Youth chess tournament organizer and political science professor Alan Kirshner has been evasive for years when asked if he has ever seen a chess “prodigy.”
That changed when he first saw San Mateo’s Daniel Naroditski, then a freshman, play.
“It was evident in the way he was focused, but relaxed at the same time,” said Kirshner, a retired professor of political science and history at Ohlone College in Fremont. “I ran up to his dad, grabbed his arm and said, ‘He’s a prodigy.'”
This young man was a testament to Kirshner’s prophetic abilities. He eventually rose to the rank of Grandmaster – the highest possible ranking – while writing a series of strategy books and ultimately attracting a new generation of chess enthusiasts through social media.
On Monday, the Charlotte Chess Center announced the death of Narodecki, a 29-year-old coach at the center whose star had unexpectedly dimmed.
“Let us remember Daniel for his passion and love for the game of chess and the joy and inspiration he brought to all of us every day,” the North Carolina Center posted on social media.
The center added: “Daniel was a talented chess player, commentator and educator and a treasured member of the chess community, admired and respected by chess fans and players around the world. He was also a loving son and brother and a loyal friend to many.”
The center did not give a cause of death and no funeral arrangements were announced.
Naroditsky was born in San Mateo and competed in tournaments throughout the Bay Area as a youngster.
Although Naroditsky impressed Kirshner as a freshman, four years later, Naroditsky won the 32nd California Academic Chess Competition high school championship as a fifth-grader. The tournament is the equivalent of the Northern California Championship.
Kirshner wrote in a review of the tournament that Naroditsky was the youngest winner at the high school level in the tournament’s history.
Fortunately for Naroditsky’s competitors, he was too young to represent Northern California at the state high school championship Denk Tournament later that year, a tournament open only to high school students.
Naroditsky had bigger goals, though.
In December, he used a chess tactic known as the “Sicilian Defense” to defeat Russia’s Ivan Bukavshin During the final two-hour round of the Under-12 World Youth Chess Championship in Antalya, Turkey.
The following year, Naroditsky entered sixth grade at Crystal Springs Heights School in Belmont, California, where he attended for two years.
After taking a year off from school, in 2011, he re-entered the local high school for tenth grade.
School releases 2011 update Brothers from NarodtskyAllen noted that Daniel achieved the title of International Master, the second-highest honor in chess.
A year ago, at the age of 14, Naroditsky published his first chess strategy book, “Master the chess position“. In 2015, he published a second book, “Mastering Complex Endgames: Practical Lessons on Key Ideas and Planning“.
Narodecki won the U.S. Junior Chess Championship in 2013 Junewhile winning the coveted title July Master.
In 2019, Narodecki graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in history.
Shortly after graduating, he started posting Chess strategy videos on YouTube and other platforms, including Twitch. He has gained 500,000 followers on YouTube.
His final hour-long video was released on Friday, titled “You thought I was gone! Speed Run Returns! “
“I’ve been taking a creative break and deciding on future content avenues,” Naroditsky said. “So, I’m not going to delve into it right now because I know everyone is excited about certain chess tournaments.”
Crystal Springs school official Kelly Sortino said the campus is “deeply saddened by this incident.”
“While at Crystal, Daniel was known not only for his extraordinary 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. The Crystal community is deeply saddened by his passing.”
