In October 19, American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, 29, was found dead in his Charlotte, North Carolina home. Police say Naroditsky’s friends returned to check on him after he failed to respond to messages and found him unresponsive on his couch; a medic later pronounced him dead. Authorities list the death as a possible suicide or overdose, and no final cause has been released. Naroditsky’s family and his club, the Charlotte Chess Center, have asked for privacy and emphasized remembering him for “his passion and love for the game”.
In the hours before his death, Naroditsky had hosted a long-streamed “bullet” chess session. Viewers noted he appeared exhausted and agitated. As one friend urged him to log off, Naroditsky muttered “deep breaths” and rubbed his temples between games. He confessed on camera that he felt under siege by public doubts: “I feel like if I start doing well, people assume the worst of intentions”. After ending the stream, Naroditsky stayed up late with friends talking about how much the weight of cheating accusations had been affecting him. “Kramnik’s accusations caused Daniel immense emotional pain,” said longtime friend and coach Peter Giannatos, reflecting on how the allegations tormented Naroditsky over a prolonged period.
A week later, Naroditsky’s friends—grandmaster Oleksandr Bortnyk and Giannatos—went to his house and found him unconscious. Emergency personnel arrived at about 7:11 p.m. on Oct. 19 and later pronounced him dead. His club announced his unexpected passing on Oct. 20, praising Naroditsky as a “talented chess player, commentator and educator” admired around the world. As the news spread, the chess community reacted with shock and mourning.
Anti-cheating accusations and their fallout
Naroditsky had recently become entangled in a heated anti-cheating campaign led by former world champion Vladimir Kramnik. Beginning in late 2023, Kramnik used social media to raise doubts about several top players’ online games. In May 2024 he even published a list of names he suspected of cheating, naming Naroditsky among them. Kramnik called himself a “fair play advocate” and maintained he was not formally accusing anyone, merely raising “argumentized suspicion” about possible engine use.
The public allegations had visibly distressed Naroditsky. He spoke candidly in his final stream about how the rumors undermined his confidence, even affecting his sense of purpose. At one point he said that if “the most influential movers and shakers of the chess world” considered him “morally bankrupt,” that would mean the failure of everything that gave him reason to wake up. Friends say that even Naroditsky’s clear tournament results did little to dispel the shadow of doubt. “He told me some players had questioned his honesty after Kramnik’s posts,” Giannatos said. “Even winning couldn’t erase what this was doing to him.”
Kramnik has denied any intent to harm Naroditsky. In a social media statement after Naroditsky’s death, he expressed condolences and wrote that efforts to link the tragedy to him “cross all boundaries of basic human morality”. He offered to cooperate with any inquiry and said that he had previously raised concerns about Naroditsky’s play when he thought there was evidence. Kramnik has also threatened legal action against those accusing him of wrongdoing, saying that false allegations have caused him and his family distress.
Meanwhile, other grandmasters weighed in. Some players argued that the burden of unfounded cheating claims had been too much to bear. For example, Czech GM David Navara, who was similarly targeted by Kramnik, reported that he became depressed and even sought psychiatric help after the accusations. The Niemann–Carlsen scandal of 2022 looms in the background as well, a reminder of how explosive the topic of cheating has become in chess.
Chess.com moves quickly
Chess.com, the world’s largest online chess platform and home to Naroditsky’s huge fan base, took a firm stance. In fact, reports show that Chess.com had already muted Kramnik’s account in 2023 after he launched earlier baseless cheating accusations. After Naroditsky’s death, the company imposed additional sanctions on Kramnik’s account, a step it did of its own accord. Chess.com Chief Chess Officer Danny Rensch confirmed that the site “imposed sanctions against Kramnik” for his comments about Naroditsky and other players.
Rensch acknowledged the chess community had mixed reactions to these moves. “We did that in the face of criticism…some people said we were trying to control the conversation or censor,” he told the Washington Post. But Rensch defended the decision as necessary, saying simply, “This is crossing a real line, and this is not okay.” He added that he regretted FIDE had not acted sooner, because Chess.com felt it needed to protect the integrity of its platform. Chess.com has sophisticated anti-cheating measures – Rensch noted their system can shut down “thousands of anonymous accounts” every day when it detects engine use – and the company said it was applying its own rules to counter unsubstantiated claims.
