Guest Author
By Kelly Centrelli
Naroditsky’s Mother, Elena, presents GM Sindarov with the Rapid Champion trophy.
Photo by Kelly Centrelli
The Charlotte Chess Center Foundation (CCCF), in partnership with chess.com, ran the Naroditsky Memorial Rapid and Blitz over the July 4, 2026 weekend in memory of the late Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, who passed away in October 2025 at 29 years old.
Over 300 players ranging from new-to-tournament players to the world’s elite participated. Naroditsky was known as both an elite-level player and educational content creator, impacting a wide variety of chess players during his life.
Naroditsky was known for his abilities as a speed-chess player, and the tournament featured Rapid and Blitz events–the fastest forms of physical chess. Over the weekend, the Creator Invitational and Masters’ Blitz were also held.
Lead organizer Peter Giannatos and Naroditsky’s mother Elena.
Photo by Divakar Shukla
Before the event commenced, lead organizer Peter Giannatos announced that the CCCF will give the Naroditsky Fellowship in January 2027, a $50,000 award intended to support the nation’s elite junior players. Applications will open in August. Naroditsky was the head coach of the Elite Team for the Charlotte Chess Center, and the fellowship will help his legacy support the growth of American chess, just as he did here in Charlotte.
The event was headlined by the world’s top players, such as Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, and the challenger to the World Championship, Javokhir Sindarov. Chess’s top content creators were also in attendance: GothamChess, The Botez Sisters, Dina Belenkaya, Sagar Shah of Chessbase India, Danny Rensch of chess.com, and more.
International Master John Bartholomew won the Creator Invitational with a perfect score of 9 points, and Grandmaster Sindarov won both the Rapid and Blitz portions of the tournament. Naroditsky’s mother, Elena, flew to Charlotte to present the awards to winners in her son’s honor.
An inspirational moment was 17-year-old National Master Ethan Sheehan not only qualifying for the Masters Blitz final but also achieving third place in it with a score of 6 out of a possible 9 points. Sheehan was the only non-Grandmaster in the tournament and managed to take down elite players like Nakamura and Sam Sevian. Sheehan had also been a participant of Emory University’s Castle Chess Camp for multiple years, studying under Naroditsky.
Photo by Kelly Centrelli
The tournament was broadcast on chess.com over the weekend, where chess legends Judit Polgar, Peter Leko, and David Howell gave commentary.
Through their efforts and the efforts of the tournament staff, the CCCF surpassed their fundraising goal of $50,000 over the tournament weekend. Meeting fundraising goals such as this will ensure the continuation of the Naroditsky Memorial and Naroditsky Fellowship for future generations.
If you are interested in donating to the Naroditsky Fund, visit: givebutter.com/charlottechessfoundation
To learn more about Naroditsky, visit his Digital Archive: cltccf.org/naroditskyarchive
