FIDE chief makes big revelation on Vladimir Kramnik amid controversy over Naroditsky’s death: 'I tried to persuade him...'

FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich has opened up about the controversy surrounding former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, revealing that he had personally tried to convince him to tone down his approach while making allegations about cheating in online chess.

His comment comes amid severe criticism of Kramnik over his allegations of cheating against American grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, who passed away last month at the age of 29. Naroditsky was among the players whose online performances Kramnik had questioned, which many in the chess community described as bullying.

Dvorkovich on the controversy

Speaking to the media at the FIDE World Cup in Goa, Dvorkovich said he had spoken to Kramnik several times before the incident, warning him that his actions were going “too far in the wrong direction.”

“Vladimir is a good friend. And we had a good relationship for many years. I always supported him. We all just feel that it (the cheating accusations) went in the wrong direction. I tried to persuade Vladimir Kramnik informally that he should be less aggressive. Not after what happened (with Daniel) but actually before the incident," Dvorkovich said.

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“A long time ago, since I felt that it’s a bit too much. I also asked him to provide the full methodology—a clear scientific foundation for the statistics—that he is using to air his hints or accusations. And we didn’t receive it from him. He promised to have a group of people who are dealing with fair play,” he added.

Kramnik had posted statistical data that he claimed revealed cheating patterns in online chess, but he did not provide concrete evidence to support his allegations. Dvorkovich, however, said that he preferred to wait for the findings of the FIDE Ethics Commission before making any judgments.

“We hope that at some point, we’ll be provided with the whole methodology to look at that. We know for sure that Daniel was affected. There is evidence that should be checked. We do not accuse anyone now. It’s in the hands of professionals to make the findings and then decide. At the moment, it’s in the hands of the investigation being carried out by the Ethics Commission. I cannot preempt the findings or cannot say that FIDE finds something negative. We heard signals, we have evidence that was provided to us. And we passed it to the people who will investigate and then discuss it. I’m not accusing anyone at this point,” he said.

Following the controversy, several players and fans signed petitions calling for FIDE to take disciplinary action against Kramnik. Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, Indian Grandmasters Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin were among those who criticised Kramnik.