Former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik made several controversial and critical remarks about Daniel Naroditsky following Naroditsky's sudden death in 2025. Kramnik suggested that Naroditsky had been struggling with long-term significant problems that were ignored by those around him. He accused Naroditsky's friends and colleagues of caring more about maintaining appearances than addressing his issues. Kramnik also hinted at potential substance abuse and deteriorating mental health, mentioning suspicious behavior such as Naroditsky deleting Twitch videos shortly before his death. He implied that Naroditsky's conflicts, including with Chess.com and his removal from commentary roles, might have deeply affected him. Kramnik's comments suggested the possibility that Naroditsky either took his own life or suffered from substance-related issues, though these claims were unverified and sparked significant controversy within the chess community. Kramnik also posted warnings he claimed to have made earlier about Naroditsky's well-being, accusing others of hiding evidence and not helping despite obvious signs of distress. His statements generated anger and wide debate about the ethics of such public assertions during a time of mourning and uncertainty about Naroditsky's death.

In summary, Kramnik's public statements about Naroditsky reflected suspicion, concern about substance abuse, criticism of the surrounding community's silence or inaction, and highlighted a contentious history of accusations of cheating by Kramnik against Naroditsky, which had affected the latter's psychological state.