Alan Kirchner, a youth chess tournament organizer and political science professor, was for years cagey when asked whether he had ever seen a chess prodigy.
That changed when he first saw San Mateo's Daniel Naroditsky, then a first-grader, in action.
“It was obvious in the way he concentrated and was focused, but at the same time relaxed,” said Kirchner, a retired professor of political science and history at Ohlone Fremont College. “I ran up to his father, grabbed his hand and said, 'He's a prodigy.'
The young man turned out to be Kirchner's seer. He eventually rose to the level of chess grandmaster (the highest rank possible) while simultaneously writing a series of books on strategy and eventually reaching out to a new generation of chess fans through social media.
Naroditsky's star suddenly dimmed Monday when his death was announced by the Charlotte Chess Center, where the 29-year-old worked as a coach.
“Let us remember Daniel for his passion and love for the game of chess and the joy and inspiration he brought to us all every day,” North Carolina Center. posted on social networks.
The center added: “Daniel was a talented chess player, commentator and teacher, and a valued member of the chess community, admired and respected by fans and players around the world. He was also a loving son and brother, and a loyal friend to many.”
The center did not disclose the cause of death or funeral arrangements.
Naroditsky was born in San Mateo and competed throughout the Bay Area in his youth.
Although he impressed Kirchner as a freshman, Naroditsky won the competition four years later. 32nd Annual CalChess Academic Competition in middle school as a fifth grader. The tournament is the equivalent of the Northern California Championships.
Kirchner wrote in the event report that Naroditsky was the youngest champion at this high school level competition in tournament history.
Fortunately for Naroditsky's competitors, he was too young to represent Northern California at the Denker High School State Championship Tournament held later that year, which was intended only for high school students.
However, Naroditsky had more serious goals.
In December, he used a chess tactic known as the “Sicilian Defense” to win Russian Ivan Bukavshin. in the final round of a two-hour match at the U12 World Youth Chess Championship in Antalya, Türkiye.
The following year, Naroditsky entered sixth grade at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Belmont, California, and studied there for two years.
After a year's break, he re-enrolled in the local high school in 10th grade in 2011.
The school has published an update for 2011. from brother NaroditskyAlan, who noted that Daniel had earned the title of International Master, the second highest honor in the chess world.
A year earlier, 14-year-old Naroditsky published his first book on chess strategy: “Mastering positional chess” In 2015 he added a second book: “Mastering Complex Endgames: Practical Lessons on Critical Ideas and Plans“
Naroditsky enjoyed a banner year in 2013, including winning the US Junior Chess Championship. in Juneearning the coveted title grandmaster in July.
Naroditsky graduated from Stanford University in 2019 with a BA in history.
Soon after graduation he began publishing chess strategy video on YouTube and other platforms including Twitch. He gained 500,000 subscribers on YouTube.
His latest hour-long video, posted on Friday, was captioned: “You thought I left! Speedrun is back!”
“I’ve been taking a bit of a creative break, deciding future content directions,” Naroditsky said. “So I won’t get too deep into it now because I know everyone is excited about some chess game.”
Crystal Springs School spokeswoman Kelly Sortino said the campus is “deeply saddened by the passing.”
“During his years at Crystal, Daniel was known not only for his exceptional intellect and chess prowess, but also for his warmth, humility and kindness,” Sortino wrote in an emailed statement. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones, and to all who were inspired by his talent and character. His loss is deeply felt throughout the Crystal community.”
