Sergei Indeikin, a 36-year-old Russian chess official, died after reportedly contracting a severe form of malaria during a professional assignment in Nigeria.
Earlier in August, Indeikin traveled to Abuja to serve as an operations manager and official representative of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) for the FIDE World Amateur Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships.
FIDE’s official coverage confirmed his presence in Abuja, listing him among the key tournament administrators for the event, which ran from August 1 to August 8.
Following his assignment in Abuja, the 36-year-old official traveled to Uzbekistan on business, where he fell ill shortly after symptoms manifested.
He subsequently returned to Russia as his condition worsened, and medical personnel in his hometown of Perm were ultimately unable to save his life.
His father, Alexander Indeykin, told MIR 24 on Monday that his son likely contracted malaria from a mosquito bite while in Nigeria, noting that colleagues described symptoms consistent with the disease.
FIDE confirmed Indeykin’s death in a statement released on Monday, though the federation did not officially specify the cause of death.
Mr. Indeykin, who had been involved with FIDE tournaments since 2021, organized major competitions across multiple countries, including World Championship matches, the World Cup, Candidates Tournaments, and World Rapid and Blitz Championships.
Beyond his contributions to high-profile international chess events, the late FIDE manager supported an orphanage, frequently bringing chess memorabilia and gifts to the children from his travels.
Prior to joining FIDE, he built a career in sports marketing and basketball operations, which included a tenure with the Russian club UNICS Kazan.
He is survived by his wife and daughter.
Backstory…
The incident has also highlighted the scale of Nigeria’s malaria challenge. The World Health Organisation has described malaria as a major public-health concern in Nigeria, which has historically carried the largest malaria burden globally.
WHO estimated that Nigeria recorded about 68 million malaria cases and 194,000 deaths in 2021, although more recent data shows encouraging progress, with malaria prevalence falling to 15.2 percent in 2025.
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