American chess star Daniel Naroditsky, who was found dead in Charlotte in October, had multiple drugs in his system at time of death, a toxicology report has said.
A toxicology report has reportedly confirmed that American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky had multiple drugs in his system when he died at age 29 last year. Naroditsky’s
unfortunate demise on 19 October 2025 had sparked a strong reaction against former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik, who had accused the American of cheating during online games.
Naroditsky, who had earned a big name as a chess trainer and streamer, had also mentioned the
unproven cheating allegations against him by Kramnik in what proved to be his last stream. He was later found dead at his home in Charlotte by his friends and fellow chess players Oleksandr Bortnyk and Peter Giannatos.
Naroditsky had drugs in his system at the time of death
At the time of Naroditsky’s death, the police had said that it was most likely a case of drug overdose or suicide, but nothing was made official. Now it has emerged that Naroditsky had methamphetamine, amphetamine, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine in his system at the time of death, according to a report from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Guardian reported.
Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are used as psychoactive ingredients in Kratom, a plant-based supplement that can be used as a stimulant. Methamphetamine and amphetamine are synthetic stimulants and using them could cause severe cardiovascular strain, organ damage and fatal overdoses.
According to the Guardian, Kratom is legal in much of the United States of America, but it has been linked with dependency, psychosis and withdrawal symptoms by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
After Naroditsky’s death, Bortnyk had said that the late chess player was under a lot of stress in the days leading up to his death following a dispute with Kramnik.
Kramnik issues fresh statement on Naroditsky
On Tuesday, Kramnik defended himself in a new statement after the toxicology report came out in the media. The Russian Grandmaster expressed sadness at Naroditsky’s untimely demise but also added that the incident was “exploited” by certain individuals to push their agendas.
Statement by Vladimir Kramnik on the Official Circumstances of Daniel Naroditsky’s Death
Geneva, the 20th of January 2026
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… pic.twitter.com/kBxnDI9zdr
— Vladimir Kramnik (@VBkramnik) January 20, 2026
“I deeply regret that this profound tragedy was exploited by various individuals and groups to advance their own agendas,” Kramnik said. “There can be no justification for such immoral conduct.”
Meanwhile, the International Chess Federation, FIDE, has already opened
disciplinary proceedings against Kramnik, but no action has been taken yet.
End of Article
