Vladimir Kramnik hits back after Daniel Naroditsky’s toxicology report, claims ‘cynical smear campaign’ led to murder threats against family

Naroditsky’s body had methamphetamine, amphetamine, 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine in the system at the time of death, according to a toxicology report

Naroditsky had in December 2024 described how Kramnik's accusations and social media crusade against him at the time affected him every time he played online chess. (X/Michal Walusza via FIDE)

Daniel Naroditsky had in December 2024 described how Vladimir Kramnik's accusations and social media crusade against him at the time affected him every time he played online chess. (X/Michal Walusza via FIDE)

By: Sports Desk

5 min readJan 21, 2026 04:28 PM IST First published on: Jan 21, 2026 at 04:28 PM IST

After a toxicology report into the demise of Daniel Naroditsky revealed that the American grandmaster had a cocktail of drugs in his system during his death, former world champion Vladimir Kramnik lashed out at his critics in the chess world who have pointed fingers at the Russian for playing a role in Naroditsky’s death.

Many in the chess ecosystem have criticised Kramnik for his accusations against Naroditsky of cheating in online chess tournaments, claims which Naroditsky’s close friends said were a reason behind him being deeply distressed just before his untimely death at the age of 29.

Kramnik’s full post on Naroditsky’s toxicology report?

After the toxicology report was made public, Kramnik posted a long message on X, claiming that a “cynical smear campaign was launched” to link him to Naroditsky’s death. He also claimed that this campaign had resulted in “murder threats” directed at him, his wife and children.

Here’s what Kramnik’s letter said:

I wish to once again express my thoughts for the family and loved ones of Daniel Naroditsky. The loss of such a young prominent chess player is an immense tragedy not just for them but for the entire chess community.

In the immediate aftermath of this tragedy, a cynical smear campaign was launched, unjustly linking me—without any factual basis—to Daniel’s untimely death. This was followed by multiple direct murder threats directed at me, my wife and my children, which compelled me to pursue legal action (against FIDE).
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The authorities have now publicly released the medical examiner’s conclusions, confirming the true cause of death (anticipated by many who witnessed Daniel’s final stream).

I deeply regret that this profound tragedy was exploited by various individuals and groups to advance their own agendas. There can be no justification for such immoral conduct.

I recall that, after viewing portions of his last stream and despite our existing tensions, I publicly urged Daniel’s friends—on what tragically turned out to be the morning of his death—to look after and seek urgent help for him. Regrettably, those efforts were in vain.

Out of respect for Daniel’s memory and for the sake of his loved ones, I will refrain from making any further public comment on this matter at this time.

ALSO READ | Ex-World Champion Vladimir Kramnik, ‘the guy with the hammer who thinks everything is a nail’

What did the toxicology report find?

Naroditsky’s body had methamphetamine, amphetamine, 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine in the system at the time of death, according to a toxicology report provided to NBC News by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

While methamphetamine and amphetamine are synthetic stimulants, 7-hydroxymitragynine and mitragynine are major psychoactive ingredients found in kratom, a supplement that can be used as a stimulant. A report in The Guardian noted that Kratom is legal in much of the United States but it’s a substance that is unregulated at the federal level and has been linked by the American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dependency, psychosis and withdrawal symptoms.

This undated photo released by Charlotte Chess Center shows Daniel Naroditsky playing chess on the board. (Kelly Centrelli/Charlotte Chess Center via AP

Naroditsky’s death had led to an uproar on social media with many in the chess world turning on Kramnik, who had repeatedly accused Naroditsky of cheating in online games. Kramnik’s allegations were never substantiated.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin had accused Kramnik of “taking a life”. The legendary Levon Aronian had told The Indian Express that Kramnik needed professional help because he had a saviour complex.

There was also a petition against the Russian former world champion on the online platform Change.org, which got over 15,000 people to sign in less than three days, demanding that FIDE remove all of Kramnik’s titles and norms and hand him a ban.

The global governing body for chess, FIDE, had opened an investigation into Kramnik’s behaviour and said that it was examining whether he should face disciplinary measures for his statements about the American GM. During the FIDE World Cup in India, FIDE chief Arkady Dvorkovich had revealed that he asked Vladimir Kramnik to share proof of cheating before Daniel Naroditsky’s death, but got nothing from former world champion.

FIDE had also announced plans for a memorial award in Naroditsky’s name. His death had led to an outpouring of emotions, with Magnus Carlsen describing him as “a resource to the chess community”. Hikaru Nakamura had called him “the best of us”.