ST. Daniel Naroditsky’s Cause of Death Being Investigated as Possible Suicide or Drug Overdose

Police are investigating the death of chess grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky as a possible suicide or drug overdose.

The chess star’s club, Charlotte Chess Center, shared the news of Naroditsky’s unexpected death on Oct. 20, posting a statement by his family on X. A representative for the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office also confirmed Naroditsky’s death to PEOPLE.

On Oct. 19, at approximately 7:11 p.m., police officers responded to a call at a private residence in the southern suburbs of Charlotte, according to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department incident report obtained by PEOPLE.

“Upon arrival an unresponsive subject was located and later pronounced deceased by medic,” reads the report.

The report notes that the death is being treated as sudden or natural, and that it is being investigated as a potential suicide or drug overdose.

In their initial statement announcing Naroditsky’s death, his family remembered the late chess icon as “a cherished member of the chess community, admired and respected by fans and players around the world.”

Naroditsky was born and raised in the Bay Area, first starting to play chess at the age of 6. He quickly rose to prominence in the chess community, winning the Under 12 section of the World Youth Chess Championship in 2007.

In 2013, the young chess prodigy won the U.S. Junior Championship and achieved his grandmaster title. He continued to regularly compete at the U.S. Championships for chess and was regularly a globally top-ranked player until his death.

Naroditsky also authored two books, 2010’s Mastering Positional Chess and 2014’s Mastering Complex Endgames, the first of which he penned at only 14. He was also an occasional chess columnist for The New York Times, beginning in 2022.