‘Russian chess official dies after malaria infection during trip to Nigeria’

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
of the International Chess Federation, FIDE, travelled to Abuja earlier in
August for the FIDE World Amateur Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships.

FIDE’s coverage of the competition confirmed his presence in
Abuja, where he was listed among the officials involved in the tournament. The
championship was held from August 1 to 8.

FIDE announced Indeikin’s death on August 23, describing it
as the result of a “sudden illness” without publicly identifying the specific
medical condition.

However, Russian business newspaper RBC, citing Indeikin’s
mother, Tatiana, reported that he had contracted a severe form of malaria while
on the work trip.

His mother said he was taken to hospital after returning to
Perm, but his condition had already deteriorated significantly.

“It was a very rapidly progressing illness. The most severe
form,” she was quoted as saying by RBC.

Russian newspaper Argumenty i Fakty, AIF, also reported that
Indeikin travelled to Abuja before proceeding to Uzbekistan, where he began
experiencing health problems.

His father, Alexander, told the publication that information
provided by his son’s colleagues at FIDE suggested that malaria could have been
responsible for his condition.

Indeikin later travelled through Moscow to his home city of
Perm, where his health reportedly worsened. An ambulance was called and he was
subsequently admitted to hospital, but efforts to save his life were
unsuccessful.

AIF reported that relatives and colleagues believed he
contracted the illness during his time in Nigeria.

The newspaper also quoted medical expert Professor Alexander
Lukashev as explaining that malaria can be transmitted through the bite of an
infected mosquito in Nigeria and other tropical regions.

Other Russian media organisations, including Lenta.ru,
reported that Indeikin was bitten by a mosquito while attending the chess
tournament in Nigeria and that the bite was suspected to have transmitted the
malaria parasite.

Indeikin had been involved in FIDE events since 2021 and
played a role in organising several major international competitions, including
World Championship matches, World Cups, Candidates tournaments and World Rapid
and Blitz Championships.

FIDE described him as an important member of its operations
team who travelled extensively to help ensure that major chess events were
successfully organised.

He is survived by his wife and daughter.

However, while Indeikin’s family and several Russian media
reports have linked his illness to severe malaria allegedly contracted during
his trip to Nigeria, FIDE has officially attributed his death only to a sudden
illness and has not independently confirmed malaria as the medical cause of
death.

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