Russian chess player Kramnyk harassed Grandmaster Narodytskyi: sanctions are demanded from FIDE

An online campaign addressed directly to FIDE's Ethics and Disciplinary Commission accuses former world champion Volodymyr Kramnik of breaching several sections of the governing body's code of ethics through what it calls "indifferent, speculative and harmful" behaviour. A lengthy Change. org petition, published after Narodytskyi's shocking death at age 29, calls on the organization to launch a formal investigation into Kramnyk and consider revoking honorary degrees if wrongdoing is confirmed.

More than 11,000 chess fans signed a petition demanding that Volodymyr Kramnyk be stripped of all his titles after the death of Danylo Narodytskyi. Narodytskyi, 29, was one of the most gifted and respected figures in modern chess, a grandmaster, commentator and streamer with more than 800,000 subscribers on YouTube and Twitch. He was found dead at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina, last week after a final, disturbing broadcast that showed he was clearly in crisis.

In recent years, Volodymyr Kramnik, the former world champion who toppled Garry Kasparov in London in 2000 and held the title for seven years, has become notorious for frequent and unsubstantiated allegations of fraud against fellow professionals. Narodytskyi was one of the main targets of Kramnyk, whom the Russian repeatedly accused of using computer tips during online matches. Kramnyk first hinted at Narodytskyi's "cheating" last year.

During the year, he regularly published posts about the American grandmaster and demanded an investigation. In the chess community, Kramnyk's accusations were dismissed as groundless, but those close to Narodytskyi said that they had caused him great suffering. The shopkeeper denies any intimidation or personal attacks and has announced plans to sue FIDE, accusing the governing body of defaming him and mishandling the issue.

After Narodytskyi's death, the negative reaction to the Russian grandmaster was overwhelming. Hikaru Nakamura said that Kramnyk can "go to hell and rot in hell," and GM Magnus Carlsen noted that "the way he attacked Narodytskyi was terrible. " Indian Grandmaster Nihal Sarin warned that respected figures spreading unsubstantiated claims could "create enormous pressure and pain". The authors of the petition accuse Kramnyk of violating the principles of FIDE: dignity, honesty and respect.

They are calling for immediate disciplinary action and suspension, warning that "when chess's most prominent figures disregard these values, decisive action must be taken to preserve the honor of the sport. " FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich confirmed that Kramnyk's behavior will be referred to the organization's Ethics and Discipline Committee, which has the right to remove him from chess or impose a lifetime disqualification.

He said the case would be dealt with urgently after what he called a "terrible" episode for world chess. Narodytsky's mother said: "For Daniel, nothing was more important than his dignity and his name as a chess player. The whole world was on Daniel's side. He played more and did more because he tried to prove that he was not what he was accused of. " Charlotte police confirmed that the investigation into Narodytskyi's death is ongoing, although no further details have been released.

Narodytskyi, a California native and Stanford graduate whose father moved to the United States from Ukraine, won junior and youth tournaments as a child and made a splash in the chess world, leading him to publish a book called Mastering Positional Chess when he was just 14 years old. Narodytskyi's influence on chess extended far beyond the competition. A former under-12 world champion, author and Stanford graduate, he was universally respected.