The chess world has been fraught with cheating allegations, including $100 million lawsuits, and one of the most vocal critics of cheating has been Vladimir Kramnik himself. Known for his advocacy for fair play, Kramnik recently participated in and won the “Clash of Blames” against José Martínez Alcántara, a match that highlighted the importance of addressing cheating in both online and over-the-board chess.
In a move to solidify his stance and offer an example in transparency, as well as address persistent rumours dating back to the 2006 World Championship match against Veselin Topalov—often referred to as “Toiletgate”—Kramnik voluntarily took a polygraph test. The test, administered with the facilitation of Pinkerton, the famous detective agency, by Global Polygraph Solutions,
Did Kramnik communicate in any way designed to assist him in cheating during the 2006 World Chess Championship against Topalov? (Answer: NO)
Has Kramnik cheated in any online chess games or tournaments since June 2019? (Answer: NO)
Has Kramnik ever been offered a bribe to deliberately lose a chess match since becoming a top 10 player? (Answer: YES)
The polygraph results were clear: Kramnik was found to be truthful on all accounts, with “No Deception Indicated.” This outcome not only reaffirms Kramnik’s integrity but also underscores the effectiveness of polygraph testing as a tool to verify the truth.
