Hikaru stunned by “garbage” chess cheating allegations after blitz rating record
YT: GMHikaruKick streamer and Chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura has found himself at the center of a new controversy following his record-breaking performance on Chess.com.
Vladimir Kramnik, another chess grandmaster, has taken to his Chess.com profile to seemingly accuse Hikaru of cheating in a cryptic message.
Kramnik references an individual’s extraordinary performance in three-minute blitz games and shares statistics that he believes many would find “interesting.” The post clearly points toward Hikaru’s performances of late and raises cheating concerns and allegations.
Hikaru, who recently set a new all-time Chess.com Blitz rating record, has now responded to the accusations after yet another grandmaster, Ian Nepomniachtchi, tweeted a screenshot of Kramnik’s message, adding fuel to the fire.
Chess.comHikaru immediately questioned the intent behind Kramnik’s profile update and Nepomniachtchi’s tweet, labeling them as “garbage.”
“Vladimir appears to be referencing my record…is he really accusing me of cheating?” Hikaru tweeted. “[Ian Nepomniachtchi] are you jumping on this accusation as well by tweeting this garbage??”
Hikaru is regarded as one of the top chess players in the world and is best known for his rapid and blitz chess skills. The accusation comes just days after Hikaru shattered the Chess.com blitz rating record, achieving a new high of 3336, surpassing his previous record.
Hikaru’s chess knowledge and ability are so incredible that even popular streamer Tyler1, who has turned to Chess.com in recent months, hilariously reacted to his puzzle-solving skills in a viral video.
This isn’t the first time Kramnik has publicly accused a player of cheating, having previously announced that he’ll boycott Chess.com after stating the site harbors “obvious cheaters” following a defeat to Hans Niemann.
Much like this time, Kramnik used his Chess.com profile to seemingly accuse Niemann of cheating non-directly before stating, “I promise I will continue trying my best to save chess from this disease.”
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