Sarin, 21, described Naroditsky as a close online rival and friend, revealing that he was the last opponent Naroditsky faced on the popular platform Chess.com before his sudden death. Although the cause of death has not yet been officially confirmed, Sarin pointed to the immense stress Naroditsky faced following repeated and public accusations of cheating levelled by Kramnik.

“He (Kramnik) has kind of literally taken a life,” Sarin told The Indian Express, reflecting on the American GM’s final days. “We were also talking about a few things. He said he was under immense stress due to a lot of baseless accusations — headed by Kramnik, of course.”

Naroditsky had long denied the allegations of cheating, which were aired by Kramnik across social media and online forums. Despite the lack of evidence, Kramnik continued to pressure Naroditsky, most recently suggesting on X (formerly Twitter) that the American player may have had issues with drug use or mental health.

Following Naroditsky’s death, Kramnik posted a cryptic and controversial message on X: “Don’t Do Drugs,” accompanied by vague references to one of Naroditsky’s recent online streams. The post sparked outrage across the global chess community.

Sarin, considered one of India’s brightest young chess talents, said he was shocked at how far Kramnik’s accusations have spread and the real-life harm they have caused. “Cheating in chess is a huge problem,” he acknowledged, “but what Kramnik does is completely unacceptable. He just blurts out accusations every day… You kill some thousand other completely innocent guys to get one or two.”

‘Kramnik Needs to Face Consequences’

Sarin did not stop at defending Naroditsky. He revealed that Kramnik has made similar accusations against other top-level players, including Czech GM David Navara, who has previously spoken about the severe psychological toll these allegations have taken on him.

“He’s after Czech grandmaster David Navara… Navara is struggling… I am most worried about him right now,” Sarin said. “He has even mentioned that these accusations made him feel suicidal… He wrote to FIDE asking for some sanctions against Kramnik and nothing happened.”

Sarin is now calling on the global chess governing body, FIDE, to take immediate action against Kramnik for what he describes as sustained “online bullying.”

“I sincerely hope that Kramnik gets some big sanctions. I don’t know how, but he really needs to pay for what he’s doing to others,” Sarin said. “He’s a great player, a world champion… But these days, the harm he’s causing is just too much.”

The Charlotte Chess Center, where Naroditsky trained and taught, described him as “a beloved member of the chess community,” remembering him for his “passion and love for the game of chess” and the “joy and inspiration he brought to us all every day.”

But as tributes continue to pour in, the shadow of Kramnik’s unrelenting accusations looms large — and for many in the chess world, Sarin’s words represent a much-needed demand for accountability at the highest level.