The international chess federation, FIDE, is investigating former world champion Vladimir Kramnik after his public accusations of cheating against US grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, whose unexpected death at age 29 has outraged other chess champions. The cause of Naroditsky's death has not been disclosed. FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky tells Reuters the organization is looking into Kramnik's yearlong campaign, which accused Naroditsky of online cheating. Kramnik, 50, has pointed the finger at numerous professional chess players in recent years, accusing them of cheating without providing evidence, El Pais reports.
Naroditsky, a well-known chess commentator and streamer widely known as Danya, consistently denied the allegations. In his final Twitch broadcast, which has since been deleted, Naroditsky appeared visibly upset and spoke about the emotional strain caused by the controversy. Top figures in the chess world have sharply criticized Kramnik's actions.
- "The relentless, baseless accusations and public interrogations he faced in recent months caused him immense pressure and pain," Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin said in a post on X. "This has to stop. When respected figures spread unfounded allegations without accountability, real lives are destroyed." He added: "Daniel's smile faded after the attacks began. We all saw it. The chess world has lost one of its brightest lights." Kramnik, he said, "needs to pay for what he's doing."
World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura condemned Kramnik during a livestream after Naroditsky's death, using strong language to describe the Russian grandmaster's behavior. Former world champion Magnus Carlsen called Kramnik's treatment of Naroditsky "horrible." In posts on X, Kramnik, who ended Garry Kasparov's long reign as world champion in 2000, said, "Without a doubt, this recent tragedy should be investigated by police, there are too many huge financial interests involved to be sure about it being just an incident." He said a friend had told him about Naroditsky's final Twitch broadcast and warned about the "chess mafia."
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In a post on X Wednesday, Sutovsky said Kramnik's "reaction on Danya's passing is appalling and outright shameful. FIDE is not a court of justice, but we will act within our jurisdiction." FIDE has offered condolences to Naroditsky's family and announced plans to honor him with a special award recognizing his contributions to chess as a player, teacher, and commentator.
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