Posted on 10/20/2025 12:55:35 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
THE chess world has been left heartbroken after the sudden death of beloved grandmaster and commentator Daniel Naroditsky at just 29.
The shocking news was confirmed earlier this morning, sending waves of grief through players and fans across the globe.
Naroditsky, who lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, had been serving as Grandmaster-in-Residence at the Charlotte Chess Center since 2020.
“It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of Daniel Naroditsky,” the center announced in an emotional post.
“Daniel was a talented chess player, educator, and cherished member of the chess community. He was also a loving son, brother, and loyal friend.”
Chess.com later confirmed his passing, calling it a devastating loss to the sport.
Tributes have been pouring in for the young star, known not only for his skills on the board but also for his warmth, humor, and teaching.
Chess.com’s Chief Chess Officer Danny...
(Excerpt) Read more at the-sun.com ...
Or Covid vaxxes.
Or in Ukraine.
High rise balcony or Ukraine front lines?
You tell me.
"Born in San Mateo, California, on November 9, 1995, Naroditsky discovered chess at the age of six, taught by his father, Vladimir, a Ukrainian immigrant."
"Naroditsky, who lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, had been serving as Grandmaster-in-Residence at the Charlotte Chess Center since 2020."
Danya spoke fluent Russian. He was recruited by Kasparov for his chess camp.
Degree in History from Stanford.
Sometimes streamed himself playing and would have largely non political conversations when his opponent was no challenge and he could be distracted.
His siblings were much richer. May have pointed at suicide.
Genius is a relative term. It's reserved only for those at the VERY top like Magnus, who have deep intuitive thinking..who can 'feel' a game and make the right moves. Players who can squeeze out a win from dead drawn positions. Magnus is one such player, one of a kind. He is truly genius level. But most below FIDE rank 10 , or even below rank 3 (Nakamura, Fabi) are highly skilled players for sure but not geniuses like Magnus.
Sad. Suicide comes to mind as most likely, followed by drugs, then jabs. Not sure why such causes are so often not shared.
Fully agree. Young people do have things like aneurysms, murder, cancer, heart attacks, you name it.
But most of the time, it is those three things.
Yes it is, thanks for the affirmation. My opinion stands, anyone with a 2600 rating is deserving of being classified as a genius in chess.
I watched one his videos 2 days ago. This is sad. He seemed like a nice reasonable guy.
Like tic-tac-toe, it is now certain that perfect play in checkers always results in a draw. It is suspected that chess is the same, although white has a significant advantage if black makes a small mistake. Against computers, humans can no longer come close to winning. Against another human, or wristwatch sized computer, the game can still be fun. But in the end, it's all just a big waste of time. Very little learned in chess is useful in life.
Chess can be enjoyable as long as you don’t let it get to you...and it can get to you.
Nice clip. It shows that chess can have an emotional aspect. Note how fast Daniel gets out of his chair!
It brings to mind Petrosian getting a delay in his match with Fischer due to high blood pressure. He had a note from his doctor.
While Danny was probably a genius compared to the general populace, I don’t think he was a genius compared to other chess professionals. Regardless, there is little doubt in my mind that he could have succeeded as a doctor, engineer, architect, stockbroker, in business, or academia.
I suspect he could have had a higher chess rating given an obsession (otherwise known as drive) to advance. Settling at around 2600 is kind of like settling in major league baseball, the NFL, or the NBA. Maybe his family was asking why he wasn’t world champion yet. Not everyone appreciates a healthy balance in life.
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