Vladimir Kramnik boycotts Chess.com after losing to Hans Niemann; claims platform has "many obvious cheaters"

The ongoing feud between Russian Chess Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik (48) and American Chess Grandmaster and streaming personality Hans Niemann (20) seems to have reached a boiling point following their latest encounter on Chess.com. They recently competed against each other in the AI Cup Champions Chess Tour, with Hans emerging victorious in both matches.

Earlier this month, too, the two players faced off and ended with a comparable outcome. Subsequently, Kramnik insinuated that Hans may have employed unfair tactics online to secure the victory. This latest confrontation has once again stirred up a similar reaction from the Russian.

Today (September 19), Vladimir Kramnik threw in the towel on Chess.com, saying the platform hasn't lifted a finger to weed out cheaters, clearly pointing his finger at Hans. The GM revealed that he will no longer be playing on the 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."

Kramnik quits Chess.com following allegations against Hans Niemann (Image via Chess.com)

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Chess drama continues as Vladimir Kramnik labels Hans Niemann a "crook"

It's worth mentioning that Hans Niemann was recently reinstated on Chess.com after a year-long legal feud with the platform and Magnus Carlsen, who had raised similar accusations, just like Vladimir is doing now. However, all legal disputes have concluded, and Hans has been cleared of any potential cheating allegations.

Both Magnus and Hans have acknowledged their disagreements and have now come to an understanding. They have agreed to face each other again when the opportunity arises, even though Magnus had previously declined to play against him.

However, Vladimir remains visibly dissatisfied with Chess.com's actions, recently accusing the streaming Grandmaster of employing unconventional methods that might have granted him an advantage.

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Is Hans Niemann cheating?

Vladimir recently took to a podcast and even his own YouTube channel to make inflammatory remarks about Hans Niemann. He expressed discomfort with Hans's playing style and even hinted at suspicions regarding the way he managed his time during matches.

However, it's important to note that Chess.com typically conducts thorough research and investigation before lifting suspensions, especially in Hans's case. Therefore, suggesting that he was cheating is purely speculative.

Hans also extended an invitation to Vladimir Kramnik for a face-to-face chess session, where the latter could dispel any doubts or suspicions of cheating. However, Vladimir has yet to respond to this proposal.