Former World No. 10 Loek van Wely, who once worked as Vladimir Kramnik’s second, has publicly distanced himself from the former World Champion’s years-long campaign of accusing fellow grandmasters of cheating — a campaign now at the center of a formal FIDE ethics complaint.
The Dutch GM, speaking to Sportstar at the World Cup in Goa, said Kramnik had no business making public accusations against American GM Daniel Naroditsky and Czech GM David Navara, both of whom were repeatedly named or implied in Kramnik’s posts over the past two years.
“I have the feeling that the guy simply has lost it,” van Wely said, recalling Kramnik’s “crazy press conferences” and the escalating tone of his allegations. “What is his problem? It is not his job to get involved. It is not his speciality.”
His comments arrive just one day after FIDE announced it had filed a complaint to its Ethics & Disciplinary Commission, citing a pattern of public statements by Kramnik that may violate rules concerning harassment and insulting the dignity of players.
The complaint includes materials from Navara and testimony from people close to Naroditsky, who died last month at the age of 29.
“You need to back up your claims”
Van Wely stressed that cheating is a real issue — but that Kramnik’s approach was reckless.
“There is cheating in chess,” he said. “But you need to back up your claims. If you have to catch the cheats in chess, you will probably have to violate the law, such as the ones regarding privacy.”
His remarks reflect a growing sense within the professional community that Kramnik’s investigations, conducted largely through public posts, statistical charts, and accusations on X, have repeatedly crossed ethical boundaries.
Loek van Wely is not just any former second of Kramnik. The 53-year-old Dutch Grandmaster, once ranked world No. 10, is one of the most accomplished players of his generation. An eight-time Dutch champion and long-time elite regular at Wijk aan Zee, van Wely also served in the Dutch Senate before returning to coaching and professional chess. His background in both high-level competition and justice-related legislative work makes his criticism especially striking—adding weight to his view that accusations of cheating require evidence, expertise, and responsibility, none of which he believes Kramnik showed in this case.
Anand: ‘Quite disappointed’ with Kramnik
Five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand echoed the criticism in a separate press conference, saying he was “quite disappointed” with how Kramnik had behaved.
“To be honest, most of us are quite disappointed with how Kramnik has behaved in this matter, and we will take steps to take care of this,” Anand said. As FIDE’s Deputy President, he declined to speak about specifics but confirmed that disciplinary action was under way.
Anand noted that he had privately urged Kramnik — long before Naroditsky’s death — to tone down his accusations and provide a scientifically sound methodology for the statistical models he used to label players’ results as suspicious.
According to Anand, no methodology was ever provided.
A long conflict with the chess world
Kramnik’s public accusations began in late 2023, when he insinuated that an unnamed top player was cheating. Hikaru Nakamura believed he was the implied target and publicly demanded clarification.
By late 2023, Chess.com had muted his account and closed his blog. He was later found to have violated their terms of service by playing on GM Denis Khismatullin’s account, leading to a ban from prize tournaments. Kramnik responded by attacking the whistleblower and expanding his list of accusations.
In May 2024, Kramnik published a list titled “Cheating Tuesdays,” which included Navara. Navara’s formal complaint to FIDE outlined four core issues:
• Kramnik’s own fair-play violation,
• a pattern of public accusations including against minors,
• flawed and unverified statistical methods,
• and the deeply offensive nature of the posts.
Navara later wrote that the experience caused severe psychological harm, leading to “suicidal thoughts.”
After Naroditsky’s death, pressure intensified
From late 2024 onward, Kramnik repeatedly accused Naroditsky of cheating in online blitz. He maintained he had “never bullied Daniel,” but top players disagreed.
Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Nihal Sarin, and others publicly condemned his behavior after Naroditsky’s death.
Sarin told The Indian Express that Kramnik “has kind of literally taken a life.”
The pressure on FIDE to intervene increased sharply after October 2025, when Kramnik continued posting about Naroditsky even days after the 29-year-old’s passing.
“He needs professional help,” says Aronian
GM Levon Aronian, once a close friend of Kramnik, criticized him even more directly during the World Cup in Goa.
“He’s in a place where I think he needs professional help,” Aronian said. “He has a savior complex.”
These remarks reflect the dramatic shift in how many top players now view Kramnik’s actions — from initially sympathetic to alarmed.
A breaking point for FIDE
The filing of a formal ethics complaint marks the first time FIDE has taken concrete disciplinary action against a former World Champion in connection with public misconduct.
If the EDC accepts the case, both parties will submit statements and evidence before a First Instance Chamber issues a ruling. Sanctions could range from warnings to suspensions from FIDE events.
For van Wely, the issue is simple: Kramnik’s behavior has damaged players and destabilized the professional community.
“He had a beautiful career,” van Wely said. “There was no need for this.”
I’m a passionate board game enthusiast and a skilled player in chess, xiangqi and Go. Words for Attacking Chess since 2023. Ping me at Lichess for a game or chat.
