Fans are paying tribute to Daniel Naroditsky, a chess grandmaster, popular streamer, and graduate of Stanford University who died suddenly at just 29 years old.
Daniel Naroditsky was a renowned chess prodigy. He had been playing chess since he was six years old, winning the Northern California K-12 Chess Championship at 11 before taking the title of World Youth Champion for boys under 12.
Naroditsky became a grandmaster at 18 and went on to build a flourishing career as a chess player, coach, commentator, author, and influencer, boasting an audience of over 484,000 subscribers on YouTube and 340K followers on Twitch.
In the ten-plus years since earning his grandmaster title, Naroditsky had established a dedicated fanbase who tuned in to watch his analyses of top chess games and see him play.
Those fans were left stunned and heartbroken when, on October 20, news surfaced that the chess savant had suddenly died.
Chess world pays tribute to Daniel Naroditsky
The announcement was made by the Charlotte Chess Center, where Naroditsky had been stationed as the Grandmaster-in-Residence for the last five years. They shared the news via a post on X, which included a statement from his family.
“It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of Daniel Naroditsky,” the family wrote. “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.
“He was also a loving son and brother, and a loyal friend to many. We ask for privacy for Daniel’s family during this extremely difficult time. 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.”
Thus far, the cause of Naroditsky’s death has not been confirmed. The suddenness of his death has left the chess world shaken, with fans sharing their well-wishes and condolences to his family in the wake of the news.
“Unthinkable. Huge loss for the chess community. My deepest condolences,” Russian chess grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi wrote.
“Heartbreaking news. My deepest condolences,” Dutch grandmaster Anish Giri echoed.
National chess champ and author Jennifer Shahade also sent her thoughts to the family, writing on X, “Danya was a wonderful person as well as a genius player and educator. His commentary was so lit up with passion for words and chess, and most importantly he was always so kind.”
International chess master and fellow content creator GothamChess also published a tribute to Naroditsky on YouTube, where he remembered him as a “talented grand master, exceptional commentator, and brilliant individual.”
