RIP Daniel Naroditsky -- 29 (Chess GM commentator, and educator)

[MetalMilitia]

Probably won't get much attention around the sherdogs, but damn -- I've watched so much chess content and learned so much -- and his speed-runs were a crazy feat he could pull off endlessly....

One of the best bullet players in the world (talkin' top 150 in all formats) but a fucking MONSTER -- especially ridiculous shit like 1+0 bullet format

Bonkers.... I mean he just did a speedrun vid a few days ago -- he looked a little "off" -- so one can sit and speculate -- Him and Hikaru along with agadmator and gotham is like a daily chess fix for me.

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GM Daniel Naroditsky, a former World Junior Champion and longtime member of the Charlotte Chess Center community, has died, the center said on Monday. He was 29.

“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,” the center said in a statement attributed to the Naroditsky family.

The center asked 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.”

Naroditsky played in five U.S. Championships and published a book, Mastering Positional Chess, at age 14. He won the gold medal in the Under-12 Open section of the 2007 FIDE World Youth Championships, and he won the 2013 U.S. Junior (Under-20) Championship at age 17. He was also a Chess Life columnist from 2014 until 2020.

Naroditsky was also known to many in the U.S. and around the world as an active chess streamer and teacher, something which GM Hikaru Nakamura brought up in a Kick stream Monday afternoon, placing him in the first generation of prodigious chess streamers — such as himself, IM Levy Rozman, and the Botez sisters — who changed the perception of the game.

“He loved streaming, and he loved trying to be educational,” Nakamura said. “The chess world is very grateful” for him, he added, calling Naroditsky “just someone who tried to do what he could for chess.”

“I am a bit of a mess obviously,” he added.

GM Oleksandr Bortnyk also addressed the news on Twitch Monday. “He was a very talented chess player,” Bortnyk said. “But more, he was a very good guy. Very kind guy. He was a good friend.”

https://new.uschess.org/news/gm-daniel-naroditsky-1995-2025

 

[HOLA]

Yeah this was pretty shocking. I've watched hours and hours of his videos. He was REALLY an outstanding teacher and helped me a lot. More importantly, he really seemed like a genuinely nice person. Wasn't even 30 yet. 30th birthday was in a few days.

People were commenting that he appeared to be having a mental health episode the other day, and he had gone a while without uploading videos to YouTube I think (he did post something 2 days ago). People said he was mentioning Kramnik on his stream, who has basically been bullying Naroditsky for a while. Kramnik even wrote this after news of Danya's death:



Apparently, Bortnyk actually went to check on Danya and was the one who found him.

 

[usernamee]

I've watched some of his speedrun videos, he was a great teacher. He came off to me as a very sober and clear-minded fella.

 

[MetalMilitia]

Yeah this was pretty shocking. I've watched hours and hours of his videos. He was REALLY an outstanding teacher and helped me a lot. More importantly, he really seemed like a genuinely nice person. Wasn't even 30 yet. 30th birthday was in a few days.

People were commenting that he appeared to be having a mental health episode the other day, and he had gone a while without uploading videos to YouTube I think (he did post something 2 days ago). People said he was mentioning Kramnik on his stream, who has basically been bullying Naroditsky for a while. Kramnik even wrote this after news of Danya's death:



Apparently, Bortnyk actually went to check on Danya and was the one who found him.

That's the given story ; Hikaru was basically just... in shock about it... I mean fack. I watched the intro of the vid from 2 days ago, and he was kinda .... jerky? Like preoccupied -- I know kram was on his brain, I just wonder what the exchange was...

For those that don't know or don't follow closely

The "Daniel vs Kramnik" controversy refers to a public dispute where former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik accused American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky of cheating in online chess, citing suspicious moves and commentary as evidence. Naroditsky strongly refuted the allegations, expressing emotional and reputational damage from the accusations and demanding an end to them. The conflict included a game where Kramnik reportedly rage-quit, followed by numerous videos and tweets from Kramnik questioning Naroditsky's play and online performance

Kramnik was literally throwing out cheating accusations on anyone and everyone.... I mean he even threw shade at Hikaru who is #2 in the world -- this goes back what, a year or more?



