Professional Chess Player Daniel Naroditsky Dead At 29

Chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky unexpectedly passed away in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The media figure's death was announced by his chess club, the Charlotte Chess Center, and they shared a message on X on Monday to ask Naroditsky's fans to allow his family space to grieve. A cause of death wasn't given.

Naroditsky began his chess career at a young age, and he became the world champion in the Boys Under 12 category at the World Youth Chess tournament in 2007, according to The New York Times.

He became a grandmaster at the age of 17, and he graduated from Stanford University before deciding to dedicate himself to chess full-time.

Naroditsky taught students at the Charlotte Chess Center, and he also took on private students. He raised his public profile further through his work on YouTube and Twitch, where he would provide analysis on high-level chess matches.

The media figure also became a commentator for Chess.com, and he wrote a column centered on the game for The New York Times.

Daniel was only 29 years old.