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The former world champion has spoken out after the death of US chess star Daniel Naroditsky, describing the 29-year-old's loss as a heartbreaking event while accusing critics for launching what he termed an "deeply cynical and illegal campaign of harassment" against him and his family.

Kramnik's Statement

The fifty-year-old ex-champion, who has faced broad criticism for accusing Naroditsky of online cheating without evidence, offered sympathies but rejected any personal attacks.

"Regardless of our differences, I was the sole individual in the chess community who, noticing on video Daniel's apparent health concerns a day before his death, openly urged for him to receive help," Kramnik declared. "The ensuing efforts, right after his passing, to explicitly connect this tragic event to my name … cross all boundaries of basic human morality."

Kramnik asserted his earlier calls for a review of Naroditsky's online play had been ignored "despite a significant amount of evidence", and stated he would provide material to "any relevant authority". He mentioned his lawyers were preparing legal actions over "false accusations" that have led to threats against him and his family.

Investigation Details

The demise of the grandmaster may have been the result of a drug overdose and is being investigated as a possible suicide, according to a police report issued last Thursday. A report from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police department says Naroditsky was discovered deceased Sunday evening and describes the case as a "Death/suicide/overdose/Sudden/Natural Death Investigation."

"On Sunday October 19th at around 7:11 PM, officers answered an emergency medical request in the area of 9000 Colin Crossing," the report says. "Upon arrival, an unconscious individual was located and later declared dead by a medic."

Chess World Response

Outrage regarding Kramnik's conduct has dominated the chess world. Grandmaster Nakamura called his behavior "appalling", while five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen described it as "terrible". GM from India Nihal Sarin, who played Naroditsky in his final online match, blamed Kramnik for "taking a life", saying his vigilante campaign against alleged rule-breakers was fruitless and "totally inappropriate".

Naroditsky's Legacy

A Stanford-educated prodigy and former world youth champion, Naroditsky amassed over 800,000 followers on Twitch and YouTube. Known as Danya, he was celebrated for his humor, clarity and humility, becoming a prominent figure in chess's COVID-period surge. He was also among the globe's top competitors under rapid formats, placing ninth at last year's blitz world championship in New York.

Naroditsky consistently denied the accusations but acknowledged the toll they had taken on his psychological well-being. "Since the Kramnik controversy, I feel like if I begin performing strongly, people assume the worst," Naroditsky remarked in his final livestream.

Official Responses

The World Chess Federation announced recently it was "looking into" Kramnik's actions. "The way Kramnik approaches it simply can't be accepted," Fide CEO Emil Sutovsky commented. The federation plans to honor Naroditsky with a memorial award.

Fide president Arkady Dvorkovich later confirmed that all of Kramnik's public statements about Naroditsky, prior to and following his passing, would be submitted to the federation's disciplinary body "to be reviewed independently".

"Human life and dignity are fundamental values shared by all of us," Dvorkovich stressed. "Our global chess family has long respected the achievements of GM Vladimir Kramnik, but such status brings a duty to maintain the standards of equity and consideration."

Loved Ones' Wish

Naroditsky's family have expressed they wish he is recalled not because of the confrontation he faced but for "the happiness and motivation he brought people every day". Carlsen described him "an asset to chess", while Hikaru Nakamura described him as "among the finest".

• Within the United States, individuals may contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, communicate via 988lifeline.org, or message HOME to 741741 to reach a support specialist.
• In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or message [email protected] or [email protected].
• In Australia, the emergency help line Lifeline is 13 11 14.
• Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.