Cause I remember Kramnik snapping at everyone in a titled tuesday, and Magnus just trolled him and laughed.

 

[HOLA]

That's the given story ; Hikaru was basically just... in shock about it... I mean fack. I watched the intro of the vid from 2 days ago, and he was kinda .... jerky? Like preoccupied -- I know kram was on his brain, I just wonder what the exchange was...

For those that don't know or don't follow closely

Kramnik is a fucking dirtbag having a mid-life crisis. Practically every time that dude loses he blocks the person and reports them. Fact is he's just not as dominant as he was; he's just not as good as he thinks he is. There is zero evidence supporting his accusations against Danya (and most other people he accuses).

 

[MetalMilitia]

Kramnik is a fucking dirtbag having a mid-life crisis. Practically every time that dude loses he blocks the person and reports them. Fact is he's just not as dominant as he was; he's just not as good as he thinks he is. There is zero evidence supporting his accusations against Danya (and most other people he accuses).

Yeah I mean, Game History (140,646) -- that's how many he (Daniel) had on chess.com alone + livestream + OTB being watched.... Kramnik accused almost everyone in the last few years of cheating and ya absoloutely right -- dude is warped in the head (I mean, chess does that) -- Might be 3x champ in classical, but his list of accomplishments in any other format never became close to "modern" in terms of skill, so he never evolved into it.

I know shit got heated and daniel took it personally, who knows what went on behind the scenes really -- but ill-spited smearing that kramnik tries to do to people (top players) is sickening to the extent of SHUT THE FUCK UP MAN.

Then again, the max I ever got was like 1682 -- so close to 1700 lol -- but when he gets absoloutely TROLLED by magnus and modern players that clown on him, it sure is fun to watch.

 

[DEVILsSON]

Probably won't get much attention around the sherdogs, but damn -- I've watched so much chess content and learned so much -- and his speed-runs were a crazy feat he could pull off endlessly....

One of the best bullet players in the world (talkin' top 150 in all formats) but a fucking MONSTER -- especially ridiculous shit like 1+0 bullet format

Bonkers.... I mean he just did a speedrun vid a few days ago -- he looked a little "off" -- so one can sit and speculate -- Him and Hikaru along with agadmator and gotham is like a daily chess fix for me.

---------------------





--------------------

GM Daniel Naroditsky, a former World Junior Champion and longtime member of the Charlotte Chess Center community, has died, the center said on Monday. He was 29.

“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,” the center said in a statement attributed to the Naroditsky family.

The center asked 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.”

Naroditsky played in five U.S. Championships and published a book, Mastering Positional Chess, at age 14. He won the gold medal in the Under-12 Open section of the 2007 FIDE World Youth Championships, and he won the 2013 U.S. Junior (Under-20) Championship at age 17. He was also a Chess Life columnist from 2014 until 2020.

Naroditsky was also known to many in the U.S. and around the world as an active chess streamer and teacher, something which GM Hikaru Nakamura brought up in a Kick stream Monday afternoon, placing him in the first generation of prodigious chess streamers — such as himself, IM Levy Rozman, and the Botez sisters — who changed the perception of the game.

“He loved streaming, and he loved trying to be educational,” Nakamura said. “The chess world is very grateful” for him, he added, calling Naroditsky “just someone who tried to do what he could for chess.”

“I am a bit of a mess obviously,” he added.

GM Oleksandr Bortnyk also addressed the news on Twitch Monday. “He was a very talented chess player,” Bortnyk said. “But more, he was a very good guy. Very kind guy. He was a good friend.”

https://new.uschess.org/news/gm-daniel-naroditsky-1995-2025

Very sad indeed.

Many people are blaming Kramnik and speculating he was the reason for the probable suicide.

Hikaru outright said Kramnik could go fuck himself for what he did. Kramnik released some tone deaf tweet an hour ago trying to pretend he was the one who alerted others to Danya's possible mental health problems. What a complete psycho.

Danya was a good one. His videos were among the very best at teaching chess concepts. He was also one of the best chess commentators during tournaments.

The world lost a good and decent guy.

 

[BFoe]

Sad loss, and obviously just way, way too young. RIP to him, condolences to his friends and family, and those who found so much value in his content.

