This undated photo released by the Charlotte Chess Center shows Daniel Naroditsky playing chess on a chessboard. (Kelly Centrelli/Charlotte Chess Center via AP American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky breathed his last on Sunday at the age of 29, his family confirmed on Monday. Known as “Danya” in the chess community, Naroditsky was one of the world’s leading blitz players and a well-known chess commentator, author and content creator.
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There is no word yet on the cause of death, however former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik has accused foul play, hinted at possible drug use and claimed that those close to Naroditsky ignored symptoms of anxiety.
‘I hope it will be properly investigated’: Kramnik hints at substance abuse
Vladimir Kramnik, who previously accused Naroditsky of cheating in 2024, shared screenshots on social media from a private message sent by a viewer who watched Naroditsky’s final stream. The report expressed concern about Naroditsky’s condition and questioned whether he was under the influence of drugs.
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Kramnik shared a screenshot on Twitter: “What exactly happened? Because I got this two days ago from my friend, a chess fan, and at least I did what I could to warn people to do something urgently in my posts. To those who prefer to blame and shame instead of help. A terrible tragedy, I hope it is properly investigated.” Before Naroditsky’s death was confirmed, Kramnik posted several tweets suggesting the streamer was “on something other than sleeping pills.” After the news broke, he continued to criticize those close to Naroditsky, claiming they had ignored signs of serious trouble. In another tweet, he wrote: “Too high a price paid, but if I was the only one screaming about Danya’s obvious long-term issues becoming alarming and requiring urgent action from those around me, while ‘friends’ only cared about covering it up and erasing the evidence, it’s rotten to the core.”
How the relationship between Kramnik and Naroditsky developed — from public spectacles
The controversy that has cast a long shadow over Daniel Naroditsky’s final year began when Vladimir Kramnik publicly accused him of cheating in early 2024 through a series of online posts. Kramnik claimed that Naroditsky used the second screen to control the chess engines, a serious allegation that undermines the integrity of a professional player. Ranked in the top 75 in Rapid and top 25 in Blitz, Naroditsky had to defend himself in the court of public opinion. He vehemently denied the allegations, saying that Kramnik had misinterpreted his streaming settings. In a raw and emotional reaction, Naroditsky described the former world champion as “worse than dirt” for making such damaging claims without concrete evidence. The allegations forced Naroditsky to post detailed videos defending his setup and playstyle, an ordeal that visibly affected the popular streamer, International Business Times UK reported.
