A chess grandmaster who started as a child prodigy and quickly became one of the most influential American voices in the sport has died at age 29

Daniel Naroditsky, a chess grandmaster who started as a child prodigy and quickly became one of the most influential American voices in the sport, died Monday. He was 29.

The Charlotte Chess Club in North Carolina, where Naroditsky trained and worked as a coach, announced his death on social media, calling him "a talented chess player, educator, and beloved member of the chess community."

"Let us remember Daniel for his passion and love for the game of chess, and for the joy and inspiration he brought to us all every day," his family said in a statement shared by the club.

The cause of death was not immediately known.

Naroditsky became a grandmaster, the highest title in chess aside from World Chess Champion, at the age of 18.

Years earlier, the California-born player won the Under 12