Vladimir Kramnik is a chess champion with a stellar career that included a stint as the World Chess Champion and mastery of the 64 squares. Kramnik recently made headlines with his decision regarding the platform, Chess.com.
He announced that he would be boycotting the prominent online chess platform leaving many baffled and intrigued, wondering why.
What happened on the popular platform that pushed the champion to boycott it? In this exploration, we’ll delve into the motives revolving around pawns and kings of the controversy.
On the 19th of September, 2023, Vladimir Kramnik posted on the popular chess platform, Chess.com about boycotting it. He wrote that he would stop playing on the platform as the platform does nothing to stop cheaters. Kramnik also said he would come back only when the platform is cleaned, slightly pointing fingers at his match with Hans Niemann. Hans and Vladimir competed against each other in 3+2, where Hans won over Vladimir, fueling the accusation of cheating.
Why Are Vladimir Kramnik and Hans Niemann Feuding?
Recently, the Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik and Hans Niemann are trapped in an ongoing feud. Both are going back and forth to prove each other wrong after the chess tournament on the Chess.com platform.
Hans Niemann outplayed the former world champion, Vladimir Kramnik, in the 3+2 game format of Chess on the Chess.com platform. Ever since then, the former champion vented his frustration, calling Hans a “crook” and accusing him of cheating in the game. Vladimir commented, “…..Just too many obvious cheaters here and nothing is done to clean the platform from those small crooks. Harsh words but true.”
On the other hand, Hans, who is a rising star of the platform, wanted to resolve the issue between both players. He said, “I saw your recent video, and I thought that perhaps a resolution to that would be to have an in-person training camp where you would be able to evaluate my chess on a deeper level.”
Before this incident, Hans was already involved in a year-long legal dispute with Magnus Carlsen, who raised similar allegations against Vladimir. However, it’s worth noting that all legal conflicts have been resolved, and Hans Niemann has been vindicated of all cheating accusations.
Moreover, both Magnus and Hans addressed the issues and resolved them while promising to face each other again.
Why Did Vladimir Kramnik Boycott Chess.com?
After his defeat in the 3+2 game format, Vladimir Kramnik decided to leave the platform. Soon, Vladimir took out his frustration on the platform on 19th September 2023 and said he would boycott it until the platform took necessary actions against Hans. However, he did not point at him directly but rather in an indirect fashion.
It is visible that the decision is not only influenced by his defeat but the idea of Niemann using unfair methods to win while playing the game. He wrote on the Chess.com platform,
“I have decided to stop playing on chess.com from tomorrow on. Just too many obvious cheaters here and nothing is done to clean the platform from those small crooks. Harsh words but true.”
He further showed his concern for the chess community and added,
“Hope would come back one day if it will be cleaned from at least obvious cheaters. I promise to continue trying my best to save Chess from this disease.”
In just a few days, the feud between both has elevated a lot, and both the media and the chess community are scrutinizing it closely.
People are wondering how the popular chess platform, Chess.com, will respond, as there is no response from their side. The internet seems to be divided into two sides, supporting their favorites.
What do you think about this feud? Which side are you favoring in this feud game? Let us know in the comment section.
