California chess superstar Daniel Naroditsky, a grandmaster at 17, has died at age 29

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The Charlotte Chess Center announced the death of 29-year-old chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky.

Alan Kirshner, a youth chess tournament organizer and political science professor, had for years been evasive when asked if he’d ever seen a chess “prodigy.”

That changed when he first saw San Mateo’s Daniel Naroditsky, then a first-grader, in action.

“It was apparent from the way he concentrated and was focused, but was relaxed at the same time,” said Kirshner, a retired Ohlone College of Fremont political science and history professor. “I ran to his dad, grabbed him by the arm and said, ‘He is a prodigy.’”

The youngster proved Kirshner prophetic. He ultimately rose to the level of