A 36-year-old Russian chess official, Sergei Indeikin, has died 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 in early August for the FIDE World Amateur Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships.
The tournament was held from August 1 to 8, with Indeikin listed among the FIDE officials involved in the event.
According to reports from Russian media, Indeikin began feeling ill after leaving Nigeria for Uzbekistan. He later returned to Russia, travelling to Perm, where his condition reportedly deteriorated rapidly.
His mother, Tatiana Indeikina, told Russian media that her son suffered what she described as a very rapidly progressing and severe form of malaria.
His father, Alexander, also reportedly told Argumenty i Fakty that Indeikin’s FIDE colleagues had described symptoms that appeared consistent with malaria.
Some Russian reports further claimed that he may have contracted malaria through the bite of an infected mosquito while in Nigeria.
However, the precise circumstances surrounding the infection have not been independently established.
FIDE announced Indeikin’s death on August 23, describing him as a valued member of its operations team who died following a “sudden illness.” The federation did not publicly identify malaria as the cause of death.
Indeikin had worked with FIDE since 2021 and contributed to the organisation of several major international chess events, including World Championship matches, World Cups, Candidates Tournaments and World Rapid and Blitz Championships.
Reports said his illness progressed rapidly after he returned from the tournament, and he was eventually hospitalised in Perm, but doctors were unable to save him.
Indeikin is survived by his wife and daughter.
The reported case has drawn attention to malaria because Nigeria remains one of the countries with the world’s highest malaria burden. However, it is important to note that FIDE has not officially confirmed malaria as the medical cause of Indeikin’s death.
