New Delhi, Oct. 21 -- 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 on Monday, October 20. He was 29, weeks shy of 30.

The cause of his death was not immediately known.

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

The Charlotte Chess Center 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,...