Daniel Naroditsky, 29, Found Dead at Home in Disturbing Circumstances — Oleksandr Bortnyk and Vladimir Kramnik Speak About His Death

Whispers of ignored warnings, cryptic messages, and a chilling final livestream now swirl around the untimely death of the young chess prodigy — a tragedy that's raising far more questions than it answers.

The world of professional chess has been shaken to its core after the shocking death of one of its brightest stars — Daniel "Danya" Naroditsky, a beloved American grandmaster and commentator, was found lifeless on his couch.

The discovery came on Sunday, October 19, 2025, but the emotional aftershocks are still being felt worldwide.

Found on the Couch With the TV Still Playing

The tragic scene unfolded when a close friend and fellow Grandmaster, Oleksandr Bortnyk, went to check on the 29-year-old after Naroditsky stopped answering calls and messages. What he found was heartbreaking.

Bortnyk arrived at Naroditsky's home, noticed the television was still on, and received no answer. Letting himself in, he made a harrowing discovery: Naroditsky was dead.

Bortnyk later revealed the traumatic moment during a Twitch livestream, saying, "I found him dead on the couch."

'I Love You So Much... I'm Happy My Last Words Were Supportive'

Bortnyk's voice cracked with emotion as he recounted the final time they spoke. Fighting back tears on stream, he remembered telling Naroditsky, "Danya, don't worry about anything. I love you so much. You are just the best." He added, "I'm happy my last words were supportive." Calling Naroditsky his "best friend," Bortnyk vowed to never forget him.

Alongside him during the grim visit was Peter Giannatos, of the Charlotte Chess Center, another close confidant of Naroditsky. The pair had gone together, sensing something was wrong.

Cryptic Warnings and Furious Accusations Follow

As grief poured in, so did alarming questions about the circumstances leading to Naroditsky's death — and a prominent voice raised them publicly: former World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik.

In a blistering pair of posts on X, Kramnik expressed grief but also clear suspicion, revealing that he had tried to raise the alarm days earlier.

"What exactly happened?" Kramnik asked, posting on October 20. "Because I received this two days ago from a friend of mine chess fan, and at least did what I could to warn people to do something urgently in my posts. To those who prefer blaming and shaming instead of helping. Awfull tradegy, hope properly investigated [sic]."

Kramnik included screenshots of texts and an audio note, attempting to prove his efforts to get help for Naroditsky before it was too late.

In a separate post from the same day, Kramnik didn't hold back. "Too high price paid, but if I was the only person shouting about obvious long term problems of Danya becoming alarming, requiring urgent measures from people around, while 'friends' only cared about hiding it and erase evidence, its rotten to the core [sic]."

The Chess World Reels — and Demands Answers

Across social media, tributes flooded in from players, fans, and friends alike. But beneath the outpouring of love is a deep unease. Why did no one intervene sooner? Could this tragedy have been prevented?

As of now, authorities have not released an official cause of death. One thing is clear: the chess world has lost not just a grandmaster — but a soul deeply loved and now mourned, whose final days remain shrouded in silence.