Magnus Carlsen comments on Vladimir Kramnik’s allegations against Hikaru Nakamura, says Russian GM doesn’t have “full grasp” of statistics

Chess Grandmaster and world number one Magnus Carlsen has finally opened up on the ongoing controversy involving fellow Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik and Twitch streamer Hikaru "GMHikaru." For those unaware, over the past few months, Kramnik has raised concerns and urged Chess.com to investigate Hikaru's online games, insinuating that there may be possible foul play involved.

Despite these concerns, Magnus Carlsen stated that he doesn't believe that a player like GMHikaru would cheat. He further stated that Kramnik's "grasp" of the statistical anomalies that he had been presenting was not entirely convincing.

"I don't think Nakamura is cheating" - Magnus Carlsen responds to recent Chess controversy

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The chess world has been plagued with various controversies lately. One of them is the ongoing feud between Vladimir Kramnik and GMHikaru. As stated earlier, Kramnik had posted some statistical figures that, according to him, are worth investigating.

For those wondering, Chess.com has already answered Kramnik, stating that they have done their research into Hikaru's games and have found no indications of the streamer cheating or using bots.

In light of the ongoing drama, Magnus Carlsen was asked to speak on the topic. Carlsen, being the most popular face within the Chess community, has finally opened up about the situation. He said the following:

"Yeah, I don't think Nakamura is cheating (laughs). First of all, I've seen some Kramnik stuff pop up here and there and I don't think he has a full grasp on statistics. Yeah, I think like his methods are probably not great."

He did, however, say that despite the apparent shortcomings of Kramnik's presentations, he believes that the former World Champion is not entirely wrong, and there may be some truth to his concerns. He said:

"But then again...he's probably not wrong about everything."

Interestingly, GMHikaru isn't the only streamer/grandmaster who has come under the scrutiny of Vladimir Kramnik. Jose "GMJospemm," the Mexican chess player and Twitch streamer, has also been questioned by Kramnik.

There have also been other developments to this story. Yesterday (March 26), Levy "GothamChess" announced an event called "The Clash of Claims," which will feature a whopping 36-game series featuring Kramnik and GMJospemm. The tournament will be held in Madrid between June 7 and 9, 2024.