American chess Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky took his last breath on Sunday, at the age of 29, his family confirmed on Monday. Naroditsky, known as “Danya” in the chess community, was among the world’s top-ranked blitz players and a well-known chess commentator, author, and content creator.Till now there has no news on the reason behind the death, however, former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik has alleged a foul play, hinting at possible drug use and alleging that signs of distress were ignored by those close to Naroditsky.
‘Hope properly investigated’: Kramnik suggests substance abuse
Vladimir Kramnik, who previously accused Naroditsky of cheating in 2024, shared screenshots on social media from a private message sent by a viewer who had watched Naroditsky’s final stream. The message expressed concern over Naroditsky’s condition and questioned whether he was under the influence of drugs. Sharing the screenshot, Kramnik tweeted, “What exactly happened? Because I received this two days ago from a friend of mine, chess fan, and at least did what I could to warn people to do something urgently in my posts. To those who prefer blaming and shaming instead of helping. Awful tragedy, hope properly investigated.” Before Naroditsky’s death was confirmed, Kramnik had posted several tweets suggesting the streamer was “on something else than sleeping pills.” After the news broke, he continued to criticize those close to Naroditsky, alleging they ignored signs of serious problems. In another tweet, he wrote, “Too high price paid, but if I was the only person shouting about obvious long-term problems of Danya becoming alarming, requiring urgent measures from people around, while ‘friends’ only cared about hiding it and erase evidence, it’s rotten to the core.”
How Kramnik and Naroditsky’s relationship evolved — from public glasses
The controversy that cast a long shadow over Daniel Naroditsky’s final year commenced when Vladimir Kramnik publicly accused him of cheating through a series of online posts in early 2024. Kramnik alleged that Naroditsky used a second screen to consult chess engines, a serious accusation undermining the integrity of a professional player. Naroditsky, ranked among the world’s top 75 in Rapid and top 25 in Blitz, had to defend himself in the court of public opinion. He strongly denied the allegations, stating that his streaming setup had been misinterpreted by Kramnik. In a raw and emotional response, Naroditsky described the former world champion as ‘worse than dirt’ for making such damaging claims without concrete evidence. The allegations compelled Naroditsky to release detailed videos defending his setup and playing style, an ordeal that visibly affected the popular streamer, International Business Times UK reported.
