The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has suspended Russian grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik from competition for violating the organization’s code of ethics.
Kramnik was suspended for one year plus three years of probation. The reason for the disqualification was the public accusations of cheating (unfair play using the computer), which Kramnik, as found by the FIDE Ethics Committee, made unsubstantiated against the grandmasters David Navarra and Daniel Naroditsky.
Kramnik described the FIDE’s decision as an “absolute lawlessness” and said he would appeal.
Narodetsky, one of the most famous chess amateurs in the United States, died in October 2025 at the age of 29. Kramnik accused him of cheating. A few months before his death, Naroditsky said that because of “constant negativity on the Internet,” he became exhausted and anxious.
Navarra is a 13-time Czech champion. In 2025, he wrote on his blog that after Kramnik was accused of cheating, he had thoughts of suicide.
