Alan Kirshner, a youth chess event organizer and political science professor, had for years been evasive when requested if he’d ever seen a chess “prodigy.”
That modified when he first noticed San Mateo’s Daniel Naroditsky, then a first-grader, in motion.
“It was obvious from the best way he concentrated and was centered, however was relaxed on the similar time,” mentioned Kirshner, a retired Ohlone School of Fremont political science and historical past professor. “I ran to his dad, grabbed him by the arm and mentioned, ‘He’s a prodigy.’”
The teenager proved Kirshner prophetic. He finally rose to the extent of chess grandmaster — the very best rating attainable — whereas authoring a sequence of technique books and finally interesting to a brand new technology of chess lovers via social media.
Naroditsky’s star unexpectedly dimmed Monday as his dying was introduced by the Charlotte Chess Heart, the place the 29-year-old had labored as a coach.
“Allow us to bear in mind Daniel for his ardour and love for the sport of chess, and for the enjoyment and inspiration he delivered to us all every single day,” the North Carolina heart posted on social media.
The middle added: “Daniel was a proficient chess participant, commentator, and educator and a cherished member of the chess group, admired and revered by followers and gamers all over the world. He was additionally a loving son and brother, and a loyal pal to many.”
No explanation for dying was given by the middle, nor have been funeral preparations introduced.
Naroditsky was born in San Mateo and competed all through the Bay Space as a teenager.
Though he impressed Kirshner as a first-grader, it was 4 years later when Naroditsky received the thirty second annual CalChess Scholastic competitors highschool bracket as a fifth-grader. The event is the equal of the Northern California championships.
Kirshner wrote in a recap of the occasion that Naroditsky was the youngest champion at that high-school-level competitors in event historical past.
Luckily for Naroditsky’s opponents, he was too younger to signify Northern California within the Denker Match of state highschool champions later that yr, which was reserved for prime schoolers solely.
Naroditsky had larger targets, although.
In December, he employed a chess tactic often known as the “Sicilian Protection” to defeat Russia’s Ivan Bukavshin within the last spherical of a two-hour match for the Underneath-12 World Youth Chess Championship in Antalya, Turkey.
The next yr, Naroditsky enrolled in sixth grade at Crystal Springs Uplands College in Belmont, Calif., and attended college there for 2 years.
After a yr off, he re-enrolled within the native highschool as a Tenth-grader in 2011.
The varsity posted a 2011 replace from Naroditsky’s brother, Alan, who famous Daniel had earned the worldwide grasp title, the second-highest honor within the chess world.
A yr earlier, the 14-year-old Naroditsky revealed his first chess technique guide, “Mastering Positional Chess.” In 2015, he added a second guide, “Mastering Advanced Endgames: Sensible Classes on Crucial Concepts & Plans.”
Naroditsky loved a banner 2013 that included profitable the U.S. Junior Chess Championship in June, whereas incomes the coveted title of grandmaster in July.
In 2019, Naroditsky graduated from Stanford College with a bachelor’s diploma in historical past.
Shortly after his commencement, he started to put up chess technique movies on YouTube and different platforms, together with Twitch. He gained 500,000 YouTube followers.
His last, hourlong video, posted Friday, was entitled, “You thought I used to be gone! Speedrun returns!”
“I’ve been type of taking form of a artistic break, deciding future avenues of content material,” Naroditsky mentioned. “So, I received’t delve an excessive amount of into it proper now as a result of I do know everybody is happy about some chess sport.”
Crystal Springs college official Kelly Sortino mentioned the campus was “deeply saddened by the passing.”
“Throughout his years at Crystal, Daniel was identified not just for his extraordinary mind and chess mastery, but additionally for his heat, humility, and kindness,” Sortino wrote in an emailed assertion. “Our hearts exit to his household and family members, in addition to to all who have been impressed by his expertise and character. His loss is felt deeply throughout the Crystal group.”
