Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa expressed his heartfelt condolences on the passing of US chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, saying it was hard to believe he would no longer see his familiar chess challenges online.
Naroditsky’s sudden death at the age of 29 was announced by his family through the Charlotte Chess Centre on X.
“I’m deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Danya. Every time I logged into Chess.com, I would see his challenge for a game. It’s hard to believe that I won’t see it anymore. My heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones,” Praggnanandhaa wrote on X.
Naroditsky was found dead at his San Jose residence in California earlier this week. Authorities have yet to release an official cause of death, though early reports suggest there were no signs of foul play, according to a Marca report.
He earned the FIDE Master title in 2007 and won the U-12 section of the World Youth Chess Championship. Naroditsky shared second place at the 2010 US Open, became an International Master in 2011, and won the US Junior Championship in 2013. That same year, he achieved the title of Grandmaster. His peak FIDE classical rating was 2647, reached in May 2017.
He authored several chess books, beginning with Mastering Positional Chess, which he published at the age of 14 after starting it when he was just ten.
Naroditsky was also a regular commentator for major chess tournaments, particularly on Chess.com. Beyond his competitive achievements, he played a key role in popularising chess online, bridging the gap between professional and amateur players.
He ran widely followed Twitch and YouTube channels, earning praise for his calm, clear explanations of complex chess positions. His YouTube channel attracted nearly 500,000 subscribers, while his Twitch stream had around 340,000 followers.
–IANS