Hikaru Nakamura explained why it was easier for him to react to Vladimir Kramnik’s suspicions. Nakamura says that he knows many famous chess players well. Hikaru believes that Daniel Naroditsky knew Kramnik only as a generic elite player.

Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura

World's No. 2

“As someone who has played at the very top, and as someone who has seen these players over the years, I know what these people are like. I’ve seen these people.

When I was playing, I was in plenty of car rides, for example to the closing dinner for the London Chess Classic with Kramnik and other players. That’s why I was able to see right through the shenanigans and basically call it out immediately.

Someone like Daniel Naroditsky — first of all, Daniel’s not as blunt, I will say that. But secondarily, he has not been around these people. He hasn’t seen them as the humans that they are. He’s only seen them as these elite, great chess players that he idolizes and looks up to.

That’s, I think, a large part of why he wasn’t able to react in the same kind of way that I was.

Whereas I had literally seen these people. I had seen Kramnik before. I had heard some of his conspiracy nonsense in the past. I heard about Topalov and all these things before, from being at various tournaments that he had been at as well.

So, it was much easier for me to just come out and really take the bull by the horns and go right after him.”

EDC has issued its decision on disciplinary proceedings against Vladimir Kramnik in early July. EDC found Kramnik responsible for multiple violations of the FIDE Code of Ethics and the Disciplinary Code. Kramnik was found guilty of bullying and cyberbullying, violation of the right to dignity and respectful treatment, psychological abuse, false or unjustified public accusations, and other offences.

Hikaru Nakamura spoke harshly towards Kramnik after Daniel Naroditsky’s passing in October 2025. Nakamura cussed Vladimir out and said that Kramnik “can go rot in hell”.

Credit: Lennart Ootes