Overview
- His family confirmed the unexpected death through the Charlotte Chess Center, which shared their statement and asked for privacy.
- Tributes poured in from leading figures and organizations, including Hikaru Nakamura, FIDE, Chess.com executives, and fellow grandmasters worldwide.
- Naroditsky rose from youth prodigy to grandmaster at 18, served as Grandmaster-in-Residence in Charlotte, and won the U.S. National Blitz Championship in August 2025.
- He became one of chess’s most-watched educators with hundreds of thousands of followers on YouTube and Twitch, and days before his death posted a return video titled “You Thought I Was Gone!?”
- Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik publicly raised unverified concerns about Naroditsky’s recent streams and urged investigation; authorities have not announced any findings and no foul play or substance involvement has been confirmed.