FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission issues a decision in case involving GM Vladimir Kramnik
The FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission (EDC) has issued its decision in disciplinary proceedings involving former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. The EDC is an independent judicial body within FIDE responsible for considering alleged violations of the FIDE Ethics Code and Disciplinary Code. It operates independently from the FIDE President, Management Board, and other elected bodies and reaches its decisions in accordance with the FIDE Statutes and its Procedural Rules. The proceedings arose from complaints submitted by the FIDE Management Board and the FIDE Fair Play Commission concerning a sustained series of public statements and social media posts made by GM Kramnik about GM David Navara and the late GM Daniel Naroditsky as well as other players. Following a comprehensive review of the evidence and submissions from all parties, the EDC found GM Kramnik responsible for multiple violations of the FIDE Ethics Code and Disciplinary Code. The Chamber found that his conduct breached provisions relating to the right to dignity and respectful treatment, safeguarding the dignity of individuals, bullying and cyberbullying, psychological abuse, responsibility as a role model, failure to cooperate with the Fair Play Commission’s investigation, and false or unjustified public accusations. At the same time, the Commission dismissed several other charges, including alleged violations relating to integrity, honesty, responsibility and accountability, as well as causing reputational harm to FIDE, concluding that these had not been established to the required standard. In its decision, the EDC emphasized that combating cheating remains one of FIDE’s highest priorities. At the same time, it underlined that allegations of cheating must be handled through FIDE’s established confidential procedures and supported by appropriate evidence. The Commission concluded that publicly associating identifiable players with cheating suspicions without sufficient institutional verification exposed those players to unjustified reputational and psychological harm and was incompatible with the standards expected of members of the FIDE family. The Chamber also noted that the proceedings were not intended to determine the scientific validity of GM Kramnik’s anti-cheating methodology itself. While acknowledging the value of continued research and innovation in fair play, it concluded that the available evidence did not permit a definitive assessment of the methodology because it had not been fully disclosed and the investigation was therefore based on incomplete information. The disciplinary findings instead concerned the manner in which allegations were communicated publicly and their impact on other members of the chess community. Having considered both aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the EDC imposed a two-year worldwide ban from participating in FIDE chess competitions or acting in official chess functions. The final 12 months of the ban have been suspended for a probationary period of three years, meaning the active suspension is one year provided no further breaches occur during probation. In addition, the Chamber imposed 12 months of unpaid service for the benefit of the chess community as a supplementary sanction. The decision may be appealed to the FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission Appeal Chamber within 21 days in accordance with the EDC Procedural Rules. The full decision of the FIDE Ethics & Disciplinary Commission is available [HERE].
Jan Emmanuel Garcia and Mhage Gerriahlou Sebastian triumph at 2026 Philippine Championship
IM Jan Emmanuel Garcia and untitled Mhage Gerriahlou Sebastian are the newly crowned Philippine chess champions. The 2026 edition of the national championship, held in the Open (the Battle of Grandmasters) and Women’s (Women Selection) sections, took place from June 25 to July 2 at the Philippine Academy for Chess Excellence in Quezon City. The women’s event served as a qualifier for the upcoming Chess Olympiad, with two slots in the national team at stake. The Open event, a 14-player round-robin with classical time control, featured a close race between second seed Garcia and ninth seed GM Darwin Laylo. Heading into Round 10, Garcia, on 7/9, was just half a point ahead of his main rival. However, Laylo suffered a defeat at the hands of IM Michael Concio, allowing Garcia to pull away. In the remaining rounds, Laylo narrowed the gap but still finished half a point behind Garcia, who clinched the title with an excellent score of 9.5/13. The champion became the only undefeated player in the event. Concio completed the podium with 8.5/13. Final standings – Battle of Grandmasters The Women Selection, an eight-player double round-robin, was an even more tightly contested tournament, with Sebastian and WFM Shania Mae Mendoza entering the final round tied for the top position on 8/13. Sebastian pulled off a crucial victory over WFM Allanney Jia Doroy to claim the title, as Mendoza could only manage a draw against WFM Cherry Ann Mejia. Doroy and WFM Bernadette Galas finished on 7.5/14, with Doroy taking bronze thanks to a superior tiebreak (a greater number of victories). Final standings – Women Selection The closing ceremony was attended FST/GM Jayson Gonzales, GM Eugene Torre, and NM Jose Rafael “Jojo” Legaspi, who delivered short speeches and presented the awards to the champions and top finishers. Photos: National Chess Federation of Philippines (NCFP) Facebook