The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has suspended former world champion Vladimir Kramnik from all FIDE events and official roles. The ruling comes after Kramnik repeatedly accused fellow grandmasters of cheating online without providing sufficient evidence.
According to the decision by FIDE’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commission, Kramnik has received a two-year ban. He will serve one year of active suspension, while the second year will be suspended during a three-year probation period. In addition to the ban, Kramnik must complete 12 months of unpaid community service for the chess world.
The disciplinary action follows a series of public complaints, notably from Czech grandmaster David Navara. The commission found that Kramnik engaged in a sustained pattern of cyberbullying and psychological abuse. For over a year, the 51-year-old Russian grandmaster had used social media and videos to analyze matches from online tournaments, such as Chess.com's "Titled Tuesday," frequently claiming his opponents' performances were statistically impossible.
Among those Kramnik targeted was the late American grandmaster and streamer Daniel Naroditsky, who passed away in October 2025 at the age of 29. Before his death, Naroditsky had spoken openly about the severe emotional and mental toll that Kramnik’s persistent and unsubstantiated allegations had taken on him. The commission emphasized that while protecting fair play in chess is essential, accusations must be handled through official, confidential channels rather than public campaigns that damage reputations.
Kramnik has rejected the ruling, calling it "unlawful" on social media, and announced his intention to appeal the suspension. This ban follows previous actions by Chess.com, which had already muted and banned Kramnik from its platform for violating its fair play conduct policies.