FIDE statement on the situation involving GM Kramnik and GM Navara

by ChessBase
6/30/2025 – FIDE has announced the formation of a task force to evaluate anti-cheating methods proposed by GM Vladimir Kramnik, inviting him to present his approach for official review. However, FIDE has also expressed deep concern over the damaging tone of Kramnik's public statements, particularly their impact on GM David Navara, a respected figure with a long-standing fair play reputation. FIDE urges Kramnik to withdraw his defamation lawsuit against Navara in the interest of community cohesion and integrity.

Winning starts with what you know
The new version 18 offers completely new possibilities for chess training and analysis: playing style analysis, search for strategic themes, access to 6 billion Lichess games, player preparation by matching Lichess games, download Chess.com games with built-in API, built-in cloud engine and much more.

Press release by FIDE

As the world governing body of chess, FIDE takes the issue of fair play – both OTB and online – very seriously, especially considering the current widespread popularity of online platforms and their impact on the growth and development of the game worldwide.

In this regard, the methods publicly proposed by GM Vladimir Kramnik deserve careful review and assessment for practical applicability. FIDE will establish a dedicated task force to evaluate these methods and invites GM Kramnik to present the details of his approach and statistical data for an official FIDE evaluation.

At the same time, we are gravely concerned that the way Mr. Kramnik presents his points brings a lot of harm to the chess community. Mr. Kramnik must recognize, that it is not just his opinion or questions – it is a very clear narrative, and coming from the former World Champion it could be ruinous for the careers and a very well-being of certain players.

The current discourse has significantly affected such a respected member of the chess community as GM David Navara and has now led to a defamation lawsuit being filed by GM Kramnik against GM Navara.

We wish to emphasize once again that throughout his chess career, GM Navara has earned an unquestionable reputation as a paragon of a fair play. The chess community is well aware that David is a person of a great sensitivity and integrity, particularly vulnerable to any implication of unfair play.

Without entering into legal or stylistic analyses of the statements made, we believe that – above all – mutual respect and empathy among colleagues must take precedence. We are firmly convinced that the lawsuit against GM Navara should be withdrawn as soon as possible in the interest of the entire chess community. We sincerely hope that GM Kramnik will take this morally justified step, which we believe will be welcomed by the broader chess world.

FIDE Management Board



Top trainers strongly recommend regular study of well-explained classical games to improve your understanding of chess in the long term. 33 modern classics are explained in details on this video course.



Reports about chess: tournaments, championships, portraits, interviews, World Championships, product launches and more.
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors


We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.