Daniel Naroditsky, 29, dies in Charlotte, family requests privacy.

American chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky died unexpectedly at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Charlotte Chess Center and his family announced Monday. He was 29. The family asked for privacy and described Naroditsky as "a talented chess player, educator, and a cherished member of the chess community." No official cause of death has been released.

Naroditsky was found unresponsive at his residence on Sunday evening, according to friends at the Charlotte Chess Center, which said club founder Peter Giannatos and grandmaster Oleksandr Bortnyk discovered him and called emergency services. Local authorities have said the death remains under investigation; they have not publicly confirmed a cause. The family reiterated a request for privacy as they grieve.

A child prodigy who rose quickly through youth ranks, Naroditsky won the Under-12 world championship in 2007 and earned the grandmaster title as a teenager. He graduated from Stanford University in 2019 and settled in Charlotte, where he taught and coached at the Charlotte Chess Center. He built a large online following through livestreams and instructional content, and he remained one of the world’s top blitz players,...