Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky has unexpectedly died at the age of 29, his family confirms. Details surrounding his cause of death have not been revealed.
“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,” posted the Charlote 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.”
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. pic.twitter.com/otNdUxDKtL
— Charlotte Chess Center (@CLTchesscenter) October 20, 2025
Naroditsky was considered one of the most talented chess players, having been introduced to chess at the age of six. He won the 2007 Northern California K–12 Championship and the Under-12 World Youth Chess Championship.
In 2013, he received the title of grandmaster at the age of 18. Besides chess, he was also a commentator, creator, educator, and author.
He dedicated part of his career to producing content for his Twitch and YouTube channels, earning popularity among fans for his educational videos. Since news of his death, many have shared their condolences.
“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. I hope we can all become more like Danya. His memory will live on forever,” said three times National Chess Champ Jennifer Shahade.
GothamChess posted, “I’ve been sitting here numb for the past hour staring at this news. The world lost a brilliant man today. May his memory live on forever and may we always cherish his contributions to our beautiful game.”
Fellow grandmaster and chess streameer, Oleksandr Bortnyk posted, “RIP my great friend Daniel Naroditsky , I still can’t believe.”
