Chess pros call for Vladimir Kramnik’s permanent ban after Daniel Naroditsky’s death
Chess professionals are urging the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to permanently ban former world champion Vladimir Kramnik and calling for the resignation of FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky following their reactions to the death of grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky.
Naroditsky, a highly regarded player and streamer, passed away on October 20 at the age of 29. Known for his engaging commentary and teaching, he became a grandmaster at 18 and built a major online following.
Before his death, he was among several players accused of cheating by Kramnik, who had repeatedly raised concerns about fairness in online chess.
During Naroditsky’s final stream, he appeared distressed by the accusations, commenting that any good performance might cause people to “assume the worst of intentions.”
After the stream ended, Kramnik wrote online: “Typical nowadays world of chess, the only thing everyone cares about is ‘looking great’ and pretending there are no issues.”
In the days following Naroditsky’s death, chess figures including Nemo Zhou and GothamChess demanded disciplinary action against Kramnik.
“It’s time to stop worrying about the backlash,” Zhou wrote, calling on FIDE to remove Kramnik’s titles and revoke his world championship.
World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura commented in agreement, "Thank you for stating this so clearly." Meanwhile, GothamChess suggested top players boycott tournaments until FIDE takes action.
In watching the clip below of Danya's last stream and hearing the pain in his voice, how deeply the baseless accusations affected him, I am left so mad at what we all allowed to happen right in front of us.
It's time to stop worrying about the backlash. I am calling on the FIDE… pic.twitter.com/pz6hlTHUqrFIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky drew criticism for stating, “Virtue signalling and like-grabbing is the worst way to pay respect to Danya.” The remark was widely condemned, with Zhou urging him to resign, accusing him of “taking no responsibility for protecting players.”
Sutovsky later clarified that his comments were “poorly worded” and acknowledged FIDE “could and should have done better.”
Kramnik has faced prior disciplinary measures for unsubstantiated cheating allegations, including a six-month suspension from Chess.com events. FIDE has yet to announce any further action.