Vladimir Kramnik is under investigation.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) confirmed that it is investigating comments made by the 50-year-old Russian chess grandmaster following the “unexpected” passing of American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, who died at 29.
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In a statement, FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich confirmed that they are looking into statements made by the Russian player before and after Daniel‘s death.
“I, along with the FIDE Management Board, will formally 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 said.
Vladimir had reportedly accused Daniel of cheating during online matches, which Daniel denied, per NBC News.
Vladimir reportedly has a history of making cheating allegations, and his blog on Chess.com was closed in the past. Multiple prominent chess figures also condemned the Russian player, per USA Today.
The statement from the FIDE also acknowledged bullying is a concern in the chess community.
Human life and dignity are fundamental values shared by all of us. While we hold deep respect and love for the game of chess that unites our community, these values must always come first.
In recent times, public debate within the chess world has too often moved beyond the… pic.twitter.com/YeKXV3Z0gX
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) October 22, 2025
“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 very well-being. When this happens, discussions can turn into harassment, bullying, and personal attacks — a particularly serious concern in today’s environment,” he said. See the full statement above.
In his final YouTube video on October 17, days before his death, Daniel opened up about his hiatus from making videos.
“I know that the episodes have been few and far between. I’ve been sort of taking a kind of creative break, deciding future avenues of content. I won’t delve too much into it now because I know everybody’s excited for some chess games,” he said.
USA Today reported that the late chess player seemed “visibly distressed in his final Twitch broadcast” on October 18, addressing the cheating allegations and its toll on him,. The video was deleted from his official Twitch account, but a copy was reportedly uploaded to YouTube.
“Daniel was a talented chess player, educator, and beloved member of the chess community. We ask for privacy as the family grieves,” the Charlotte Chess Center said in a statement on October 20.