Idman.biz
More than 15,000 people have signed a petition launched against Russian grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik, the 14th world chess champion, whose statements allegedly caused the death of American chess player Daniel Naroditsky.
Idman.Biz reports that they are demanding Kramnik's disqualification and deprivation of all titles.
The petition is posted on the change.org platform.
It is stated that Kramnik's behavior violates the ethical norms of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). The signatories demand that the international organization take decisive measures against the Russian grandmaster.
Kramnik, who followed Naroditsky's online broadcasts, sounded the alarm on October 19, stating that the American chess player may have been using something stronger than sleeping pills. He appealed to the people around Naroditsky, urging them to help this chess player. Kramnik had previously raised suspicions about Daniel's involvement in chess fraud.
When news of Naroditsky's death broke, some Internet users accused Kramnik of putting psychological pressure on him. In their opinion, this pressure may have caused the chess player's tragic death.
The 16th world champion, Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, also stated that Kramnik ruthlessly harassed Naroditsky. "Kramnik's actions against Naroditsky were terrible and the consequences were obvious. All this had long put Naroditsky in an extremely difficult situation," Carlsen said.
Vladimir Kramnik himself announced that he intends to apply to the court in connection with numerous threats addressed to him on social networks after the death of 29-year-old American chess player Daniel Naroditsky.
It should be noted that the news of Naroditsky's death was announced on October 20. The chess player would have celebrated his 30th birthday on November 9.
Naroditsky was ranked 151st in the FIDE world ranking and 17th among US chess players. He was also a world champion among athletes under 12 years old, participated in US championships, and wrote books about chess. In his last tournament called "Charlotte Open" held in September 2025, he shared 3rd-4th places, scoring 5.5 points out of 8 possible.
