Sergei Indeikin: Russian Chess Official Dies of Suspected Malaria After Trip To Nigeria
- Russian FIDE official Sergei Indeikin, 36, died after travelling to Abuja in August for a major international chess championship
- His mother and father told Russian media that he contracted a severe form of malaria, with his condition worsening rapidly over two weeks
- FIDE announced his death on August 23 but attributed it only to a sudden illness, stopping short of naming malaria as the cause
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A Russian chess official, Sergei Indeikin, has died at the age of 36 after falling critically ill following a work trip to Nigeria, with his family telling Russian media that he contracted a severe form of malaria during the visit.
Indeikin served as an operational manager and delegate of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and travelled to Abuja in early August to help oversee the FIDE World Amateur Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships.
Source: Twitter
As reported by The Punch, the championship ran from August 1 to 8. FIDE's own coverage of the tournament listed him among the officials present.
Family describes rapid decline
His mother, Tatiana, told Russian business newspaper Izvestia on August 24 that Sergei contracted the disease while on duty and that his health deteriorated sharply within two weeks.
"He had already arrived. And he arrived in Perm. He was admitted to the hospital; it was too late. He had a very rapid-onset illness. The most severe form," she said.
His father, Alexander, spoke to Russian outlet Argumenty i Fakty (AIF), confirming that Indeikin first began feeling unwell while in Uzbekistan, where he had travelled after leaving Nigeria.
He then flew to Moscow before making his way to Perm to stay with his mother, where his condition worsened, and an ambulance was called. Alexander said his son's FIDE colleagues described symptoms consistent with malaria.
Alexander also told AIF that Indeikin had received a vaccine before the Nigeria trip, travelling from Pyatigorsk specifically to get it.
"His son said that the vaccine could mitigate the risk, but it doesn't guarantee 100% protection," AIF quoted him as saying.
Russian outlet Lenta.ru separately reported that Indeikin was believed to have been bitten by an infected mosquito while attending the chess tournament in Nigeria.
FIDE mourns without naming cause
FIDE announced Indeikin's death on August 23 via its official X account, calling it the result of a "sudden illness" without specifying the medical cause.
Its obituary read:
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague Sergei Indeikin, FIDE Operational Manager, following a sudden illness."
The federation described him as a key member of its operations team who had been involved in FIDE events since 2021, contributing to major competitions including World Championship matches, World Cups, Candidates Tournaments, and World Rapid and Blitz Championships. He is survived by his wife and daughter.
While Indeikin's family and multiple Russian media outlets have linked his death to malaria contracted during his Nigeria visit, FIDE has not independently confirmed that account.
The Nigeria Chess Federation had not provided comment to reporters at the time of writing.
The International Chess Federation confirmed the Russian official death via its X handle @FIDE_chess.
NAFDAC busts fake malaria drugs shipment
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reporte that counterfeit malaria drugs valued at ₦1.2bn have been uncovered in a Lagos warehouse by NAFDAC.
The shipments falsely declared as spare parts from China were traced to a pharmaceutical group abroad,
NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Adeyeye, also pledged a renewed crackdown on counterfeit medicines.
Source: Legit.ng
