Hikaru Nakamura breaks down after Daniel Naroditsky passes away: ‘There are things that are more important than the game’

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Hikaru Nakamura breaks down after Daniel Naroditsky passes away. (Screengrabs: YouTube)

The death of Daniel Naroditsky sent shockwaves through the chess community when the news was broken by Charlottte Chess Centre late Monday night. World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura was the first to react to the loss, saying that he was devastated.

Later, Nakamura broke down during a livestream when discussing Naroditsky. During the stream, he was asked what would be the one thing he would say to Danya where he answered taht he would tell him to not let negativity get him down and to remember the good things.

“If there’s one thing I could say to him, it would probably be to remember all the good things, all the positive comments. Whether it’s on your videos, whether it was on your stream. To remember the positivity and to not let the negativity get you down,” he said.

Hikaru also answered what he would want Danya to know if he was watching the stream: “There are things that are more important than the game. (would tell him) to remember the positive impact he had.

Nakamura on his mental health

Nakamura also confessed that when he was younger, he had certain thoughts. “I don’t say this much. When I was younger, there were periods when I had certain thoughts. We don’t know if that’s happened or not. I am just telling you generally. I am not immune to any of this stuff with mental health,” he said.

Earlier in the stream, Nakamura said that his mental health is indestructible because he could ignore all the nonsense that have been thrown at him over the years.

“My mental health is indestructible. I am not trying to flex you guys but if I am being brutally honest, my mental health is stronger than anybody else’s. The amount of spears, swords and knives and everything that have been thrown at me over the years, I am basically indestructible. I am not trying to flex. I am saying that because I can ignore all the nonsense,” he said.

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There is a growing refrain that Naroditsky, who was 29, was under severe stress after allegations of cheating were levelled against him by former world champion Vladimir Kramnik.

The Charlotte Chess Center in North Carolina, where Naroditsky trained and taught, announced his death on social media, calling him “a beloved member of the chess community” who should remembered for his “passion and love for the game of chess, and for the joy and inspiration he brought to us all every day.”

But reports emerging from the US were silent on the cause of Naroditsky’s death. Even then, Kramnik continued to target him, hinting at potential substance abuse and deteriorating mental health. Taking to X, Kramnik posted: “Don’t Do Drugs”. He then referenced a “strange recent stream” by Naroditsky.

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