American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky died from an abnormal heartbeat caused by an accidental overdose, according to a toxicology report released by the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office.
Naroditsky, 29, was found dead at his home in North Carolina in October. The report said he had multiple substances in his system, including methamphetamine and kratom, an opioid related ingredient increasingly found in energy drinks, gummies and supplements.
Investigators said Naroditsky was last known to be alive on Oct 18, when he accepted a food delivery. He was discovered dead the following day after he missed a scheduled flight.
According to the report, friends visited his home two days before his death after noticing unusual behaviour during his online activity. They removed 40 pills of the stimulant Adderall. Investigators later found bags of kratom in the house.
Naroditsky was a chess prodigy who earned the grandmaster title at age 18, the highest rank in the sport aside from World Chess Champion. He was widely credited by fellow players with helping to broaden chess’s audience through livestreaming his matches and providing live commentary on others.
His online broadcasts attracted thousands of viewers on YouTube and Twitch, particularly during the COVID 19 pandemic, when high speed competitive chess surged in popularity. That growth was later accompanied by widespread cheating allegations, as advanced computer programs became more accessible to players.
Naroditsky was accused of cheating by former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik, allegations he denied and which were never proven.
In his final livestream before his death, Naroditsky said the accusations had weighed heavily on him.
“Ever since the Kramnik stuff, I feel like if I start doing well, people assume the worst of intentions. The issue is just the lingering effect of it,” he said.
The International Chess Federation filed a formal complaint against Kramnik in November, accusing him of harassment and insulting the dignity of fellow players. Kramnik rejected the investigation, calling it “insulting and fair,” and filed a defamation lawsuit against the federation the following month.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Kramnik described Naroditsky’s death as an “immense tragedy” and said that afterward, “a cynical smear campaign was launched, unjustly linking me without any factual basis to Daniel’s untimely death.”
He said the situation escalated into “multiple direct murder threats directed at me, my wife and my children, which compelled me to pursue legal action.”
“After viewing portions of his last stream and despite our existing tensions, I publicly urged Daniel’s friends on what tragically turned out to be the morning of his death to look after and seek urgent help for him,” Kramnik added. “Regrettably, those efforts were in vain.”
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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