US chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky has died at the age of 29

US chess grandmaster and online commentator Daniel Naroditsky has died aged 29.

The popular chess player’s family announced his “unexpected” death in a statement released by his club, the Charlotte Chess Center, on Monday. Cause of death not given.

“We are saddened by the unexpected passing of Daniel Naroditsky,” the statement said. “Daniel was a talented chess player, commentator and teacher and a beloved member of the chess community, admired and respected by fans and players around the world.”

The US and International Chess Federations have paid tribute to Naroditsky, along with other professional players.

American world number two Hikaru Nakamura said he was “devastated” by the news.

Nakamura said in a social media post that this is a great loss to the chess world.

Naroditsky first became interested in chess at the age of six, when his older brother Alan introduced him to the game to entertain a group of children at a birthday party.

His father Vladimir and several coaches soon noticed his talent.

“As far as I’m concerned, I was just playing games with my brother,” Naroditsky told The New York Times in a 2022 interview.

He gained international attention in 2007 when he won the Under-12 World Youth Championships in Antalya, Turkey. In 2010, at the age of 14, he became one of the youngest published chess authors when he wrote a book called Mastering Positional Chess covering practical skills and technical tactics.

In 2013 Naroditsky won the US Junior Championship, helping him earn the title of Grandmaster, the International Chess Federation’s highest ranking chess competitor, while he was still a teenager.

Naroditsky later graduated from Stanford University and worked as a chess coach in Charlotte, North Carolina.

While still competing in high-level tournaments, he transferred his talents to the online chess world.

Naroditsky’s YouTube channel has gained nearly 500,000 subscribers and his Twitch stream has grown to 340,000 followers, with hundreds of thousands of viewers drawn to his regular video tutorials and live streams against competitors. Fans admired his insight and passion, informally referring to him as ‘Danya’.

In 2022, The New York Times named Naroditsky a “New Chess Columnist” and invited him to contribute a series of chess puzzles to the newspaper’s sports section.

In an accompanying interview with the publication, the young grandmaster reflected on the influence of chess in his life.

“Even at my level, every time I coach, teach, play or commentate at a tournament, I can find beautiful things about the game,” he said.