A Legend Has Fallen

RIP Daniel Naroditsky (1995-2025)

I'm still in shock.

You weren't just one of the best bullet players of all time (along with one of the best blitz players and top 100 in classical at your peak) - you were a role model representing everything great in the chess world.

I first played with Danya on ICC in 2008 and 2009, having many battles in his favourite King's Indian Defence. He had just won the World Youth Under 12 Championship, and became an IM not that long afterwards. He was so tactically sharp, and I remember when I got to 2700+ blitz on Chesscom for the first time through a long match with him in 2016, it felt like things had come full circle.

But you were so multi-talented - writing 'Mastering Positional Chess' and 'Mastering Complex Endgames' in your teenage years. Your articles and posts on Chesscom greatly influenced my coaching style and approach, and even though it was 5-10 years ago, I still use those ideas in my lessons and content today. And who can forget your lucid command of the English language, with many wonderful words like ostensibly.

Even though I didn't ever meet you personally, you touched my chess journey and more importantly, you touched the hearts of millions of people through your commentary, live streams and YouTube. Whenever I was browsing Reddit threads for entertainment, people would always say how great and educational your content is. In a world mostly attached to likes, comments and subscribers, you were the strongest reminder in the whole chess world that what really matters is the difference that you make in people's lives.

For all your great achievements, what impressed me the most were the principles you lived by. Always doing your best to help others, freely sharing your expertise and wisdom, always being honest and sharing your perspective even when it was uncomfortable, and showing such a deep care for and kindness towards everyone who crossed paths with you.

The chess world is a lot poorer without you, but know that everything you did for the chess world in your far too short life will carry on for many more decades. The ripple of your great influence and the great role model you were for the chess world will spread endlessly - not just through me, but everyone else you touched.

https://youtu.be/fuR7esOFAAc