American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky’s death has sent shockwaves around the world. While tributes have flown for the columnist and educator, who was once hailed as a chess prodigy, there has also been growing speculation around the role that accusations of cheating from former world champion Vladimir Kramnik played in the tragedy.
Kramnik had repeatedly accused Naroditsky of cheating in online chess, something that the latter admitted late last year had affected him. In December, Naroditsky had said on “Take Take Take” that cheating, according to him, is the worst crime a chess player can commit but what Kramnik did, according to him, makes “worse than dirt”.
“Cheating, in my mind, is probably the worst crime a chess player can commit,” he had said. “It’s a reputation-ending crime to do it as a grandmaster. But to do what, you know, what Kramnik has done and what everybody who supports him have done, in my mind, morally, it makes you worse than dirt.”
Naroditsky described how the accusations and social media crusade against him at the time affected him every time he played online chess.
“I don’t think I’m good, I don’t think I’m thick-skinned enough to say, honestly, that that isn’t affecting me at all,” he said.
“I would be failing the lie detector test if I said that. I’ve been nice and civil and courteous to this army of troglodyte lowlifes for way too long. I’m really sick of it. I’m not going to tolerate any of the hate any longer.
“It’s definitely been infuriating for the fans to be flamed either by players who are too cowardly or, you know, too into the drama to make it clear that the patients shouldn’t run the facility in the chess world. Or, conversely, just like… There’s this hierarchy in the chess world where we give so much respect to people with a high rating and people with accomplishments. And they are deserving of respect.
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“But when a certain line is crossed, we’re all equal as humans. So that this has been happening and keeps getting perpetuated is… It’s really a shame and it’s seen as a dark chapter in chess. Not because of me personally.”
In the hours after Naroditsky’s death was ann0unced on Monday, Kramnik hinted at potential substance abuse and deteriorating mental health. He first made a cryptic post on his X account that read, “Don’t Do Drugs.” He then referenced a “strange recent stream” by Naroditsky, alleging the American had been hastily removing his recent content from Twitch.
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