Why are GMHikaru and Vladimir Kramnik feuding? Chess drama explored as latter alludes online cheating

Chess Grandmaster and popular Twitch streamer Hikaru "GMHikaru" recently faced a rather unexpected and startling accusation. Former chess world champion Vladimir Kramnik subtly hinted (without taking anyone's name) at Hikaru, implying the possibility of him using unfair tactics in his online matches (Chess.com).

For context, Vladimir posted a rather cryptic message on his Chess.com profile, pointing out that Hikaru had won 45.5 out of 46 consecutive matches, a statistic that, according to the former, raises suspicions. Here's what he posted:

"A player had scored 45.5 out of 46 CONSECUTIVE three minutes blitz games against approximately 2950 in average rating opposition (few different players) which is equivalent to 3600+ performance in those 46 Consecutive games. I believe everyone would find this interesting."

Vladimir Kramnik insinuated possible foul play by GMHikaru (Image via Chess.com)

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"Is he really accusing me of cheating?" - GMHikaru responds after Vladimir Kramnik seemingly throws shade at him

While cheating scandals are not uncommon in the realm of chess, even among top-rated grandmasters, GMHikaru stands out as one of the most formidable Blitz players. The possibility of a cheating accusation against him has undeniably raised a few eyebrows.

Naturally, Vladimir's post caught Hikaru's attention. In fact, Ian Nepomniachtchi (also a Russian Grandmaster) then reposted Vladimir's accusatory words on his X (formerly Twitter) account. In response, Hikaru addressed the situation by stating:

"Vladimir appears to be referencing my record...is he really accusing me of cheating??? @LevitovChess @lachesisq are you jumping on this accusation as well by tweeting this garbage??"

Hikaru responds after being supposedly accused by Kramnik (Image via X/@GMHikaru)

He also took to his official YouTube channel to dismiss the accusations:

"I know what Kramnik is doing here. He is trying to sow the seeds of doubt. He's pointing out all these statistics based on his stats and make it look like there's all these different things that are anomalies and of course it can't all be anomalies so obviously there's cheating going on. That's what he's doing clearly."

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What did the community say?

As one of the most prominent figures in the online chess community, GMHikaru's accusation prompted a significant and widespread reaction online.

For instance, Levy "GothamChess" (an International Master and streamer) displayed Hikaru's Chess.com profile, asserting that he engaged in what he refers to as "farming." In simpler terms, Hikaru repeatedly defeated a player with a considerably lower rating than his own.

Another response, this time directly to Kramnik's post on Chess.com, stated that Hikaru's record is completely in line with what he is truly capable of:

Candidate Master responds to Kramnik's post (Image via Chess.com)

Chessbrah's GM Eric Hansen also gave his take, stating that he doesn't believe Hikaru cheats since he has followed his career since he was a teenager:

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This isn't the first instance of Vladimir Kramnik accusing a Grandmaster of cheating. Earlier this year, he leveled similar accusations against Hans Niemann. To read more about the story, click here.