Former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik has refuted any involvement in the demise of Daniel Naroditsky and has pledged to vindicate himself in a legal setting. Naroditsky was discovered deceased on Sunday, October 20, at his residence in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Known for streaming his matches on Twitch to an audience exceeding half a million subscribers, the American’s gameplay footage could be viewed on YouTube until recently.

In a conversation with Al Arabiya presenter Michael Prendergast, Kramnik has disowned any responsibility for the American Grandmaster’s passing, denouncing the influx of accusations he faced. He has been embroiled in a contentious debate over his public stance against cheating in online chess.

Expressing sorrow over the circumstances, Kramnik asserted his innocence, clarifying that he never accused Daniel of cheating but only sought a thorough examination of the evidence.

The chess luminary has affirmed his intent to clear his name with supporting documentation and has accused FIDE and Chess.com of trying to unfairly implicate him.

Amid receiving death threats, Kramnik underscored the need for the chess community to foster fairness, transparency, and a less toxic environment.

Naroditsky’s final moments were witnessed by two close friends, Peter Giannatos and Oleksandr Bortnyk, both engaging in a dialogue with him during his last live stream. Giannatos heads the Charlotte Chess Centre, while Bortnyk is a Ukrainian grandmaster.

The conversation during the stream revealed Naroditsky’s reluctance to end the games despite showing signs of fatigue, with his friends urging him to rest. Naroditsky’s reference to Kramnik’s cheating allegations has since been addressed by the World Chess Federation’s ethics and disciplinary committee.

Despite feeling pressured due to the accusations, Naroditsky expressed his frustration over assumptions made about his intentions following Kramnik’s remarks.

Giannatos offered support, reminding Naroditsky that he did not need to prove anything to those casting doubt on his integrity.