Vladimir Kramnik has repeatedly said that he does not feel responsible for Daniel Naroditsky’s death and that his comments about Naroditsky were chess- related critiques rather than personal attacks.

Core statements Kramnik made

  • Kramnik has publicly insisted that he “isn’t to blame” for Naroditsky’s death and that his remarks were purely analytical, not personal or bullying.
  • He has argued that he never insulted Naroditsky personally and that his accusations were about alleged online cheating and fair play issues.
  • In later responses, he emphasized that some of Naroditsky’s relatives and acquaintances allegedly ignored his attempts to “help,” claiming that he is now being unfairly harassed by the chess community.

Context of his comments

  • Before Naroditsky’s death, Kramnik had run a very public campaign accusing him of cheating in online games, which was widely described by officials and players as reckless and unfounded.
  • After Naroditsky died, Kramnik doubled down on saying that nothing he publicly stated about Naroditsky was incorrect and that he was not engaged in bullying.
  • He has also framed himself as a target, asking chess authorities to investigate what he describes as bullying and even threats of violence against him following the backlash.

How others reacted

  • FIDE’s leadership called Kramnik’s accusations “reckless and unfounded” and referred the case to its Ethics and Disciplinary Commission, specifically in the context of their impact on Naroditsky.
  • Prominent players and commentators, including Magnus Carlsen and Nihal Sarin, have strongly criticized Kramnik’s behavior, with Sarin explicitly suggesting that the relentless public pressure contributed to Naroditsky’s death.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.