supportive of that. About Kramnik’s allegations, I don’t support most of it. I think there should be more harmony and peace in the chess world,” Gukesh said at a press conference before the start of the Prague Chess event where the 19-year-old will be the top attraction.
Talking about cheating in chess, Gukesh added: “Obviously I am against any kind of unethical play. I have never done that and I really hope that nobody does that. It’s a kind of problem that we have been seeing lately. Many people over the last couple of years have been very paranoid about cheating. People are making it a bigger problem than it actually is.”
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