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The sudden passing of American Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky on Monday came as both a shock and an unfortunate surprise to the chess world. While the tragic news spread rapidly, it did not take long for the chess community to realise the situation was more complicated than it appeared.
Naroditsky was only 29, a major figure in the community, and a successful chess player, streamer, and trainer.
Naroditsky’s life changed when the former World Champion Vladimir Kramnik accused him of cheating in an online game without any substantial proof. Naroditsky, who became a Grandmaster at the age of 18 in 2013 and has consistently ranked in the top 200 in the world and top 15 in the US in classical chess, had called Kramnik “worse than dirt” after the cheating accusation.
The Russian grandmaster had engaged in a nearly endless, one-sided campaign against him and his persistent accusations took a heavy toll on Naroditsky’s life. Naroditsky, known as Danya to his friends, addressed the cheating allegations in what would become his final stream.
During the nearly 150-minute broadcast, Naroditsky dozed off several times live on stream, a clear sign that all was not well. He was playing online blitz games late on October 17th when his friend, Peter Giannatos, the founder of the Charlotte Chess Center, intervened.
WATCH: Daniel Naroditsky’s Last Live Stream
It was at this moment that a visibly exhausted and despondent Naroditsky revealed how the lingering effects of the cheating saga continued to haunt him.
Their conversation unfolded as follows:
Daniel Naroditsky: We stop at our next loss.
Daniel Naroditsky: Okay, next loss, maybe that’s never… never say never.
Daniel Naroditsky: Who else wants to receive a beating?
Peter Giannatos: Finish the stream.
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Daniel Naroditsky: All right, all right. Can I finish on the next loss?
Peter Giannatos: I’m unplugging it if you don’t end it.
Peter Giannatos: End the stream part, not the playing part, but the stream part.
Daniel Naroditsky: But the problem is, ever since the Kramnik stuff, people assume the worst of intentions. Like, why did he end the stream? Suddenly start playing well, you know what I mean?
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Peter Giannatos: I know what you mean, but you don’t have anything to prove to those people.
Daniel Naroditsky: The issue is just the lingering effect of it.
Daniel Naroditsky: One final game.
Peter Giannatos: Just end the stream and play as much as you want.
Daniel Naroditsky: Well, my curfew is 2 a.m.
Peter Giannatos: I know, but just end the stream.
Following this exchange, Naroditsky ended the stream. Two days later, the news of his shocking death was announced from the X account of the Charlotte Chess Center. The post read: “The Naroditsky family shares the sad news of Daniel’s unexpected passing. Daniel was a talented chess player, educator, and beloved member of the chess community. We ask for privacy as the family grieves.” He was just 29 years old.
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