Daniel Naroditsky, a chess grandmaster celebrated for his brilliance on the board and his warmth off it, died Monday at age 29.
The Charlotte Chess Center in North Carolina, where Naroditsky trained and coached, announced his death on social media, describing him as “a talented chess player, educator and beloved member of the chess community.”
“Let us remember Daniel for his passion and love for the game of chess, and for the joy and inspiration he brought to us all every day,” his family said in a statement shared by the center.
The cause of death has not been disclosed.
A child prodigy, Naroditsky became a grandmaster at 18, one of the youngest Americans ever to earn the title.
Over the years, he became one of the sport’s most recognizable voices through his teaching, commentary and deep understanding of the game that inspired players around the world.
Years earlier, the California-born player won the Under-12 World Championship and spent his teenage years writing chess strategy books as he climbed the world rankings.
He was consistently ranked among the top 200 players worldwide in classical chess and also excelled at a fast-paced format known as blitz chess, maintaining a top-25 ranking throughout his adult career.
Most recently, Naroditsky – known to many as Danya – won the U.S. National Blitz Championship in August.
Fellow grandmasters credited Naroditsky with introducing chess to a wider audience by livestreaming his matches and providing live commentary on others. Thousands regularly tuned in on YouTube and Twitch to watch him play.
“He loved streaming, and he loved trying to be educational. The chess world is very grateful,” Hikaru Nakamura, an American grandmaster, said on a livestream Monday.
In a final video posted to his YouTube channel on Friday, titled “You Thought I Was Gone!?”, Naroditsky told viewers he was “back, better than ever” after taking a creative break from streaming. He guided viewers through his moves while playing live matches from a cozy home studio.
Other elite chess players around the world expressed their shock and sadness on social media.
Dutch grandmaster Benjamin Bok reflected on his longtime friendship with Naroditsky, whom he first met at the Under-12 World Championship that Naroditsky won in 2007.
“I still can’t believe it and don’t want to believe it,” Bok said on X. “It was always a privilege to play, train and commentate with Danya, but above all, to call him my friend.”
Naroditsky was the son of Jewish immigrants to the United States from Ukraine and Azerbaijan. He was born and raised in San Mateo County, California, and was described by his parents as a serious child with an exceptional attention span and memory. He studied history at Stanford University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 2019 after taking a year off to compete in tournaments.
After college, he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he coached some of the area’s top junior players.
