Overview
- The Charlotte Chess Center and FIDE announced Naroditsky’s passing on October 20, confirming he died in Charlotte, North Carolina, at age 29.
- His family issued a statement requesting privacy and asked that he be remembered for his passion for chess; no cause of death has been disclosed.
- A celebrated bridge between elite play and online education, he became a grandmaster at 18, authored chess books, and built large audiences on YouTube and Twitch.
- He was in strong competitive form in August 2025, winning the U.S. National Blitz Championship with a perfect 14/14 score.
- Tributes poured in from leading players and organizations, FIDE called the loss devastating, and the U.S. Championship held a moment of silence, as community figures cautioned against unverified online speculation.