Indian GM Nihal Sarin Takes Indirect Jibe At Russian Chess Legend Vladimir Kramnik Following Daniel Naroditsky's Death

American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky's sudden death has sent shockwaves throughout the chess community. However his death has now seen Russian Chess legend Vladimir Kramnik's name making headline. Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin has now taken a jibe at the chess legend in series of tweets.

He wrote,"Completely heartbroken. Daniel was not just someone I played thousands of games with on @chesscom and @lichess- he was a brilliant mind and a gifted teacher."

He continued, "The relentless, baseless accusations and public interrogations he faced in recent months caused him immense pressure and pain. This has to stop. When respected figures spread unfounded allegations without accountability, real lives are destroyed."

"Daniel's smile faded after the attacks began. We all saw it. The chess world has lost one of its brightest lights - someone who made our game accessible to millions. Rest in peace, Danya. You deserved so much better."

Vladimir Kramnik feud with Daniel Naroditsky

Kramnik had accused Naroditsky, who had achieved his Grandmaster title at the age of 18 in 2013, of cheating in October last year by consulting a chess engine via a second screen to gain an unfair advantage over his opponents. Naroditsky had replied to the cheating allegation by labelling Kramnik “worse than dirt” on the Take Take Take podcast.

Daniel also stated that the Russian Grandmaster's ongoing campaign of insinuation and public harassment was taking a significant mental toll and affecting his reputation and relationships within the chess world.

Anish Giri became involved in the feud between Vladimir Kramnik and Daniel Naroditsky by taking a controversial stance in the issue. In 2024, Anish used his social media platform, particularly X (formerly Twitter), to challenge Kramnik's behaviour and raise concerns about the former world champion's pattern of online attacks. However, comments of Hikaru Nakamura from a recent stream suggested that Anish contacted him about Kramnik's accusations in private.