Chess community mourns Naroditsky, criticises Russian rival over cheating claims Son of Ukrainian, Azerbaijani emigrants: Daniel Naroditsky

The World Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced that it is investigating former world champion Vladimir Kramnik’s public attacks on US grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, whose sudden death under yet unknown circumstances at age 29 has sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability.

The chess governing body made the announcement on October 22, following the unexpected death of the American chess prodigy — the son of Jewish emigrants from Ukraine and Azerbaijan — as reported by NBC News.

While neither Naroditsky’s chess club — which first announced his death — nor authorities have yet disclosed a cause of death, speculation about the circumstances has already surfaced online.

Naroditsky’s passing has sent shockwaves through the global chess community. Many top players have condemned Kramnik, accusing him of launching a sustained online campaign of harassment after repeatedly alleging that Naroditsky cheated in online matches, igniting a long-running feud between the two.

They said Naroditsky was bullied relentlessly online by Russian former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, with some calling for Kramnik to be banned from the game.

Kramnik, who held the world title from 2000 to 2007, has accused numerous players of cheating online. He first raised “concerns” about Naroditsky’s play last year. Kramnik frequently posted online about the US-born grandmaster, demanding investigations into his games and at times appearing to threaten legal action.

In an October 2024 interview, Naroditsky described Kramnik’s behaviour as “a sustained, evil and absolutely unhinged attempt to destroy my life.”

“He said he was under immense stress due to a lot of baseless accusations — headed by Kramnik, of course,” Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin, who said he was the last to play Naroditsky, told The Indian Express following news of his death.

American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura also reacted with anger after learning of Naroditsky’s death, writing on social media that Kramnik could “go rot in hell,” while former world champion Magnus Carlsen said in a live broadcast that his treatment of Naroditsky was “horrible.”

Baku-born Emil Sutovsky, FIDE’s CEO, told Reuters that the organization was “looking into” Kramnik’s year-long campaign accusing Naroditsky of online cheating.

Naroditsky, a well-known online commentator and streamer, had become one of the most recognizable figures in the world of online chess. According to media reports, he appeared visibly distressed during his final Twitch broadcast last weekend. In the now-deleted video, he spoke about the emotional toll of the controversy and denied any wrongdoing.

The grandmaster, who people close to him simply referred to as 'Danya', was the son of Jewish immigrants — his father, Vladimir, from Ukraine, and his mother, Elena, a pianist from Azerbaijan. Born and raised in San Mateo County, California, Naroditsky was described by his parents, who introduced him to chess at age six, as a serious child with an exceptional memory and focus. He later studied history at Stanford University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2019 after taking a year off to compete in chess tournaments.

By Nazrin Sadigova