Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky Dies at 29: Here's the Detail and His Profile

Liputan6.com, Jakarta The American chess Grandmaster (GM), Daniel Naroditsky who is also known as "Danya," has passed away on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the age of 29.

Daniel Naroditsky died in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States, although some sources also cite Charlotte, North Carolina as the location.

“It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of Daniel Naroditsky,” the family said.

“Daniel was a talented chess player, commentator, and educator, and a cherished member of the chess community.”

This sad news was first announced by his chess club, the Charlotte Chess Center, on Monday, October 20, 2025, and was soon confirmed by Chess.com and other leading chess media outlets.

Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky passed away on Sunday, October 19, 2025, at the age of just 29.

His location was listed as Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States, although some reports also indicated Charlotte as the location.

The sad news was officially announced by the Charlotte Chess Center the following day, sparking a wave of grief throughout the chess world.

Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, one of chess's most influential figures, described Naroditsky as "a pioneer in bringing chess to a live streaming audience" and called his passing "a great loss to the chess world."

“I’m devastated. This is a massive loss for the world of chess,” American world number two Hikaru Nakamura said.

Daniel Naroditsky, affectionately known as "Danya," is a multi-talented American chess grandmaster.

Born on November 9, 1995, in San Mateo, California, USA, his love of chess began at the age of six.

In 2007, at the age of 12, Daniel Naroditsky won the World Youth Under-12 Chess Championship with an impressive score of 9.5/11, automatically making him a FIDE Master.

At the age of 14, he became the youngest chess author to publish a book, an achievement that marked the beginning of his contributions to chess education.

Daniel Naroditsky was officially awarded the title of Grandmaster (GM) in 2013, at the age of 18.

He attended Crystal Springs Uplands School and then went on to Stanford University, graduating in 2019 with a degree in history.

His peak rating was 2647 in May 2017 and consistently ranks in the top 200 of the FIDE world rankings for classical chess and in the top 25 for blitz chess.

In August 2025, his FIDE blitz rating reached 2732, placing him 18th in the world and 6th in the US.

He won the US Junior Championship in 2013 and received the Samford Chess Fellowship in 2014.

He also participated in the US Championship several times, and at the 2021 US Championship, he defeated Fabiano Caruana, then ranked second in the world.

Finally, in August 2025, he won the US National Blitz Championship with a perfect score of 14/14.