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Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death

Sudden passing of respected grandmaster and gifted communicator of chess leads to allegations of ‘cyberbullying’.

Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death

By Danylo Hawaleshka

History Illustrated is a series of perspectives that puts news events and current affairs into historical context, using graphics generated with artificial intelligence.

Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death — Chess had a renaissance online during the COVID pandemic, spirited along in part by the charismatic streaming grandmaster, Daniel Naroditsky. Naroditsky, 29, was found dead on October 19, 2025. His family called it ‘unexpected’. The cause of death was not immediately known.

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Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death — For the past year, Vladimir Kramnik, a Russian grandmaster and former world champion, had accused Naroditsky of cheating in online games, which the American denied. Some Naroditsky fans, including Anna Cramling, a YouTube chess star, have called Kramnik’s unproven allegations ‘cyberbullying’. Whatever they are, one thing is certain. Cheating in professional chess is a problem.

Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death — In one notorious case, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) found French grandmaster Sebastien Feller guilty of cheating at tournaments in 2010. Two accomplices used a computer, text messaging and a visual code to relay moves to Feller as he played.

Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death — In 2015, an opponent complained about the many bathroom breaks being taken by a Georgian grandmaster, Gaioz Nigalidze, at a tournament in Dubai. Turns out he had a smartphone hidden in a stall. FIDE banned him from competing for three years.

Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death — But things are not always as they may seem. In 2022, Hans Niemann became embroiled in a cheating scandal at the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis. His defeat of Magnus Carlsen, world champion at the time, led to cheating allegations. Today, it is generally believed Niemann did nothing wrong.

Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death — As with so many chess talents, Daniel Naroditsky showed promise early on. Born in California to immigrants from Ukraine and Azerbaijan, he learned to play from his brother at age 6. At age 11, he won the under-12 World Youth Championship, becoming a grandmaster at 18. In blitz chess, he was ranked among the world’s top 25.

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Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death — In 2024, Naroditsky said Kramnik’s allegations were causing him anxiety. In his final YouTube video on October 18, 2025, he said he felt ‘better than ever’ but also seemed distraught.

Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death — FIDE is now considering disciplinary action against Kramnik, who strongly denies any role in Naroditsky’s death.

Chess world roiled by Naroditsky’s ‘unexpected’ death — On the same day that Naroditsky’s body was found, Bodhana Sivanandan, 10, beat former Ukrainian world champion Mariya Muzychuk, 33. The precocious Briton played a ‘near perfect game’ in the European Chess Club Cup in Rhodes, Greece. It was an elegant win, everything the beautiful game should be, overshadowed by a week of ugly stories.