The California-born participant received the Below 12 world championship and have become a grandmaster at 18.
Revealed On 21 Oct 2025
American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky has died unexpectedly on the age of 29, his household stated in a press release launched by his membership, the Charlotte Chess Heart, on Monday.
“It’s with nice disappointment that we share the surprising passing of Daniel Naroditsky,” the household stated.
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“Daniel was a gifted chess participant, commentator, and educator, and a cherished member of the chess neighborhood.”
The reason for loss of life was not instantly identified.
Naroditsky turned a grandmaster, the best title in chess except for World Chess Champion, on the age of 18.
Years earlier, the California-born participant received the Below 12 world championship and spent his teenage years writing chess technique books as he climbed the world rankings.
He was persistently ranked within the high 200 worldwide for conventional chess and likewise excelled at a fast-paced model known as blitz chess, sustaining a top-25 rating all through his grownup profession.
Most lately Naroditsky, identified to many as Danya, received the US Nationwide Blitz Championship in August. He additionally got here ninth within the blitz world championship final 12 months.
The Naroditsky household shares the unhappy information of Daniel’s surprising passing. Daniel was a gifted chess participant, educator, and beloved member of the chess neighborhood. We ask for privateness because the household grieves. pic.twitter.com/otNdUxDKtL
— Charlotte Chess Heart (@CLTchesscenter) October 20, 2025
Fellow grandmasters credited Naroditsky with introducing the game to a wider viewers by livestreaming a lot of his matches and sharing stay commentary on others. 1000’s of individuals commonly tuned in on YouTube and the interactive streaming platform Twitch to look at Naroditsky play.
“He liked streaming, and he liked attempting to be academic. The chess world may be very grateful,” Hikaru Nakamura, an American grandmaster, stated on a livestream on Monday.
In a closing video posted to his YouTube channel on Friday titled You Thought I Was Gone!? Naroditsky advised viewers he was “again, higher than ever” after taking a break from streaming. He talked viewers via his strikes as he performed stay chess matches on the pc from a house studio.
Different elite chess gamers from across the globe took to social media to specific their shock and disappointment.
Indian chess grandmaster and five-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand stated he was “shocked” by the information, describing Naroditsky as “a wonderful chess commentator and educator” and “a genuinely good individual”.
Dutch chess grandmaster Benjamin Bok mirrored on his lifelong friendship with Naroditsky, who he stated he had identified because the Below 12 world championship that Naroditsky received in 2007.
“I nonetheless can’t consider it and don’t need to consider it,” Bok stated on X. “It was at all times a privilege to play, practice and commentate with Danya, however above all, to name him my good friend.”
Naroditsky was the son of Jewish immigrants to the US from Ukraine and Azerbaijan. He was born and raised in San Mateo County, California, and was described by his dad and mom as a really severe child with a powerful consideration span and reminiscence.
He went on to check historical past at Stanford College, incomes a bachelor’s diploma in 2019 after taking a 12 months off to play in chess tournaments.
After faculty, he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, the place he coached the world’s high junior chess gamers.
