Chess body investigates Vladimir Kramnik, who accused Daniel Naroditsky of cheating : NPR

The International Chess Federation is investigating the Russian grandmaster over cheating allegations he made against other elite players, including 29-year-old American grandmaster and YouTube sensation Daniel Naroditsky, who died earlier this week.

The world governing body for chess, known as FIDE, said Wednesday it is looking into statements Vladimir Kramnik made “both before and after the tragic death of grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky” to determine whether the Russian chess legend should face disciplinary action.

“Recently, public debates in the chess world have too often gone beyond what is acceptable, harming not only people’s reputations, but also their well-being,” said FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich. in the statement on the organization's website.

“When this happens, discussions can escalate into harassment, bullying and personal attacks, which is especially troubling in today's environment,” Dvorkovich added.

FIDE did not immediately respond to a request for comment detailing the stages of the investigation and possible disciplinary action.

News about Death of Naroditsky shocked the chess community and left many of its fans and supporters searching for answers.

The Charlotte Chess Center in North Carolina, where Naroditsky worked as a coach, did not immediately disclose the cause of death.

Naroditsky was remembered by his peers as a player of great skill who remained humble despite his talents.

In addition to teaching other players, Naroditsky maintained successful accounts on YouTube and Twitch, where he grew a fandom among other chess enthusiasts and introduced the game to a new generation of players.

In what seemed his latest stream Last week on Twitch, Naroditsky appeared agitated and irritable at times as he described the stress that Kramnik's accusations had caused him. He explained why he felt the need to oppose public revelations of the Russian player.

“And you know, of course, there are people who will say: “Okay, sure, whatever, but how will this affect your livelihood? … Even if some grandmaster [grandmaster] If he thinks like that, what’s the difference?” Naroditsky said live.

“It’s shocking to me too, because that’s literally what legacy is. This is all I have,” he said.

“If I knew that some of the most influential figures in the chess world, you know, were of the opinion that I was a completely morally bankrupt person, it would mean a complete failure of literally everything … my reason for waking up in the morning,” Naroditsky said.

On social media, Kramnik, a former world champion considered one of the greatest of all time, described what he called FIDE's “offensive and unfair” “campaign” against him.

Naroditsky is not the first chess player to find himself in conflict with a Russian chess giant. 50-year-old Kramnik groundlessly accused Several of his younger competitors cheated, causing his account on the popular website Chess.com to be disabled in 2023.

In a series of rants on social media on Wednesday, Kramnik escalated his accusations: letter: “Of the outstanding players, you all know their names, but you won’t [disclose] this is public… #chessmafia must be held accountable.”

Kramnik wrote that Naroditsky’s supporters were “falsely accuse“he was blamed for the death of a chess streamer and threatened with legal action against people involved in these statements.

Without providing any evidence, Kramnik stated that there were attempts to hide “the real truth about [circumstances] and the reason for this [tragedy]”

To honor Naroditsky's memory, FIDE announced this week that establish a special prize in his name.