 "American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky's sudden demise has left the chess world stunned. Image credit: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club")
The chess fraternity was in a state of shock and mourning after popular American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky unexpectedly passed away at the age of 29 on Sunday. The tragic development was confirmed in a statement released by his club, the Charlotte Chess Center, on Monday which called for privacy for Naroditsky’s family members during the “extremely difficult time”.
“It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of Daniel Naroditsky. Daniel was a talented chess player, educator, and cherished member of the chess community. He was also a loving son, brother, and loyal friend,” read the statement from the Charlotte Chess Center.
“We ask for privacy for Daniel’s family during this extremely difficult time. Let us honor Daniel by remembering his passion for chess and the inspiration he brought to us all,” it added.
No cause of death was given for Naroditsky’s sudden passing just three weeks before his 30th birthday.
Among the biggest names in American chess
Naroditsky, born in San Mateo, California, was among the most well-known and influential figures in American chess, having achieved his Grandmasters’ title in 2013 at the age of 18 shortly after winning the US Junior Championship.
He show great potential in chess at an early age ever since he learned the game from his father at the age of six, becoming the youngest player ever to win the Northern California K–12 Chess Championship and also winning the gold medal in the Under 12 section of the World Youth Chess Championship in 2007.
Among the standout moments from his career was Naroditsky’s victory over fellow American GM Fabiano Caruana in the 2021 US Championship, the latter being the FIDE world No 2 at the time with a rating of 2800.
Naroditsky would later gain worldwide popularity as a commentator thanks to his quirky and entertaining style which led to him gaining nearly half-a-million subscribers on YouTube and 340,000 followers on Twitch.
He had been awarded the Samford Chess Fellowship in 2014, shortly after earning his GM title, and later studied at the prestigious Stanford University, from where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history in 2019.
Chess community mourns passing of ‘genuinely nice person’
World No 2 Hikaru Nakamura, one of the greatest players in American chess history, described Naroditsky’s passing as a “massive loss for the world of chess” while Indian chess icon Viswanathan Anand mourned the passing of a “genuinely nice person”.
“Danya was more than an amazing, inspirational face of our game, he was a friend and brother. The news is devastating for the chess world and all who knew him. It’s impossible to put words to this kind of loss. My love, thoughts and prayers are with his family,” said Chess.com’s Chief Chess Officer Danny Rensch, who worked closely with Naroditsky in several events.
Here are some of the reactions to Naroditsky’s untimely demise from the biggest names in chess: