‘No Time For Noise’: Indian Chess GM Vidit Gujrathi After Online Debate With Liver Doc Escalates

By News18

Amid an ongoing online spat with Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, Indian Chess Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi has hit back, stating that while he initially chose to remain silent, he was compelled to respond after the debate turned into “mockery of his family.”
It all began with a post on Doctor’s Day. Vidit, on July 1, shared a selfie with his family members, including his father, mother, wife, and sister, along with the message “Happy Doctor’s Day to my entire family.”
After one X user asked about the specialties in their profession, Vidit said, “My father is an Ayurvedic migraine specialist, my wife is an MD homoeopathy, my mom does cosmetology, and my sister is a physiotherapist.”
However, Dr. Philips, popularly known as The Liver Doc, was quick to respond, saying, “I am sorry, but none of them are really doctors.”
The row escalated with Gujrathi asking him to “stay in his lane and try being useful.”
“Your entire brand and personality is built on insulting others. While you chase retweets by tearing people down, my family quietly heals lives without needing a spotlight. They’ve helped more people than your ego can count. Stay in your lane. And for a change, try being useful,” responded the chess player.

I made a simple post out of gratitude.
I chose silence at first, because not every conversation deserves a response.
But when it turned into mocking my family, I stepped in.
If that means stepping out of my lane, so be it.
You and trolls like you don’t get to decide who’s a… https://t.co/jIno3uvvZ1
— Vidit Gujrathi (@viditchess) July 3, 2025

The Liver Doc replied back in a long post by saying he didn’t intend to insult Vidit Gujrathi’s family, but stood by his criticism of calling non-MBBS practitioners “doctors.” He clarified that Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and Cosmetology aren’t clinical medicine, and promoting them as such misleads public health. He emphasized his medical credentials, accused Vidit of ignorance, and ended by advising him to stick to chess and avoid spreading medical misinformation.
Vidit Gujrathi has now again hit back and wrote on X, “I made a simple post out of gratitude. I chose silence at first, because not every conversation deserves a response. But when it turned into mocking my family, I stepped in. If that means stepping out of my lane, so be it.”
“You and trolls like you don’t get to decide who’s a doctor. You have no authority to define others lives or dismiss their work. I’ve said my part. Now, back to what actually matters. No time for noise,” he added.

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