The tragic death of Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky has shocked the chess community and caused a lot of sadness, curiosity, and discussion. The death of the 29-year-old American grandmaster has led to heated discussions online, with some fans and players blaming Russian great Vladimir Kramnik for putting Naroditsky under more stress by making repeated cheating accusations.
We don’t know exactly what caused Naroditsky’s death, but things became heated on Thursday when Filipino-American grandmaster Wesley So openly condemned Kramnik’s actions, calling it “cold and heartless” toward Naroditsky.
“Just to give my two cents.” In my perspective, Kramnik’s response to Daniel’s death was cold and cruel. I didn’t want to say anything at first since it’s not my place and Vlad has always been nice to me, but things have gone too far. So wrote on X (previously known as Twitter).
“In my opinion, what happened to Naroditsky and what was done to him were just stunningly and profoundly nasty and horrible. You wouldn’t want that to happen to your worst enemy.
So Kramnik was even more pushed to feel bad and think about how his remarks affected others. He added:
“Let’s pretend for a second that Danya cheated (which I never thought he did). Is it worth it to ruin a beautiful young life for a game? How much was his soul worth? @VBkramnik, are you finished? It’s possible that it’s not too late to stop and make things better. You are a legend in this game. The chess world is not against you.
Kramnik said, “People are blaming me without knowing the truth.”
Kramnik promptly answered So’s comments by arguing that he was being unfairly attacked. He said that people who blamed him for Naroditsky’s death were doing so “without knowing the circumstances” and that the online outrage had a big effect on his family.
Kramnik responded on social media, “Dear Wesley, with all my respect for you, to say that ‘I ruined his life’ without knowing the circumstances and cause of his death is truly rude and, forgive me, also against the law.”
“What you and others are doing today is ten times worse and might have big effects. For me and my family, because I get direct threats all the time, along with insults and slander. “Do you understand that if something happens to us, you will also be partly responsible?”
Kramnik also said that his 12-year-old son had a mental breakdown after seeing the anger online.
“My 12-year-old son had a nervous breakdown today and had to see a doctor. What are you all doing? “You are falsely blaming me for something and at the same time running a slanderous campaign that is very dangerous,” he remarked.
Background: Naroditsky’s Work and Legacy
Daniel Naroditsky, who is known as “Danya” in the chess world, became a Grandmaster in 2013 and quickly became one of the sport’s most popular broadcasters and commentators. According to Reuters, he had followers all around the world because of his skill and sportsmanship. He came in ninth at the 2023 World Blitz Championship.
Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin also spoke out earlier this week, directly blaming Kramnik for moral responsibility and said that the “Russian basically ended up taking a life” because of his claims.
As more and more people pay tribute to Naroditsky, the chess world is still divided. Some are mourning the loss of a great intellect too soon, while others are dealing with tough questions about mental health, online toxicity, and accountability in the sport.