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Chess had a renaissance online during the COVID pandemic, spirited along in part by the charismatic streaming grandmaster, Daniel Naroditsky. Naroditsky, 29, was found dead on October 19, 2025. His family called it ‘unexpected’. The cause of death was not immediately known.
For the past year, Vladimir Kramnik, a Russian grandmaster and former world champion, had accused Naroditsky of cheating in online games, which the American denied. Some Naroditsky fans, including Anna Cramling, a YouTube chess star, have called Kramnik’s unproven allegations ‘cyberbullying’. Whatever they are, one thing is certain. Cheating in professional chess is a problem.
In one notorious case, the World Chess Federation (FIDE) found French grandmaster Sebastien Feller guilty of cheating at tournaments in 2010. Two accomplices used a computer, text messaging and a visual code to relay moves to Feller as he played.
In 2015, an opponent complained about the many bathroom breaks being taken by a Georgian grandmaster, Gaioz Nigalidze, at a tournament in Dubai. Turns out he had a smartphone hidden in a stall. FIDE banned him from competing for three years.
But things are not always as they may seem. In 2022, Hans Niemann became embroiled in a cheating scandal at the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis. His defeat of Magnus Carlsen, world champion at the time, led to cheating allegations. Today, it is generally believed Niemann did nothing wrong.
As with so many chess talents, Daniel Naroditsky showed promise early on. Born in California to immigrants from Ukraine and Azerbaijan, he learned to play from his brother at age 6. At age 11, he won the under-12 World Youth Championship, becoming a grandmaster at 18. In blitz chess, he was ranked among the world’s top 25.
In 2024, Naroditsky said Kramnik’s allegations were causing him anxiety. In his final YouTube video on October 18, 2025, he said he felt ‘better than ever’ but also seemed distraught.
FIDE is now considering disciplinary action against Kramnik, who strongly denies any role in Naroditsky’s death.
On the same day that Naroditsky’s body was found, Bodhana Sivanandan, 10, beat former Ukrainian world champion Mariya Muzychuk, 33. The precocious Briton played a ‘near perfect game’ in the European Chess Club Cup in Rhodes, Greece. It was an elegant win, everything the beautiful game should be, overshadowed by a week of ugly stories.
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