Vladimir Kramnik Again Levels Cheating Allegations at Naroditsky Amid GM Death Controversy

Last Updated:October 26, 2025, 08:30 IST

Vladimir Kramnik responds to criticism over Daniel Naroditsky's death, addressing cheating accusations and social media backlash from top chess players.

Vladimir Kramnik has been facing immense flak over Daniel Naroditsky's death (Picture credit: AP)

Russian chess Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik has said that the tragic event of Daniel Naroditsky’s death has become a chance for some to exploit for their own interests and to launch a cynical campaign of harassment against him, after he was severely slammed for his comments on the latter.

Naroditsky passed away on Sunday, October 19, just weeks shy of his 30th birthday. Since then, fans and fellow chess players have shared condolences on social media, while Kramnik’s tirade against the American Grandmaster has drawn scrutiny for its impact on Naroditsky’s mental health.

Since October 2024, Kramnik has accused the latter of cheating in online chess for over a year, without presenting substantial evidence. In a podcast with Fabiano Caruana and Christian Chirila last year, Naroditsky revealed how the accusations affected his mental health.

During his final stream on October 17, Naroditsky appeared distressed, saying that he felt the need to prove himself against Kramnik’s baseless claims.

Top players like Wesley So, Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin have condemned Kramnik’s treatment of Naroditsky on social media. So shared that he never gave any credence to the cheating allegations as well. 

In an official statement, Kramnik struck back at his critics, claiming, “This tragic event has been used by some to further their own interests and to launch an unprecedentedly cynical and unlawful campaign of harassment against me and my family."

Kramnik also stated that he “never made any personal attack or insult" towards Naroditsky, claiming that he was the only one who noticed the latter’s “obvious health issues a day before his death" and had requested him to seek help.

Kramnik was referring to his controversial comments on X after Naroditsky’s final stream. He wrote, “Typical nowadays in the world of chess: everyone cares only about ‘looking great’ and pretending problems don’t exist, even when they’re major and long-term."

“Got the stream episodes. Not a doctor, but it looks like something ‘very else’ than sleeping pills. Hope, if any, real friends of his will care", he tweeted again, after the distasteful and sarcastic template of his previous tweet.

After Naroditsky’s sudden death, Kramnik shifted his focus from offering condolences to criticising the American GM’s ‘friends’. He tweeted, “A high price was paid, but if I was the only one raising alarm about Danya’s [Naroditsky’s nickname] obvious long-term issues that required urgent action, while his ‘friends’ only tried to hide it and erase evidence [referring to removed Twitch videos], it’s rotten to the core."

Accusations of cheating are not new for Kramnik. In May 2024, he posted a list of players on X titled ‘Cheating Tuesdays,’ which included David Navara’s name as well. 

News sports Vladimir Kramnik Again Levels Cheating Allegations at Naroditsky Amid GM Death Controversy

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