Former world chess champion, Vladimir Kramnik, has refuted any involvement in the demise of Daniel Naroditsky and is determined to vindicate himself through legal proceedings. Naroditsky was discovered deceased on Sunday, October 20, at his residence in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Known for live-streaming his matches on Twitch to an audience of over half a million subscribers, Naroditsky’s gameplay footage was previously available on YouTube. In an interview with Al Arabiya’s Michael Prendergast, Kramnik dismissed any responsibility for the American Grandmaster’s death amidst a wave of accusations. The ex-champion emphasized his stance on combating cheating in online chess.
Expressing sorrow over the situation, Kramnik clarified, “I never accused Daniel of cheating, I only sought to examine the evidence.” He further detailed the distressing state Naroditsky was in before his passing and his immediate call for assistance on Instagram.
Kramnik intends to exonerate himself with supporting evidence and has criticized FIDE and Chess.com for allegedly targeting him as a “scapegoat.” He revealed receiving death threats and emphasized the need for fairness and transparency in the chess community.
During Naroditsky’s last stream, his friends Peter Giannatos and Oleksandr Bortnyk were engaged in conversation with him. Giannatos, the head of Charlotte Chess Centre, and Bortnyk, a Ukrainian grandmaster, interacted with Naroditsky as he expressed a desire to continue playing before retiring for the night.
Naroditsky’s reference to Kramnik’s cheating allegations prompted a response from Sutovsky, CEO of FIDE, indicating a referral to the ethics and disciplinary committee. The deceased player lamented feeling unfairly judged post-Kramnik’s comments, with Giannatos reassuring him against proving himself to skeptics.