He was born in 1995

Farewell to Daniel Naroditsky, the great master who brought chess into the digital world

Considered one of the most brilliant voices of the new generation, he had made the game accessible to millions of online fans

21 October 2025

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Daniel Naroditsky, great chess master, commentator and one of the leading figures of the new generation of digital popularizers of the game, has died at the age of 29. The news was released by the Charlotte Chess Center, the North Carolina academy where he was head coach. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

Born in 1995 in San Mateo, California, to parents of Russian origin, Naroditsky discovered chess at the age of six thanks to his older brother Alan. His talent soon emerged: at the age of nine he was already number one in his category in the United States, and in 2007 he won the title of Under-12 world champion. At only 17, in 2013, he was awarded the title of international grandmaster, one of the youngest in the country's history.

Between Stanford and the online world

After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in history, Naroditsky had chosen to devote himself entirely to chess, combining competitive activities, teaching and popularisation. After moving to Charlotte, he held the position of resident grandmaster and head coach of the local centre, a reference point for the training of young talent.

But his fame went far beyond the classrooms of a club: Naroditsky had become a familiar face in the international digital community. With over 300,000 followers on Twitch and YouTube, he had succeeded in making chess a universal language, accessible and engaging even for the younger generation. His live broadcasts - always accompanied by an ironic tone and crystal-clear explanations - combined technical expertise and narrative skills.

"He could play at a brilliant level and explain at an equally brilliant level," recalled Levy Rozman, the popular streamer known as GothamChess. For Dylan Loeb McClain, a former New York Times reporter, "he was in demand everywhere for the speed and lucidity of his analyses.

A voice for the future of the game

A precocious author, he published Mastering Positional Chess at the age of 14, which became a reference text for young players. In 2022, he collaborated with the New York Times as a columnist, editing the interactive column 'Chess Replay', which reinterpreted historical games from an educational perspective.

In addition to his value as a player - he was considered one of the best in the world at bullet chess, the ultra-robust version of the game - Naroditsky represented a bridge between tradition and digital culture. For many young spectators, his way of narrating a game was the gateway to a universe that combined logic, strategy and creativity.

"Even at my level," he said in an interview, "I can still discover new and beautiful things every time I teach, train or comment on a tournament.

With the death of Daniel Naroditsky, chess loses not only a great talent, but one of the figures who most helped bring the game into the digital age, transforming it from a niche discipline into a contemporary form of culture and communication.