As we reported on Monday, the family of 29-year-old Daniel (“Danya”) Naroditsky announced his passing. He was found unconscious on a couch in his home by friends on October 19. As of now, no official cause of death has been released by family, authorities, or the medical examiner. There are no reports of foul play, and the family has asked for privacy during this time.
Some speculation in media and online discussions has linked his death to stress, depression, and emotional struggles possibly exacerbated by public accusations and harassment, but there has been no confirmation from authorities or the family regarding any particular cause. Official statements refer only to his death as “unexpected”.
Over the past year, Vladimir Kramnik publicly expressed suspicions in social media and other public forums that Daniel Naroditsky might be cheating in online chess games – without providing substantial evidence to back his claims. These accusations led to a significant and widely noted feud between the two, resulting in immense public scrutiny and distress for Naroditsky, who refuted all claims and revealed the emotional burden it caused him during his last Twitch stream.
Kramnik called for investigations into Naroditsky’s online results and implied that certain patterns in his play were “unnatural” or “computer-like,” which he used as the primary basis for his suspicions. Despite these public remarks, no specific games or technical analyses from Kramnik were cited as direct evidence, and the claims were widely criticized by prominent members of the chess community as unsubstantiated and harmful.
Notably, Kramnik persisted in these claims across several platforms and even referenced the controversy after Naroditsky’s death by sharing cryptic messages and insisting he was not responsible, while still questioning Naroditsky’s integrity. The lack of evidence and the continued nature of the accusations led to widespread backlash and an official investigation by FIDE into whether Kramnik’s actions constituted harassment or bullying.
After Naroditsky’s death, Kramnik posted: “Too high price paid, but if I was the only person shouting about obvious long-term problems of Danya becoming alarming, requiring urgent measures from people around, while ‘friends’ only cared about hiding it and erase evidence, it’s rotten to the core,” again alluding to cheating and substance abuse.
We leave it at that, there are sure to be extensive repercussions, and the stories will fill the news, chess or straight.
Here’s Magnus Carlsen’s take on the matter: