The mother of American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky has spoken publicly for the first time about her son’s sudden death, revealing the emotional toll that months of cheating accusations took on the 29-year-old before he was found dead in his home in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to Daily Mail.
Police confirmed they are awaiting toxicology results to determine whether the cause was suicide or an accidental overdose. There were no signs of foul play. The discovery was made by Naroditsky’s close friend and fellow grandmaster Oleksandr Bortnyk, who went to check on him after being unable to reach him over the weekend.
Speaking from her home in California, Elena Naroditsky described her son as “a brilliant, loving, and deeply sensitive soul” who had been tormented by accusations of cheating in online chess games.
“For Daniel, there was nothing more important than his dignity and his name as a chess player,” she said. “He worked his whole life for it — and then one person kept saying he was a cheater.”
That person, she said, was former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, who had repeatedly accused Naroditsky of using computer assistance in online games over the past year. The Russian grandmaster’s campaign — which began in 2023 and continued through 2025 — targeted numerous players, but Naroditsky had become one of his most frequent subjects of suspicion.
A Life Cut Short
Naroditsky was found lifeless on his couch Sunday. Bortnyk, who entered the apartment after noticing the television still on, later described the moment in a Twitch livestream, visibly shaken.
“I told him, ‘Danya, don’t worry about anything. I love you so much,’” Bortnyk recalled. “I’m grateful those were my last words to him.”
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has not yet released an official cause of death, but early reports suggest no evidence of a break-in or violence. Family members said Naroditsky had planned to fly to California this week to celebrate his birthday on November 9 and meet his newborn nephew.
“It’s unbearable,” his mother said. “He had plans, he was happy to see us, and suddenly everything is gone.”
A Beloved Figure in the Chess World
Known affectionately to fans as “Danya,” Naroditsky was more than a top player — he was one of chess’s most popular educators and streamers. A Stanford University graduate, he became an international master at 13, wrote his first book Mastering Positional Chess at 14, and earned the grandmaster title at 18.
His commentaries on Twitch and YouTube, often praised for their humor, insight, and warmth, attracted hundreds of thousands of followers. Many fans described him as one of the game’s most inspiring teachers — a rare mix of elite skill and kindness.
“He was brilliant, funny, and patient,” said Croatian YouTuber Antonio Radić (Agadmator). “You could listen to him for hours — he made complex chess ideas sound like poetry.”
American grandmaster Hans Niemann, who grew up in the same Bay Area chess scene, said Naroditsky had encouraged him as a child.
“He was generous with advice when I was nine,” Niemann wrote. “His kindness and love for the game left a lasting mark on me.”
The Shadow of Accusations
In recent months, however, Naroditsky had spoken openly about the distress caused by Kramnik’s public claims that he, along with several other grandmasters, had used “engines” — chess software capable of suggesting perfect moves — during online matches.
During an interview on the C-Squared Podcast last year, Naroditsky said he initially thought Kramnik’s accusations would fade. “I thought he’d make a few crazy videos and move on,” he said. “But it turned into a sustained attempt to destroy my life. I’m tired of mincing words — he is trying to ruin my life.”
He added that the accusations made him feel trapped: “Ever since the Kramnik stuff, if I start doing well, people assume the worst. The lingering effect is the hardest part.”
Kramnik, who reigned as world champion from 2000 to 2006, has spent much of the past two years posting statistical analyses on social media, claiming to expose “unnatural patterns” in online play. His critics say his methods are unscientific and his tone, reckless.
A Divided Chess Community
Kramnik’s crusade has split the chess world. Some of his followers support his stated mission to protect fair play, while many top players and fans accuse him of harassment and defamation.
In 2023, Kramnik clashed publicly with Hikaru Nakamura, the five-time U.S. champion, accusing him of an “improbable” 46-game unbeaten streak on Chess.com. The platform later stated that Kramnik’s claims “lacked statistical merit” and eventually muted his account.
The same platform was at the center of the earlier Hans Niemann vs. Magnus Carlsen controversy, which ignited global debate over online cheating and trust in detection algorithms. Kramnik has referred to those involved — Carlsen, Nakamura, and Chess.com — as the “chess mafia,” claiming they manipulate narratives around cheating cases. The term has since been used mockingly by some of his followers.
But even those disputes pale in comparison to the fallout from Naroditsky’s death.
FIDE Steps In
The International Chess Federation (FIDE), which governs world chess, issued a rare and strongly worded statement from its president Arkady Dvorkovich on October 22.
“Human life and dignity are fundamental values shared by all of us,” Dvorkovich wrote. “In recent times, public debate within the chess world has too often moved beyond the boundaries of acceptable, harming not only people’s reputation but their well-being.”
Dvorkovich announced that FIDE would refer “all relevant public statements made by GM Vladimir Kramnik — both before and after the tragic death of GM Daniel Naroditsky — to the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission for independent consideration.”
He added that the federation would take action against “any case where a lack of respect, public harassment, or bullying is observed within the chess community.”
The statement marks the first time FIDE has publicly linked Kramnik’s online behavior to possible disciplinary review. Earlier in June, the organization had created a “task force” to assess Kramnik’s self-proposed statistical methods for identifying cheating, saying they “deserve careful review.” However, the review’s progress remains unclear.
Calls for Accountability
In the wake of Naroditsky’s death, players and fans have expressed anger toward Kramnik’s relentless accusations.
Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin, who had played Naroditsky thousands of times online, wrote: “When respected figures spread unfounded allegations without accountability, real lives are destroyed. Daniel’s smile faded after the attacks began. We all saw it.”
Others have urged the chess community to take a hard look at its culture of public shaming. Commentators noted that while the fight against cheating is legitimate, it must not come at the expense of players’ mental health.
Chess.com, which hosts most of the world’s online elite tournaments, said in a statement that its investigations found “the vast majority” of Kramnik’s accusations baseless. “We met with him numerous times and reviewed his data carefully,” the platform said. “His conclusions were statistically unsound.”
Searching for Meaning
As tributes pour in, Naroditsky’s family is preparing for a funeral in California. His mother said she hopes her son’s death will remind people that online words can have real consequences.
“Daniel gave everything to chess,” she said. “But he also gave everything to the people around him. He cared deeply about his students, his fans, and the game itself. What broke him was not chess — it was the cruelty that surrounded it.”
Meanwhile, Kramnik has not retracted his statements. In a post on X, he wrote that “this recent tragedy should be investigated by police,” suggesting that “there are too many huge financial interests involved to be sure about it being just an incident.”
That remark has sparked outrage, with many interpreting it as an attempt to deflect blame. As of now, FIDE’s Ethics Commission has not commented on whether disciplinary measures will be taken.
I’m the senior editor of Attacking Chess, a keen chess player, rated above 2300 in chess.com. You can challenge me or asking questions at Chess.com.
