Indeikin served as an operational manager and delegate of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). He travelled to Abuja in early August for the FIDE World Amateur Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, which were held from August 1 to 8.
Russian media reports, citing members of Indeikin’s family, said he fell seriously ill after leaving Nigeria and travelling to Uzbekistan.
According to Argumenty i Fakty, his father, Alexander, said Indeikin began experiencing symptoms while in Uzbekistan.
He later travelled to Moscow before proceeding to Perm, where his mother lived.
His condition reportedly deteriorated rapidly, prompting his family to call an ambulance. He was hospitalised but could not be saved.
Alexander reportedly said his son had received a vaccination before travelling to Nigeria as a precaution, although he understood that it did not provide complete protection against malaria.
Meanwhile, Russian newspaper Izvestia quoted Indeikin’s mother, Tatiana, as saying that her son contracted malaria while working and developed a severe form of the disease.
She said his condition worsened rapidly over a period of about two weeks and that by the time he was admitted to hospital, it was too late to save him.
Other Russian media reports claimed Indeikin was bitten by a mosquito while attending the chess tournament in Abuja, with the bite suspected to have transmitted the malaria parasite.
FIDE announced his death on August 23, describing it as the result of a “sudden illness” without publicly specifying the medical condition.
The federation said, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of our colleague Sergei Indeikin, FIDE Operational Manager, following a sudden illness.”
FIDE records confirmed Indeikin’s participation in the Abuja championship, where he was among the officials involved in organising the competition.
He had been involved with FIDE since 2021 and worked on several major international chess events, including World Championship matches, World Cups, Candidates Tournaments and World Rapid and Blitz Championships.
FIDE described him as a valued member of its operations team who travelled extensively to support the successful organisation of major chess competitions.
Indeikin is survived by his wife and daughter.
However, while his family and Russian media reports have linked his death to severe malaria reportedly contracted during his trip to Nigeria, FIDE has not independently confirmed malaria as the official cause of death, stating only that he died following a sudden illness.
