The chess community went into mourning over the unexpected death of American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, who passed away at age 29. The Charlotte Chess Center announced the tragic news on Monday through their X account, sending shockwaves through the chess world.“The Naroditsky family shares the sad news of Daniel’s unexpected passing. Daniel was a talented chess player, educator, and beloved member of the chess community. We ask for privacy as the family grieves,” read the announcement. Top player Hikaru Nakamura quickly responded, saying “I’m devastated. This is a massive loss for the world of chess.”Later in a live stream, Nakamura struggled to maintain his composure as he talked to the chess world over Daniel, who was called ‘Danya’ by all.WATCH: Hikaru Nakamura breaks down on live stream while talking about Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky“I am writing to other people in Charlotte… I am okay… I don’t have a single memory that I will always have of Danya but what I will always remember more than anything else is his enthusiasm and love for the game of chess,” said Nakamura while struggling to hold back tears. “His passion for quick time control and his love for attacking chess. That is probably what I will always remember. I will remember his passion and love for the game.”Naroditsky had achieved remarkable success in his chess career. He earned his Grandmaster title in 2013 at just 18 years old. He consistently ranked among the top 200 players globally and top 15 in the US for Classical Chess. His skills extended to faster formats, reaching top 75 in Rapid and top 25 in Blitz chess.His recent achievements were particularly noteworthy. In 2023, he broke the 2700 FIDE Blitz rating barrier for the first time. He won the US National Blitz Championship this year and held an impressive FIDE blitz rating of 2732 as of August, making him the 18th best player worldwide and 6th in America.Beyond competitive chess, Naroditsky built a strong following as a content creator. His educational content and commentary attracted 340,000 Twitch subscribers and 482,000 YouTube followers. In 2024, he made headlines for calling former world champion Vladimir Kramnik “worse than dirt” following cheating allegations at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship.His sudden passing marks a significant loss for both competitive chess and the online chess community, where he had become a respected educator and popular figure.
