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Daniel Naroditsky's mother breaks silence, slams Vladimir Kramnik's cheating accusations after son's sudden death
According to reports, Daniel Naroditsky was found unconscious at his residence in North Carolina's Mecklenburg County before being pronounced dead.
Daniel Naroditsky's mother broke her silence on the American GM's sudden death, slamming Vladimir Kramnik for his cheating allegations. Less than a month short of his 30th birthday, Naroditsky died on Sunday (October 19). According to reports, he could have died from suicide or drug overdose. The exact cause of the death will be confirmed after toxicology results.
According to NBC News and Daily Mail, he was found unconscious at his residence in North Carolina's Mecklenburg County before being pronounced dead. He was found by the Charlotte Chess Center's founder Peter Giannatos and GM Oleksandr Bortnyk. They found him lying unconscious on a couch at his residence.
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His death was made public on Monday by the Charlotte Chess Center, where he also worked as a trainer. The statement didn't reveal the cause of the death.
Daniel Naroditsky's mother breaks silence
Breaking her silence for the first time after his sudden death, Naroditsky's mother Elena told the Daily Mail, "There was nothing more important to Daniel than his dignity and his name as a chess player."
"And the ex-World Champion was trying to say he’s a cheater. Daniel tried to defend himself so much. The whole world was on Daniel’s side. He played more and did more and more because he was trying to prove that he’s not what he was accused of."
Ever since Kramnik's cheating allegations, Daniel confessed to being under tremendous mental pressure due to the claims. Kramnik's accusations began in October 2024, when he repeatedly attacked Naroditsky for over a year for cheating in online chess, without substantial evidence. The former World Champion has been accusing numerous players of cheating since 2023. Naroditsky rejected the allegations and was also defended by GM Hikaru Nakamura.
Naroditsky had a peak FIDE rating of 2647, and was regularly ranked in the top-200. He was known for his skillset in the faster formats. He was also a prominent chess streamer and commentator.
