 "Vladimir Kramnik, who is known for making unfounded cheating allegations against his colleagues, was once accused of cheating in 2006. Image: Reuters")
Former world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik , who had accused American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky of cheating, was himself accused of cheating in 2006. The unfounded cheating allegations against Kramnik are famously known as “Toiletgate.”
The infamous “Toiletgate” has resurfaced since the sudden death of Naroditsky , who was found dead at his residence on 19 October 2025 at the age of 29. The real cause of death has not been revealed yet, but media reports have claimed that Naroditsky, who was popularly known as “Danya,” either died by suicide or drug overdose.
Some chess Grandmasters, including India’s Nihal Sarin , have held Kramnik responsible for Naroditsky’s death, as the 50-year-old Russian chess great has been facing intense criticism for “mentally torturing” the late chess commentator and content creator.
When Kramnik was accused of cheating in chess
Kramnik had accused Naroditsky of cheating during online games in 2024, but failed to provide any conclusive evidence. However, the allegations took a massive mental toll on Danya, who also spoke about it in his last live stream.
In light of this, it’s difficult to believe that Kramnik made unfounded allegations after himself suffering the same almost two decades back. Kramnik was accused of cheating by Veselin Topalov’s manager during the World Chess Championship in 2006.
Between Game 4 and 5, Topalov’s manager, Silvio Danailov, questioned Kramnik’s frequent visits to the bathroom during the match, claiming that he was trying to check chess moves on a computer.
The allegations were strongly refuted by Kramnik’s manager, Carsten Hensel strongly refuted the cheating claims, saying that Kramnik had been drinking a lot of water and used the toilet also to walk.
“The restroom is small and Mr. Kramnik likes to walk and therefore uses the space of the bathroom as well… It should also be mentioned that Mr. Kramnik has to drink a lot of water during the games," he said.
Due to the allegations, Kramnik was forced to use the same bathroom as Topalov. As a protest, Kramnik also forfeited one of the games before winning the match in the tiebreak to become the 14th undisputed World Chess Champion.
The FIDE also sanctioned Topalov and his manager later for “making unsubstantiated accusations of cheating.”
Kramnik was recently asked about the “Toletgate” by NBC News after the death of Naroditsky and how it impacted him mentally.
He replied, “Since I always played fair throughout my career, this insinuation didn’t bother me much, I took it quite lightly.”