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GothamChess remembers Daniel Naroditsky through his attacking chess

Levy Rozman's tribute includes Naroditsky's dazzling sacrifices, their own hyperbullet encounter and a commitment to support his fellowship.

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GothamChess Story of October 26, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? 1,319,466 views so far, and here is what is inside it.

To my friend, Daniel Naroditsky

Things we can learn from the video

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1:00Rozman says the video's earnings will support the Naroditsky Fellowship through the Charlotte Chess Center.
2:15A Carlsen game shows how Naroditsky converts sacrificed material into a forced attack on the king.
7:27Two Nakamura encounters show a king escaping one sacrificial attack and rook sacrifices breaking through in another.
14:40Against Grischuk, a knight jump, pawn push and bishop sacrifice combine to overwhelm the defense.
24:28Rozman analyzes their 2019 hyperbullet game, explaining how Naroditsky dismantled his kingside.
28:03Rozman remembers learning of Naroditsky's death, attending his funeral and his commitment to future memorial events.

Levy Rozman includes himself among the players whose defenses Daniel Naroditsky could take apart. Near the end of "To my friend, Daniel Naroditsky," he revisits their 2019 hyperbullet game and offers a simple assessment: "I always considered my playing style just a worse version of his."

The GothamChess tribute marks the first anniversary of Naroditsky's death. Rather than keeping remembrance separate from the board, Rozman builds much of it around his friend's games: the pieces he gave away, the exposed kings he pursued and the attacking ideas he could spot almost instantly.

Against Magnus Carlsen, a sacrifice on f5 leads into a forced mating sequence. Two encounters with Hikaru Nakamura show both sides of such ambitious play. In one, Nakamura survives after Naroditsky draws his king toward the center with successive sacrifices. In another, Naroditsky gives up rooks on b3 and a3 to break through the king's defenses.

Rozman explains the underlying lesson plainly: creating a powerful attack often means surrendering material. The games make that trade concrete, showing how a rook can matter less than access to the opposing king.

His own encounter with Naroditsky brings the analysis back to their friendship. Rozman watches his kingside unravel under a bishop capture and another rook sacrifice, ending in checkmate.

All earnings from the video will go to the Naroditsky Fellowship, established through the Charlotte Chess Center. In the closing minutes, Rozman remembers learning of his friend's death and attending his funeral, and commits to continuing to play in memorial events.

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