Daniel Naroditsky plays chess on the board, in this undated photo released by Charlotte Chess Center. KELLY CENTRELLI / AP
Daniel Naroditsky, a chess grandmaster who started as a child prodigy and quickly became one of the most influential American voices in the sport, died on Monday, October 20. He was 29. The Charlotte Chess Center in North Carolina, where Naroditsky trained and worked as a coach, announced his death on social media, calling him "a talented chess player, educator, and beloved member of the chess community."
"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," his family said, in a statement shared by the center. The cause of death was not immediately known.
A chess grandmaster at 18
Naroditsky was the son of Jewish immigrants to the US from Ukraine and Azerbaijan. He was born and raised in San Mateo County, California, and was described by his parents as a very serious kid with an impressive attention span and memory. He went on to study history at Stanford University, earning a bachelor's degree in 2019, after taking a year off to play in chess tournaments. After college, he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he coached the area's top junior chess players.
