At 29 years old
Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky is dead
October 21, 2025 – 5:09 a.mReading time: 1 min.
Daniel Naroditsky was popular with colleagues and fans alike. Now the chess grandmaster has died. He was only 29 years old.
The American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky is dead. His family announced this on Monday. The statement was released by Naroditsky’s club, the Charlotte Chess Center.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected death of Daniel Naroditsky,” it said. “Daniel was a talented chess player, commentator and educator and a valued member of the chess community who was admired and respected by fans and players around the world.” The athlete was only 29 years old. A cause of death has not yet been announced.
Naroditsky, who was born in California, was one of the most influential chess players in his country. At the age of six, his father taught him to play chess, and a short time later he won his first tournaments. At the age of 12, he became the California K-12 champion, the youngest champion to do so to date. Just a few months later he became the junior world champion for the under-12s. At the age of 18 he finally became a grandmaster.
In addition to his athletic skills, Naroditsky also impressed chess fans with his entertaining comments at various chess events. He regularly streamed games on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube and published several books on the sport. He also wrote a monthly column in the trade magazine “Chess Life”.
Chess players and fans alike praised his friendly nature and his outstanding ability to bring the game of chess closer to the audience. “It’s really shocking,” said American world number two Hikaru Nakamura. “This is a great loss for the world of chess.”