American chess great Daniel Naroditsky has tragically died suddenly at the age of 29, his family has announced.
The former World Junior Champion gained global fame by offering online lessons and livestreams.
Naroditsky’s family said that his death was “unexpected,” according to Fox News.
No cause of death has been released, and details about his sudden passing are being withheld from the public.
Naroditsky’s was revealed in a statement from his family.
The Charlotte Chess Center, where Naroditsky worked as an instructor, shared the statement from his family on X.
“The Naroditsky family shares the sad news of Daniel’s unexpected passing,” the organization posted.
“Daniel was a talented chess player, educator, and beloved member of the chess community.
“We ask for privacy as the family grieves.”
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
The statement from Naroditsky’s family expressed the depth of their grief and briefly eulogized him.
“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,” his family added.
The family then asked for privacy to grieve.
Naroditsky, whose parents are Jewish immigrants from Azerbaijan and Ukraine, was born in the United States and grew up in San Mateo County, California.
He was a child chess prodigy, winning the Under-12 World Championship before eventually earning the title of Grandmaster at the age of 18.
At just 14 years old, Naroditsky penned “Mastering Positional Chess,” a book of game strategies.
He was the youngest person to author such a chess manual.
The young man would go on to bring chess into the online sphere and amassed a sizeable following on YouTube and Twitch with his popular livestreams.
His most recent accolades include clinching the top spot at the U.S. National Blitz Championship in August.
He also notched a notable win in 2021 when he bested the World No. 2 and then-reigning U.S. Champion Fabiano Caruana.
According to People, Naroditsky’s death came after the chess great was away from his streaming channels for a bit.
In his final stream before his death, the chess great explained the reason for the hiatus and promised more content would be coming.
“You thought I was gone forever, but little do you know, I’m actually back and better than ever,” Naroditsky told his more than half a million viewers.
“I know that the episodes have been few and far between.”
“I’ve been sort of taking a kind of creative break, deciding future avenues of content,” he added.
“I won’t delve too much into it now because I know everybody’s excited for some chess games.”
Regardless of the secrecy surrounding his cause of death, Naroditsky’s fans and the entire chess world will grieve such a massive loss.
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