"Freedom of speech is very important" - Magnus Carlsen critical of Chess.com "silencing" Vladimir Kramnik amid ongoing feud with GMHikaru

The ongoing conflict between ex-world champion and Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik and Twitch streamer, chess Grandmaster Hikaru "GMHikaru," recently witnessed a new development as Chess.com locked Kramnik's blog. Kramnik had been utilizing the platform to express his opinions, particularly regarding GMHikaru, about whom he harbored suspicions regarding fair play.

This sparked a widespread discussion, drawing criticism from numerous former players who disapproved of Chess.com's decision. Adding to the dissent, yesterday (December 25), Magnus Carlsen also spoke out against the unfolding situation. He stressed:

"Freedom of speech is very important."

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Magnus Carlsen critical of Chess.com's latest decision involving Vladimir Kramnik

For those not in the loop, Chess.com recently issued an official statement revealing the locking of Vladimir Kramnik's blog profile on their platform. Presently, that segment of his profile remains inaccessible, even though he is free to play games on the platform. They said:

"GM Kramnik's escalating attacks against some of the most respected members of the chess community and some of it's most promising young talents can no longer be ignored. Consequently, we have now closed GM Kramnik's blog and muted his account."

Magnus Carlsen was asked about his opinions on the ongoing situation. Although Magnus doesn't have a personal stake in the conflict, he did express his support for free speech. He said:

"I can say that generally, I believe that freedom of speech is very important. I'm not gonna talk about this case particularly, but you know, generally, opinions should be met with other opinions, not with silencing."

Vladimir Kramnik himself has shared his take on his sanction. According to him:

"The chess.com platform took another step in trying to "shut me up" and unreasonably blocked my blog on their platform and the right to comment publicly on anything there. I have not received any letter from them about the reasons for these actions."

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Fans react to the clip

Magnus' take on the situation was shared by ChessBase India, which garnered quite a bit of reactions online. Here are some of the notable ones:

The chess community gives its take on the drama (Image via X/ChessBase India)

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Vladimir Kramnik has recently opened his first X profile (@VBKramnik), amassing over 4K followers in less than a day. Those intrigued by the unfolding events can follow him there, as he provides regular updates on the ongoing situation.