RUSSIAN CHESS OFFICIAL DIES AT 36 AFTER SUSPECTED MALARIA FOLLOWING NIGERIA TRIP

Russian chess official Sergei Indeikin has died at the age of 36 after reportedly developing a severe form of malaria following a work trip to Nigeria. Indeikin, who served as an operational manager and delegate for the International Chess Federation, FIDE, had travelled to Abuja earlier in August for the World Amateur Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships.

Indeikin was among the officials involved in the tournament, which was held in Abuja from August 1 to 8. FIDE later announced his death on August 23, describing it as the result of a sudden illness but did not publicly identify malaria as the official cause of death.

According to reports from Russian media citing Indeikin’s family, he became seriously ill after leaving Nigeria and later travelled to Uzbekistan before returning to Russia. His mother, Tatiana, said he had contracted a severe and rapidly progressing form of malaria and was eventually admitted to a hospital in his home city of Perm after his condition deteriorated.

His father also told Russian media that information from Indeikin’s colleagues pointed to malaria as the likely cause of his illness. Other reports said he may have been bitten by an infected mosquito while attending the tournament in Nigeria, although FIDE has not independently confirmed that the disease was contracted in the country.

Indeikin had worked at FIDE events since 2021 and contributed to the organisation of major international competitions, including World Championships, World Cups, Candidates Tournaments and World Rapid and Blitz events. He is survived by his wife and daughter, while FIDE described him as a valued member of its operations team whose work helped ensure major chess events were successfully organised.