Forensic Exam of US Chess Grandmaster, 29, Revealed Drugs in System

The cause of death of American chess grandmaster and commentator Daniel Naroditsky has been disclosed, indicating the 29-year-old prodigy had multiple drugs in his system when he died last year.

Naroditsky was found dead at his Charlotte, North Carolina, home in October 2025. At the time, authorities began investigating his death as a possible drug overdose or suicide.

The Charlotte Chess Center, where Naroditsky trained and worked as a chess coach, announced the news of his passing without revealing a cause.

According to a toxicology report released by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Naroditsky had a mixture of methamphetamine, amphetamine, 7-hydroxymitragynine, and mitragynine in his system.

Naroditsky built a large following online, posting videos on YouTube and livestreaming through Twitch, where he offered online chess lessons and information on the game.

In the year leading up to his death, Naroditsky faced both praise and public scrutiny from the chess community. In one instance, former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik accused him of cheating in online games.

Kramnik shared his suspicions on social media without providing direct evidence. Naroditsky, who once idolized Kramnik, denied the allegations and accused Kramnik of purposely attempting to ruin his reputation.

In response, Arkady Dvorkovich, president of the International Chess Federation, known by its French acronym FIDE, said in a statement following Naroditsky’s death that the federation would formally investigate the matter before deciding if disciplinary action against Kramnik would be taken.

“The chess community has long respected the achievements of GM Vladimir Kramnik, and his contributions to our sport are undeniable,” the October statement reads. “The same high standards that accompany great achievements, however, also confer a responsibility to uphold the principles of fairness and respect and to be ambassadors for the sport.

“Therefore, I, along with the FIDE Management Board, will formally refer all relevant public statements made by GM Vladimir Kramnik—both before and after the tragic death of GM Daniel Naroditsky—to the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission for independent consideration.”

The ethics board has not yet ruled on the complaint.

Several grandmasters and other prominent names in chess, including Hikaru Nakamura, Nihal Sarin and Magnus Carlsen came to Naroditsky’s defense, taking aim at Kramnik’s “appalling” conduct against him.

“I thought the way [Kramnik] was going after Naroditsky was horrible,” said five-time world chess champion Carlsen.

Following the release of the toxicology report, Kramnik took to social media to express his condolences to Naroditsky’s loved ones, while denying that the accusations he made against Naroditsky contributed to his death.

“I wish to once again express my thoughts for the family and loved ones of Daniel Naroditsky. The loss of such a young prominent chess player is an immense tragedy not just for them but for entire chess community,” Kramnik wrote on Jan. 20.

“In the immediate aftermath of this tragedy, a cynical smear campaign was launched, unjustly linking me—without any factual basis—to Daniel’s untimely death. This was followed by multiple direct murder threats directed at me, my wife and my children, which compelled me to pursue legal action.”

Naroditsky, a California native, rose to prominence when he won the gold medal at the Under 12 World Championship in 2007 and played in five U.S. Championships.

He became one of the youngest chess authors in 2010 when, at age 14, he published “Mastering Positional Chess,” his first book on chess strategy, followed by “Mastering Complex Endgames” four years later.

At age 18, he received the highest title in chess aside from World Chess Champion when he became a grandmaster. Naroditsky was ranked among the top 25 blitz players in the world and in the top 200 for traditional chess.