Chess grandmaster and Bay Area native Daniel Naroditsky, 29, dies unexpectedly

(KRON) — Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, a Bay Area native and a former World Junior chess champion, has died unexpectedly, his family announced in a statement Friday.

The statement was shared on social media by the Charlotte Chess Center

— a North Carolina based chess organization where Naroditsky coached.

“It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of Daniel Naroditsky,” the family’s statement reads. “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. We ask for privacy for Daniel’s family during this extremely difficult time. 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.”

The cause of Naroditsky’s death is not publicly known at this time. He was 29 years old.

Growing up in the Bay Area, Naroditsky won the grade-level U.S. chess championship twice, according to his Charlotte Chess Center profile. In April of 2007, while in fifth grade, he became the youngest player to win the California K-12 chess championship. That November, he received national fame by winning the under-12 World Youth Chess Championship.

“Daniel successfully continued to progress in chess while attending a rigorous middle and high school, securing the [International Master] title in 2011 and becoming a grandmaster in the summer of 2013, before starting 12th grade,” his profile reads.

Daniel earned a bachelor’s degree in History from Stanford University in 2019. He wrote two chess handbooks in his lifetime and established a strong social media following, with more than 100,000 followers on Twitch and YouTube.