Daniel Naroditsky, a 29-year-old US chess grandmaster and internet commentator, passed away. The Charlotte Chess Centre, the well-known chess player's club, stated on Monday the "unexpected" death of the player. The cause of death is not revealed yet.
The statement reads, "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, admired and respected by fans and players around the world." The statement added. The US and International chess federations have paid tribute to Naroditsky, along with his other peers.
American world number two Chess grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura said he is "devastated" at the news. Nakamura said in a social media post, "This is a massive loss for the world of chess."
Naroditsky managed a chess YouTube channel with almost 500,000 subscribers and participated in elite competitions. He gained 340,000 followers on Twitch, and his livestreams against rivals and frequent video tutorials attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers. Supporters referred to him as "Danya" and complimented him on his passion and insight.
He played a "pivotal role in popularising chess content online," the International Chess Federation said.
Cause of death speculations
The cause of Daniel Naroditsky's death has been the subject of suspicion. Fans described him as incoherent and "mentally unwell" after noticing strange behaviour during his latest online chess stream. As reported by Hindustan Times, Reddit users speculated that Olexandr Bortnyk, a Ukrainian grandmaster, may have been the first to find Naroditsky's body, although these claims have not been confirmed officially.
Russian grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik has also expressed concerns, suggesting that foul play could not be ruled out. Writing on X, Kramnik wrote, “What exactly happened? Because I received this two days ago from a friend of mine chess fan, and at least did what I could to warn people to do something urgently in my posts. To those who prefer blaming and shaming instead of helping. Awful tragedy, hope properly investigated.”
About Daniel Naroditsky
According to Naroditsky, when he was just six years old, his older brother Alan introduced him to chess in order to engage a group of kids at a birthday celebration. This was the beginning of Naroditsky's interest in the game.
When he won the under-12 boys world youth championship in Antalya, Turkey, in 2007, he became popular all over the world. When he wrote a book titled ‘Mastering Positional Chess’ in 2010, at the age of 14, he became one of the youngest chess authors ever to be published. The book covered both technical manoeuvres and practical skills.
While still a teenager in 2013, Naroditsky won the US Junior Championship, which helped him become a grandmaster, the highest-ranked chess player in the International Chess Federation. After graduating from Stanford University, Naroditsky worked in Charlotte, North Carolina, as a chess coach.