Rensch also praised Naroditsky’s role in the online community. He recalled that Naroditsky had “taken the most pride not in playing brilliant chess moves but in helping the game be understood by the masses”. Naroditsky’s skill in fast “bullet” chess made him popular with young fans, and he had amassed nearly half a million YouTube subscribers. (He had become a “fixture in ‘bullet’ chess,” a blitz format popular on streaming sites.) With his death, Chess.com announced tributes such as renaming its Speed Chess Championship trophy in Naroditsky’s honor. Rensch called Naroditsky “more than an amazing, inspirational face of our game…he was a friend and brother” and said the loss was devastating to the chess world.
FIDE’s investigation and response
The international chess federation FIDE, by contrast, acted only after the outcry following Naroditsky’s death. On Oct. 20 (the day after news broke), FIDE announced it would investigate all of Kramnik’s public statements related to Naroditsky. This inquiry was described as an ethics review of Kramnik’s comments “both before and after the tragic death” of Naroditsky. FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich later confirmed that the matter would be formally referred to FIDE’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commission “for independent consideration”.
The delay in action drew criticism from some corners of the chess world. A petition on Change.org quickly gathered more than 50,000 signatures calling on FIDE to strip Kramnik of his titles. Some grandmasters suggested boycotting FIDE events in protest. Dvorkovich has acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue. In public remarks, he stressed that “human life and dignity are fundamental values” and noted that Kramnik’s status as a former world champion “brings a responsibility to uphold the principles of fairness and respect”. He also cautioned against letting online discourse become toxic, saying that when chess debates “move beyond the boundaries of acceptable,” they risk sliding into “harassment, bullying, and personal attacks”.
Meanwhile, FIDE has launched its own commemoration: it announced a special prize in Naroditsky’s memory. The goal, officials say, is to honor his contributions to the game. Naroditsky’s death has also prompted internal soul-searching at FIDE. For example, FIDE ethics chair Sharad Chauhan and other officials have had to review how the organization handles online accusations and what safeguards are needed.
A wider clash over cheating enforcement
The Naroditsky case has highlighted long-running tensions between FIDE and online platforms like Chess.com over cheating enforcement. Chess.com operates with its own fair-play policies and sophisticated algorithms, and it can impose bans or account restrictions immediately. In contrast, FIDE must navigate international law, evidence standards and slow disciplinary procedures. As computer scientist Ken Regan, an anti-cheating expert advising FIDE, observed: “When you’re in a legal environment…things go slowly. On social media, things go quickly”.
These different worlds have sometimes clashed. Rensch noted that Chess.com’s early action was even criticized by some FIDE-affiliated figures as overreach. “We were accused of trying to control the conversation,” he said. The Washington Post described “fractures” between FIDE and Chess.com, as the online site felt compelled to act while FIDE hesitated. In past controversies this divide was apparent too: for example, when Magnus Carlsen withdrew from a tournament over cheating suspicions in 2022, FIDE’s investigation moved cautiously under legal constraints, whereas Chess.com later handed out bans for Niemann in related cases.
Today, Chess.com remains an independent arbiter of fair play on its platform, while FIDE focuses on official events and formal ethics cases. The Naroditsky episode has only sharpened the debate. Chess.com argues it protects its players and community in real time, whereas FIDE acknowledges it must ensure due process. Both sides now say they are reviewing their procedures.
Legacy and lessons
As the investigations continue, Naroditsky’s friends and the broader chess community have paid tribute to his life. World champion Magnus Carlsen called him “a resource to the chess community,” and American GM Hikaru Nakamura said Naroditsky was “the best of us”. His mother and family have also spoken out: “There was nothing more important to Daniel than his dignity and his name as a chess player,” she told media, underscoring his pride in his work.
For now, no one is drawing conclusions about cause or blame. Police and officials urge patience until toxicology and medical investigations are complete. Meanwhile, many in chess say the focus should be on Naroditsky’s contributions as a player, writer and teacher. In his statement announcing Naroditsky’s death, the Charlotte Chess Center asked that the 29-year-old be remembered for the joy he brought to others rather than the tragedy that followed. The hope among leaders is that the controversy leads to a more civil culture around online play: one that guards against harassment but also avoids unproven public accusations.
Sources: Reporting is based on The Washington Post (Nov. 3, 2025) and other outlets, including statements and interviews with Peter Giannatos, Danny Rensch and Arkady Dvorkovich. All quotes are from verified public sources.
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.
