\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Celebrity Deaths of 2025: Doug Martin and More Stars We\u2019ve Lost This Year<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tHollywood has mourned the deaths of some of its most legendary stars in 2025. The first half of the year saw the tragic news of the deaths of David Lynch, Michelle Trachtenberg, George Foreman, Val Kilmer and Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertston. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Please enter a valid [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
A cause of death has yet to be released.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nNaroditsky rose to prominence in 2007 when he won the under-12 boys world youth championship.<\/span><\/p>\nHe earned the title of grandmaster \u2014 the international chess federation\u2019s highest-ranked chess competitor \u2014 after winning the 2013 US Junior Championship when he was 17.<\/span><\/p>\nAfter attending Stanford University, Naroditsky had been working as a chess coach in Charlotte, North Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\nNaroditsky was credited with bringing chess to a younger, more modern audience through his popular Twitch and YouTube channels, the latter of which has nearly 500k subscribers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHe last posted on YouTube on Friday, October 17, uploading a video called \u201cYou Thought I Was Gone!? Speedrun Returns!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n![\"American](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/American-Chess-Grandmaster-Daniel-Naroditsky-Dead-Unexpectedly-at-29-2.jpg?w=1000&quality=40&strip=all\")
<\/div>
\n Daniel Naroditsky.<\/span> Courtesy of Daniel Naroditsky\/YouTube<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNaroditsky became The<\/i> New York Times<\/i>\u2019 chess columnist in 2022<\/a>, when he helped explain his love and obsession for the game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cYou need extreme patience,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause, more so than in any other game, you\u2019re going to suck for a while.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHe added, \u201cI don\u2019t know if this is a personality trait, but if you want to get good at the game, you have to have the willingness to do the same thing over and over and over again. You have to be very goal-oriented because of that. Sometimes, all that sustains you is knowing where you want<\/i> to be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nDespite being one of the world\u2019s best, Naroditsky explained how chess still found ways to constantly challenge him.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cEven at my level,\u201d he told the Times<\/i>, \u201cI can still discover beautiful things about the game every single time I train, teach, play or am a commentator at a tournament.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nNaroditsky\u2019s death was felt massively by members throughout the chess community, including the No. 2 ranked player in the world, Hikaru Nakamura<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cWhen it came to making chess content to help beginners, his was the best,\u201d Nakamura, 37, told the BBC<\/a>. \u201cI have played more than a thousand games of chess with Daniel. Chess is a very cut-throat world and emotions run high, but Daniel was always calm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nNakamura said Naroditsky\u2019s popular online presence \u201cwasn\u2019t about the money for him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cHe had a true passion for the game,\u201d he gushed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Naroditsky rose to prominence in 2007 when he won the under-12 boys world youth championship.<\/span><\/p>\n He earned the title of grandmaster \u2014 the international chess federation\u2019s highest-ranked chess competitor \u2014 after winning the 2013 US Junior Championship when he was 17.<\/span><\/p>\n After attending Stanford University, Naroditsky had been working as a chess coach in Charlotte, North Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\n Naroditsky was credited with bringing chess to a younger, more modern audience through his popular Twitch and YouTube channels, the latter of which has nearly 500k subscribers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n He last posted on YouTube on Friday, October 17, uploading a video called \u201cYou Thought I Was Gone!? Speedrun Returns!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Naroditsky became The<\/i> New York Times<\/i>\u2019 chess columnist in 2022<\/a>, when he helped explain his love and obsession for the game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou need extreme patience,\u201d he said, \u201cbecause, more so than in any other game, you\u2019re going to suck for a while.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He added, \u201cI don\u2019t know if this is a personality trait, but if you want to get good at the game, you have to have the willingness to do the same thing over and over and over again. You have to be very goal-oriented because of that. Sometimes, all that sustains you is knowing where you want<\/i> to be.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Despite being one of the world\u2019s best, Naroditsky explained how chess still found ways to constantly challenge him.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEven at my level,\u201d he told the Times<\/i>, \u201cI can still discover beautiful things about the game every single time I train, teach, play or am a commentator at a tournament.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Naroditsky\u2019s death was felt massively by members throughout the chess community, including the No. 2 ranked player in the world, Hikaru Nakamura<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen it came to making chess content to help beginners, his was the best,\u201d Nakamura, 37, told the BBC<\/a>. \u201cI have played more than a thousand games of chess with Daniel. Chess is a very cut-throat world and emotions run high, but Daniel was always calm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Nakamura said Naroditsky\u2019s popular online presence \u201cwasn\u2019t about the money for him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHe had a true passion for the game,\u201d he gushed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>
\n Daniel Naroditsky.<\/span> Courtesy of Daniel Naroditsky\/YouTube<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n