"The American grandmaster won several championships and amassed hundreds of thousands of subscribers on YouTube, Twitch and other platforms, where he would livestream matches and explain strategy in real time. But he also struggled with the cyberspace he helped build. High-speed games became wildly popular online during the pandemic, creating a chess community that was soon rife with cheating allegations as players gained access to sophisticated computer programs that could give them an unfair advantage."
"Naroditsky had been accused of cheating, and the allegations, never proven, had taken a toll. Ukrainian grandmaster Oleksandr Bortnyk, a competitor and friend of Naroditsky, was concerned and went to check on him Sunday. He and a friend found Naroditsky, known to many as Danya, unresponsive on a couch in his North Carolina home, Bortnyk recounted during an emotional livestream Monday."
Daniel Naroditsky, 29, was a prominent American grandmaster and leading figure in competitive speed chess who helped popularize online blitz and bullet formats. He won several championships and built large followings on YouTube, Twitch and other platforms by livestreaming games and explaining strategy in real time. Rapid online growth during the pandemic led to widespread cheating allegations within the chess community. Naroditsky faced unproven accusations that he denied and that reportedly affected him deeply. A friend and fellow grandmaster, Oleksandr Bortnyk, found Naroditsky unresponsive at his North Carolina home. The cause of death has not been released. Colleagues praised his skill, ambassadorship and kindness.
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