Daniel Naroditsky, a 29-year-old chess player and popular streamer, has consistently denied accusations from Kramnik. However, during his latest stream on the Twitch platform, he admitted that this situation has negatively affected his mental state.
Kramnik, in a conversation with Reuters, declined to comment on Sutovsky's words, stating that he would like to "tell the whole story in full." On the social network X, he also noted that he plans to sue "everyone who makes false accusations," adding that he considers Naroditsky's death a "tragedy" that requires investigation by law enforcement. The grandmaster emphasized that he is ready to provide all necessary information.
As of now, the reasons for Naroditsky's sudden death have not been disclosed.
"He doesn't care about the truth or those he hurts"
Naroditsky's death has caused a stir in the chess community. Many well-known chess players, including Hikaru Nakamura, Magnus Carlsen, and Nihal Sarin, have spoken out against Kramnik's actions.
Carlsen, in particular, described Kramnik's communication with Naroditsky as "terrible." Sarin, in his post on X, noted that Kramnik should be held accountable for his words, emphasizing that Naroditsky was under "immense pressure" due to the accusations.
Sarin added that the "endless and baseless accusations" placed enormous pressure on Naroditsky, leading to his suffering. He also noted that the chess community has lost one of its brightest stars.
The UK chess champion Jovanka Houska supported FIDE's decision to initiate an investigation, stating that accusations should not go unpunished. She emphasized that this should not turn into a "social media trial."
Hikaru Nakamura, a close friend of Naroditsky, also criticized Kramnik for his behavior. Streamer Nemo Zhou called the situation "unacceptable" and urged FIDE to intervene.
Zhou added that Kramnik lives in his "imaginary reality," where he sees himself as the "voice of justice" and tries to profit from his followers without caring about the consequences for others.
She called on FIDE to exclude Kramnik from official lists and revoke his title of world champion.
FIDE expressed condolences to Naroditsky's family and announced its intention to award him a special prize. The federation also expressed its deep concern regarding Kramnik's words, which could cause serious harm to the chess community.
Additionally, FIDE urged Kramnik to withdraw his lawsuit against Czech grandmaster David Navara, whom Kramnik accused of defamation after Navara's publication about the impact of the accusations on his mental health.
Vladimir Kramnik was the world champion from 2000 to 2007. In response to a request from Reuters, he stated that he does not wish to comment on Sutovsky's words but is ready to respond to any statement from FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, should one arise.
Kramnik expressed confidence that the tragedy needs to be investigated, as "too many financial interests are involved for it to be just a coincidence," and confirmed that he is ready to provide all necessary information.
Daniel Naroditsky, a world champion in the under-12 category and the son of Jewish immigrants from the USSR, placed ninth in the last World Blitz Championship. He was a well-known streamer and blogger, running a popular YouTube channel where he published instructional videos and streams, inspiring millions worldwide.
His YouTube channel has nearly half a million subscribers, while on Twitch, he has 340 thousand followers.
FIDE noted that Naroditsky played a significant role in popularizing chess online, and his contribution will be long remembered.
