Fide to investigate Kramnik over attacks on Naroditsky as chess reels from player's death

"In recent years, the explosion of online chess has fueled a parallel surge in cheating accusations, as players gained access to powerful computer engines capable of suggesting perfect moves in real time. The ecosystem became both democratized and combustible. The rate of cheating online is 100 to 200 times higher than over the board, said Kenneth Regan, an international master and computer scientist who helps detect cheating for Fide as a member of the organization's Fair Play Commission."

"Into this volatile atmosphere stepped Kramnik, the cerebral Russian who held the world championship for nearly seven years after dethroning Garry Kasparov in 2000 and who is widely considered one of the greatest defensive players in history. Over the past year he had accused Naroditsky, without evidence, of using a chess engine during online games. Naroditsky denied the charge but acknowledged the toll it had taken on his mental wellbeing."

FIDE is examining Vladimir Kramnik's public attacks on Daniel Naroditsky following Naroditsky's sudden death at 29. Naroditsky was a Stanford-educated prodigy who won the Under-12 world championship, became a grandmaster at 18, and amassed more than 800,000 followers on Twitch and YouTube. Naroditsky's mix of patience, humor, generosity and communication helped bring large new audiences to chess. The rise of online chess coincided with a surge in cheating accusations as players gained access to powerful engines; Kenneth Regan said online cheating rates are 100 to 200 times higher than over the board. Kramnik accused Naroditsky without evidence; Naroditsky denied the charge and reported mental health impacts.

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