Daniel Naroditsky, an American chess grandmaster who attracted a large on-line following by means of his livestreamed play and accessible teachings, has died at 29.
The Charlotte Chess Center, a chess academy in Charlotte, North Carolina, the place Naroditsky served as a head coach, introduced his loss of life in a statement on social media Monday. The announcement didn’t embrace a reason for loss of life or say the place he died.
“It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of Daniel Naroditsky. Daniel was a talented chess player, commentator, and educator, and a cherished member of the chess community. He was also a loving son, brother, and loyal friend to many,” the Charlotte Chess Center mentioned in a press release attributed to Naroditsky’s household.
Born and raised within the San Francisco Bay Area, Naroditsky started studying chess at age 6, beginning a journey that will see him earn the title of grandmaster – the best title awarded by the International Chess Federation to the world’s high gamers – earlier than he was a senior in highschool, in keeping with the center.
His expertise was evident early: he gained grade-level nationwide championships twice, and in fifth grade turned the youngest participant ever to say the California Ok-12 Championship. That identical yr, in November 2007, he earned worldwide acclaim because the under-12 World Youth Chess Champion, establishing himself as one of many nation’s most promising younger abilities.
After taking a niche yr to focus absolutely on chess, Naroditsky enrolled at Stanford University and graduated with a bachelor’s diploma in historical past in 2019.
The chess phenom additionally confirmed a spark for educating the sport. The first of his two chess manuals was revealed when he was simply 14, and he went on to turn into a daily contributor to Chess Life journal and different platforms devoted to the sport. The New York Times employed Naroditsky as a chess columnist in 2022.
Naroditsky additionally carved out large followings on his on-line platforms, garnering almost half 1,000,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel and 340,000 followers on Twitch. His on-line presence introduced the sport to life for a lot of, as he livestreamed video games and guided viewers by means of key strikes, making even probably the most complicated performs approachable.
“Hop into my stream for great chess, good tunes, and an amazing community!!” Naroditsky wrote in his Twitch profile.
The International Chess Federation posted a press release mourning Naroditsky’s loss of life, praising him “a talented chess player, commentator, and educator.”
The 2025 US Chess Championship, at present going down in St. Louis, opened Monday with a second of silence for Naroditsky, in keeping with Chess.com.
The Saint Louis Chess Club referred to as Naroditsky “a beloved pillar of the chess community” whose (*29*)
Naroditsky’s household has requested for privateness within the wake of his loss of life, in keeping with the assertion posted by the Charlotte Chess Center.
“Let us remember Daniel for his passion for chess, and for the joy and inspiration he brought to us all every day,” the household mentioned within the assertion.