Former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik raised eyebrows with his comments about Indian grandmaster D Gukesh’s recent victory in Singapore. Gukesh, the youngest-ever world chess champion, beat defending champion Ding Liren to earn this title.
However, Kramnik took to social media to make serious accusations against Magnus Carlsen, another top player. Recently, FIDE, the chess governing body, made an agreement with the Freestyle Chess Players Club (FCPC), thanks to efforts from some well-known chess figures, including Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Danny Rensch from Chess.com. They hinted at discussing how future World Championship titles would be recognized.
Kramnik questioned why prominent names like Carlsen and Nakamura were part of this agreement but not Gukesh. He asked, “Why are only they included? Why not Gukesh or other players?” He expressed concern that this agreement means FIDE is accepting an unofficial event as a world championship, something he believes could lead to confusion like what happened in 1993 when there were disputes in chess.
He also claimed that Carlsen might have pressured FIDE by suggesting that he and other top players would skip the upcoming Rapid and Blitz World Championship unless certain conditions were met. Kramnik stated, “If this is true, it’s not good for chess that they put pressure on FIDE. FIDE should be in charge, not just a few players.”
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 kicks off on January 4, featuring top players like Carlsen, Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Viswanathan Anand, and Gukesh, with prize money exceeding $4 million across five events worldwide.
Leave a Reply