Help build the Naroditsky Memorial & Fellowship Endowment

The Charlotte Chess Center has announced the creation of the Naroditsky Memorial and Fellowship Fund, established in partnership with the Naroditsky family to honour the memory of GM Daniel Naroditsky. His death on 19 October deeply affected the international chess community, and especially the Charlotte scene, where he had been a central figure since 2019. The new fund is intended to continue the values and initiatives he championed during his years as a player, coach and mentor.

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The goal of the campaign is to raise 4 million dollars to build a permanent endowment that will support two long-term projects. The Naroditsky Memorial Blitz & Rapid, an annual over-the-board tournament in Charlotte, aims to become a major fixture on the chess calendar by attracting elite grandmasters while remaining open to large numbers of amateur players. Alongside it, the Naroditsky Fellowship will provide sustained support for talented young players in Charlotte and across the United States who are committed to pursuing chess at the highest level.

Early contributions have already exceeded 550,000 dollars, with major support from the Charlotte Chess Center and Chess.com, who have each pledged 100,000 dollars. Additional donors include leading figures from the chess world such as Hikaru Nakamura, Eric Rosen, Alexandra Botez and John Bartholomew.

Every donation made during the founding period will go directly into the endowment, ensuring that both the tournament and the fellowship have stable long-term funding and that Naroditsky's influence continues to shape future generations of players.

Official information

By the Charlotte Chess Center

Our goal

We seek to raise $4,000,000 to create a permanent endowment that will fund two initiatives:

🏆 The Naroditsky Memorial Blitz & Rapid Championship

An annual over-the-board tournament to be in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event aims to attract the world's top players, including those ranked within the top ten globally, while also welcoming hundreds (even thousands!) of amateur participants. Daniel often spoke about his wish to see more over-the-board blitz and rapid events. This tournament will bring that vision to life, and stand as a celebration of the type of chess he loved most. The Charlotte Chess Center will oversee all aspects of the event, including invitations, organization, and logistics, ensuring it becomes a highlight on the international chess calendar.

🎓 The Naroditsky Fellowship

A scholarship program supporting talented young chess players pursuing excellence at the highest level. Daniel deeply valued students who were serious about reaching their full potential, and took pride in guiding them on that path. The Fellowship will reflect those values by providing financial support, resources, and opportunities to high-achieving students who aspire to play chess professionally. It will focus on talented players in Charlotte, as well as other promising students across the United States.

Every dollar raised during this initial campaign will go directly toward this endowment. Once this founding period concludes, the opportunity to become an original contributing founder of the Naroditsky Memorial and Fellowship will be gone.

To help kickstart this campaign, the Charlotte Chess Center, where Daniel served as Grandmaster-In-Residence since 2019, has committed $100,000 to the fund — providing an early foundation for this enduring tribute.

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Our promise

Every contribution to the Naroditsky Memorial & Fellowship Endowment, large or small, will directly enhance the initiatives we are creating in Daniel's honor. This fund exists to create a lasting impact on the chess community Daniel cherished. Your support guarantees that his vision and legacy will thrive for generations to come.

Whether we reach our $4,000,000 goal, come up short, or surpass it, every dollar raised will be dedicated to the initiatives above. The more we are able to raise, the greater the impact these initiatives will have, allowing us to reach more players, host a larger and more prestigious event, and provide more substantial support to rising chess talent.

Why your support matters

Endowments work differently from traditional fundraising. The principal is preserved and invested, while the annual returns fund the programs forever. To support an elite tournament, a competitive fellowship, and meaningful awards every single year, the endowment must be large enough from the beginning to generate reliable income.

Raising $4,000,000 up front allows the fund to:

• Produce consistent annual support for both initiatives
• Operate without relying on unpredictable year-to-year fundraising
• Maintain the quality of the international Naroditsky Memorial Blitz and Rapid
• Offer substantial financial support to Naroditsky Fellowship recipients
• Protect Daniel's legacy with long-term stability

This campaign is a one-time effort to build the foundation that will sustain Daniel's impact for generations. This is more than a one-time donation. It's an investment in a legacy, one that will continue to shape the chess world for decades to come.

By joining us during this founding campaign, you ensure that Daniel's legacy will endure. Your contribution, whether large or small, will become part of something that outlives us all, a true memorial built not of stone, but of passion, education, and community.

Every contribution counts, and every donor will be recognized as a founding supporter of this endowment.

Donate here

Links

• Donate here
• Zachary Saine pays tribute to Daniel Naroditsky
• In memory of Daniel Naroditsky