Chess federation files complaint against former world champion who accused Naroditsky of cheating
Chess’ international governing body announced on Tuesday that it had filed a complaint against the former World Chess Champion. Vladimir Kramnik after making unproven allegations of cheating against other players Daniel NaroditskyWHO died last month 29 years old.
The International Chess Federation, known by its acronym FIDE, said in a press release that the complaint focused on harassment and “denigration of the dignity of the individual.”
The cause of Naroditsky’s death was not made public.
Kramnik accused American grandmaster Naroditsky of cheating last year and continued to share his suspicions on social media.
Naroditsky, the prodigious chess player whose instructional YouTube videos and livestreams helped the game explode online, denied the allegations.
In his last live broadcast before his death, Naroditsky said that Kramnik’s allegations negatively affected him.
“Since the Kramnik events, I feel like if I start performing well, people will adopt the worst intentions. The problem is just the lasting effect of this,” Naroditsky said.
Other chess grandmasters, including Hikaru Nakamura and Nihal Sarin, criticized Kramnik’s behavior, saying that the Russian player harassed Naroditsky.
Kramnik did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent through the GoFundMe page for his anti-cheating campaign, but has previously called the federation’s investigation “insulting and unfair.”
The complaint, submitted to FIDE’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commission, describes a “pattern of behavior over approximately two years” regarding possible harassment, according to the federation’s statement. These include statements made by Czech grandmaster David Navara, whom Kramnik also accused of cheating, and “people close to Daniel Naroditsky.”
Under its anti-cheating laws, the FA may sanction a player who makes false accusations based on emotion or insufficient data. Significant evidence is also required to initiate a fraud investigation. There were no documented reports that the Federation investigated Naroditsky.
The board had previously said it had referred Kramnik’s statements before and after Naroditsky’s death to the ethics commission. Tuesday’s announcement is the formal filing of the complaint.
