The international governing body for chess handed down a suspension of at least one year to former world champion Vladimir Kramnik on Friday, following his unproven public accusations of cheating against other players — including Daniel Naroditsky, who passed away last year at the age of 29.
Kramnik had targeted Naroditsky with cheating allegations last year and continued to voice those suspicions on social media. Naroditsky, a gifted American grandmaster who played a major role in bringing chess to a wider online audience through educational YouTube videos and livestreams, rejected the claims before his death.
In an email to The Associated Press, Kramnik confirmed he intends to challenge the suspension through an appeal.
“I am absolutely confident that this unlawful verdict will ultimately be overturned, and I intend to pursue all necessary instances to the very end in order to restore justice and, in particular, my reputation,” Kramnik wrote in a social media post.
According to the chess federation, Kramnik publicly made cheating accusations without “adequate evidentiary support,” which it said violated its rules prohibiting cyber bullying.
The federation acknowledged that fighting cheating is among its top priorities, but stressed that any such accusations must go through proper procedures and be backed by solid evidence.
“He exposed identifiable players to unjustified reputational harm and undermined the safeguards established by the disciplinary framework,” federation representatives stated in their ruling.
Naroditsky was discovered dead at his North Carolina home in October. A toxicology report determined he died from an abnormal heartbeat brought on by an accidental overdose.
Before his death, Naroditsky had spoken openly about the impact Kramnik’s accusations had on him. “Ever since the Kramnik stuff, I feel like if I start doing well, people assume the worst of intentions. The issue is just the lingering effect of it,” he said during his final livestream.
Kramnik described Naroditsky’s death as a tragedy, while also claiming that a cynical effort had been made to connect him to Naroditsky’s passing without any factual basis.
