FIDE CEO Sutovsky slams Kramnik’s ‘shameful’ conduct, vows FIDE action in wake of Naroditsky’s death

With multiple voices uniting against Kramnik and his actions, Sutovsky assured FIDE will act upon this. "FIDE is not a court of justice, but we will act within our jurisdiction."

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik in conversation with Chess24's Mike Klein during round 9 of the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. (FIDE)

FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky has slammed former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik for his insensitive remarks on late American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, who passed away on Monday.

“The way Kramnik approaches it, simply can’t be accepted. And his reaction on Danya’s passing is appalling and outright shameful,” Sutovsky posted on X.

Kramnik had, without substantial proof, repeatedly accused the American player of cheating while playing online – an allegation that Naroditsky had firmly denied. Last December, Naroditsky had said on “Take Take Take” that cheating, according to him, is the worst crime a chess player can commit but what Kramnik did, according to him, makes “worse than dirt”.

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On Monday, hours after the news of Naroditsky’s had come to light, Kramnik hinted at potential substance abuse and deteriorating mental health. He first made a cryptic post on his X account that read, “Don’t Do Drugs.” He then referenced a “strange recent stream” by Naroditsky, alleging the American had been hastily removing his recent content from Twitch.

With multiple voices uniting against Kramnik and his actions, Sutovsky assured FIDE will act upon this. “FIDE is not a court of justice, but we will act within our jurisdiction.”

He also said Naroditsky was clearly not at his best and it’s simple to shift the focus from him.

“However, let’s not oversimplify it. It is too simple to focus on Kramnik and forget everything else. Danya was clearly not at his best in recent months. He stopped appearing as a commentator for one reason or another, he was not his usual self. Now, all those who claim how dear Danya was to their heart, how good a friend they were, where have you been? What did you do? All these Kramnik attacks on Danya happened not this week or month. It was not like a shocking accusation, that killed Danya overnight. It kept haunting him for more than a year, even if there was not much of polemics of recent,” he said.

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Naroditsky passed away at the age of 29. The news of his demise was announced from the X account of the Charlotte Chess Center on Monday, which posted: “The Naroditsky family shares the sad news of Daniel’s unexpected passing. Daniel was a talented chess player, educator, and beloved member of the chess community. We ask for privacy as the family grieves.”