New York, 22 October (H.S.): The international chess community is in mourning following the unexpected death of American grandmaster and popular online commentator Daniel Naroditsky at the age of 29. His family announced his passing in a statement released on Monday through his club, the Charlotte Chess Center, though no cause of death was provided.

Naroditsky, known affectionately to his hundreds of thousands of online followers as Danya, was a prodigious talent who transcended the traditional confines of the game. He earned the prestigious title of grandmaster as a teenager after winning the 2013 U.S. Junior Championship and had gained international acclaim in 2007 by winning the under-12 world youth championship.

A true scholar of the game, he published his first book, Mastering Positional Chess, at the age of 14.Beyond his competitive achievements, Naroditsky played a pivotal role in popularizing chess for a new generation through his accessible and passionate online content.

His YouTube channel, which featured tutorials and livestreams, amassed nearly 500,000 subscribers, while his Twitch stream drew 340,000 followers.

Tributes from across the chess world have poured in, highlighting his unique ability to educate and inspire. World number two and close friend Hikaru Nakamura stated, This is a massive loss for the world of chess… When it came to making chess content to help beginners, his was the best.

Fellow player and content creator Nemo Zhou remembered him as an inspiration and a true historian of the game who did everything with kindness.Naroditsky’s influence extended from top-tier players to aspiring amateurs. Zara Graham, a 20-year-old player from the UK, told the BBC his videos inspired her to play regularly, noting, He explained things in his YouTube videos so that everyone could understand.

In addition to his online presence, Naroditsky was a graduate of Stanford University, worked as a chess coach, and was a chess columnist for The New York Times.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar