The International Chess Federation (FIDE) is investigating Russian chess grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik for “public statements” made about American chess grandmaster Daniel “Danya” Naroditsky “before and after” the 29-year-old prodigy’s shocking death Monday.
FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich announced Wednesday that the organization’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commission will probe the remarks “for independent consideration.”
“Human life and dignity are fundamental values shared by all of us. While we hold deep respect and love for the game of chess that unites our community, these values must always come first,” wrote Dvorkovich. “In recent times, public debate within the chess world has too often moved beyond the boundaries of acceptable, harming not only people’s reputation but their very well-being.”
Such conduct, he said, can make its way down the slippery slope “into harassment, bullying, and personal attacks.”
Given 50-year-old Kramnik’s “undeniable” achievements and “contributions to our sport,” Dvorkovich said such “high standards … also confer a responsibility to uphold the principles of fairness and respect and to be ambassadors for the sport.”
Dvorkovich and the FIDE Management Board will be referring all of his “relevant public statements … both before and after the tragic death of GM Daniel Naroditsky” to the commission.
He also pledged he’ll ensure the federation “will take appropriate action” whenever it identifies “a lack of respect, public harassment, or bullying … within the chess community.”
Naroditsky’s family announced his “unexpected passing” Monday in a statement shared by the Charlotte Chess Center in North Carolina, where he coached other players.
The former World Chess Champion was among many who Kramnik accused of cheating in online chess matches, per NBC News.
Reuters reports that Naroditsky denied wrongdoing when he discussed the impact of the controversy last weekend, during what would be his final Twitch stream. He reportedly “appeared visibly distressed” in the since-deleted video.
Kramnik — a long-time world champion, who retired in 2019 — told Reuters after Naroditsky’s death that he had “not bullied” the younger chess phenom “nor ever made personal insults towards him.”