 

[helax]

Wow RIP young man

 

[Legendary]

Its a bad loss. Fuck Kramnik

 

[Trabaho]

What happened to him ? Suicide ? RIP

 

[HOLA]

What happened to him ? Suicide ? RIP

Nothing is confirmed right now as far as I know, but hints people who knew him are dropping make it seem like it was suicide.

 

[Takes Two To Tango]

I'll be honest, I've never heard of him. He seems like a very likable young man. RIP.

 

[Kassitus]

He was 29? Wasn't he talking about retiring? I thought he was like 39. Very tragic. I remember him being the guest commentator at some high profile tournaments. Definitely came across as an eccentric dude so not surprised he had some demons in the back of his mind.

 

[revoltub]

RIP

 

[Canuck]

This one hit pretty hard. I've watched this guy a lot and he was one of the figures that got me involved in chess.

I felt sadness for Charlie Kirk when he died but I never watched his videos. This one hits completely different because of how much I followed Danya.

RIP Danya

 

[MetalMilitia]

Had more reach than most would ever realize -- good tribute from charlie / moist -- he was his coach, and the reason he won the pogz.



"My COCK IS THROBBING" -- charlie beats XQC with 6 moves in the SCOTCH lol -- he IMMEDIATELY has the volume put on his stream, and can be heard thanking Naroditsky -- even if you know nothing about chess -- this clip is pure fuckin' gold. Botez is like... wtf and Hikaru literally goes fuckin' blank stare SILENT.

I just love that when they cut to his audio, moist literally says "Daniel Naroditsky is a fucking prophet!"

 

[HOLA]

He was 29? Wasn't he talking about retiring? I thought he was like 39. Very tragic. I remember him being the guest commentator at some high profile tournaments. Definitely came across as an eccentric dude so not surprised he had some demons in the back of his mind.

When you're a super GM you have to treat it like a 9-5 job. They're legitimately studying chess for 8 hours a day. Danya was coaching, commentating and making online content, so he had a lot going on, and he decided to (mostly) step away from competitive chess.

He did compete in the World Blitz Championship in 2024, because it was held in the US, and he did great. Famously he had the match with Ivanchuk where they both looked like they were playing for their lives, and Ivanchuk actually ended up crying at the end of it.

 

[MetalMilitia]

When you're a super GM you have to treat it like a 9-5 job. They're legitimately studying chess for 8 hours a day. Danya was coaching, commentating and making online content, so he had a lot going on, and he decided to (mostly) step away from competitive chess.

He did compete in the World Blitz Championship in 2024, because it was held in the US, and he did great. Famously he had the match with Ivanchuk where they both looked like they were playing for their lives, and Ivanchuk actually ended up crying at the end of it.

Oh yeah, shit was intense.

I know this is lost on a lot of people that don't follow the sport -- and yes, it is a sport. To be in that top 0.0003% of the entire planet -- it's a mental TRIP for sure.

Some people will never get it, or care to -- some will be 300 ELO slobs, making like 50 blunders in 1 game lol -- some will reach a peak (such as mine) where its pure frustration at myself for short-comings and the inability to move past a certain tier, for the elite of the elite of the elite -- it's crazy the amount of effort, time, memorization, training, theory, precision that is required -- far beyond what my stupid mammal brain could ever accomplish.

I love it for the fact that I can play a 3/5/10/15 min rapid style and generally LOSE stress doing so -- so more of that kind of outlet. Then laugh at myself in the game review. Sometimes I hit review after a win, and stockfish is like ; Here's 37 reasons you are a COMPLETE MORON. It's fuckin' humbling

As of October 21, 2025, no official cause of death has been released. The family’s message described an unexpected passing and asked for privacy. There has been no verified statement specifying a medical condition, accident, or any other cause. Until authorities or the family provide further detail, the accurate characterization remains undisclosed. Any specific claims circulating on social media should be treated with caution. - https://www.el-balad.com/6738953

But yeah, I rewatched parts of that last vid/stream he uploaded just a lil while ago, sorta scanned through it (busy day) -- something was definitely "off" with his normal behavior =/

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Sad news.

I watched a lot of his videos when I played chess. His lessons were amazing.. he was truly talented and had a very clear way of explaining things to morons like me who can't play for shit.