International Chess Federation bans Russian chess player for a year over death of American grandmaster

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has disqualified Russian grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik for one year over the death of American grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky.

Source: FIDE press service

Details: The Ethics and Disciplinary Commission found Kramnik guilty of violating the federation's charter, particularly in relation to honour, dignity and cyberbullying.

FIDE also said Kramnik had repeatedly exerted psychological pressure on other grandmasters, publicly spread false allegations and failed to cooperate with the Fair Play Commission's investigation.

As a result, Kramnik received a one-year ban with immediate effect and a further two-year suspended ban, which will be activated if he commits another violation. The Russian was also ordered to perform unpaid service for the benefit of the chess community.

Kramnik had published statistics from Titled Tuesday tournaments, which he dubbed "Cheating Tuesdays", claiming it was impossible to play as consistently well as David Navara and Daniel Naroditsky without assistance. Navara later published a post about his fragile mental state and Naroditsky told friends that pressure from Kramnik was taking a heavy toll on him.

Naroditsky was found dead in October 2025 at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was 29.

He was found unconscious on a sofa by his friends, grandmaster Oleksandr Bortnyk and Peter Giannatos, founder of the Charlotte Chess Center.

Bortnyk said he had gone to check on his friend after Naroditsky failed to answer his calls and messages. He also said Naroditsky had been deeply upset after Vladimir Kramnik, the former world chess champion whom he had once admired, accused him of cheating.

Background: In January this year, the North Carolina authorities issued a statement on the cause of Naroditsky's death. A toxicology report found a combination of stimulants and psychoactive substances in his body at the time of his death last year.

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