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The International Chess Federation (FIDE) says it is investigating Vladimir Kramnik over his cheating accusations against Daniel Naroditsky, who died recently at the age of 29, Azernews reports via Euronews.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has launched an investigation into a Russian former world champion over his behaviour towards a US grandmaster who died this month.

Vladimir Kramnik started to accuse Daniel Naroditsky, whose death at the age of 29 was announced on Monday, of cheating in online chess last October. He continued to do so without providing any substantial evidence.

Naroditsky said shortly before his death, the cause of which is still unknown, that the allegations had taken a toll.

Arkady Dvorkovich, president of FIDE, confirmed on Wednesday that he had referred all of Kramnik’s public statements about Naroditsky to the organisation's ethics and disciplinary commission.

"Appropriate action" would be taken if Kramnik, who was world chess champion in the early 2000s, was found to have engaged in public harassment or bullying.

Kramnik has yet to comment publicly on the investigation, but has called Naroditsky's death a tragedy.

Naroditsky, whose chess videos had a large online following, told his viewers in his last livestream on Saturday that the allegations from Kramnik had affected him.

"Ever since the Kramnik stuff, I feel like if I start doing well, people assume the worst of intentions. The issue is just the lingering effect of it," Naroditsky said, noting that the Russian grandmaster had once been one of his "heroes."

Five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen has described Kramnik's actions towards Naroditsky as "appalling," while fellow grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Nihal Sarin said he had tried to destroy the young US player's reputation.