This post will be a bit personal as well as business. Many of you know that I am the Communications Manager for the Charlotte Chess Center, and you've gotten to know that because of the discussions we've had here about Danya, his passing, the Memorial, and now we have the upcoming Fellowship. Also I'm the most long-winded person ever, so be prepared for a lengthy post.

I hate that when I mentally think of my past year, it doesn't begin in January, it begins on October 20th, which is when I found out about Danya's passing -- when CCC Executive Director and Danya's best friend, Peter Giannatos, told me "Whatever you do, don't look on our socials." I of course immediately looked and thought we were hacked, but when he told me it was true, I cried so hard my husband ran into my office trying to figure out what was wrong. All I could do was point at my screen.

Since that day, many lives have been upended. As a mother myself, I cannot imagine the pain Elena, his mother, has been through. His brother's children will not know their uncle, and many holidays will be absent one member. For Peter and Sasha, I cannot comprehend how they managed to wake up the next day, and the next day, and the next day. I've hugged crying students. One student made a chess.com page that continues to have a countdown of days it has been since Danya passed. Danya's personal student wrote a note and gave it to Peter to be buried with Danya. I've helped friends, family, students, players, organizations etc. And who am I? I was just a colleague and a chess mom. Close enough to help and be supportive, but far enough away that I could still function.

The CCC was thrust in the global spotlight in a way that I was not prepared for. We are, at our core, a small business. We were approached by NBC, CNN, BBC, Daily News, NY Times, Time Magazine -- I can't even remember all of them. I kicked reporters out of the CCC while tournaments were happening and told them to stop harassing our kids. Because despite Danya's overwhelming presence, many of our littles haven't interacted with him. No reason to make them and parents uncomfortable. Many of us hunkered down and kept to ourselves while we processed what our community would become without our shining star.

And I don't mean that just from his reputation. For months, we've heard condolences, stories, bittersweet moments from those who met Danya. How could we not? We was so uniquely special--kind and brilliant and funny and notoriously witty and just this amazingly wonderful person. He'd be a shining star even without the fame.

I know a lot of you had doubts about our intentions with the fundraiser and the Naroditsky fund. We've been challenged, called names, threatened, and more. I hope this has since been alleviated a bit with the Naroditsky Memorial (NMRB) and the Naroditsky Fellowship, which will give $50,000 to promising American Junior players, much like the Samford Fellowship that Danya himself received. I do not think there has been a single day of work in the past year where I have not thought about Danya or ensuring his legacy. And this is true for many of us--we're already planning the next NMRB and are announcing the Fellowship committee today.

In fact, let me say it here.

The Naroditsky Fellowship Committee is comprised of:

• Chair - IA Grant Oen (CCC Events Director and close friend of Danya)
• Hikaru Nakamura
• Sam Shankland
• Robert Hess
• Kayden Troff
• John Bartholomew
• Eric Rosen

If any of you know anything about Danya, you'll understand why those players were chosen.

My life, Peter's life, Grant's life, and the CCC in general has spent a large part of the last year honoring Danya and working hard to secure his legacy. Cliche or not, love it or leave it, but people say that the time someone really dies is the last time their name is uttered. In that way, we want to ensure Danya never dies.

But honestly, I'd rather just have him here, and have him home, and teaching our students, and streaming. I want him constantly making me laugh during long photography sessions. I want to be his bodyguard again and shoo away people when he was worn out.

I know many of us will be feeling a renewed sense of grief. I am always a mess leading up to the anniversary of my father's passing, and I know many of you--despite not necessarily being physically close to Danya--will be feeling similarly. Please be good and be well today, to both yourself and others.

Thanks for reading,

Kelly

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