Daniel Dardha

Daniel Dardha is a Belgian chess grandmaster. He won the Belgian Chess Championship in 2019 at age 13, becoming the youngest player to do so.

Chess career

In 2017, aged 12, he won the U-14 Blitz Chess Championship. He earned his International Master title in 2019, shortly after winning the Belgian Chess Championship. He earned his Grandmaster title in 2021 after winning the Belgian Chess Championship for the second time, becoming Belgium's youngest ever Grandmaster at age 15.
He won the Belgian Chess Championship for the third time in 2022.
He did not defend his title in 2023, playing instead in the 2023 Chess World Cup. He defeated Goh Wei Ming in the first round, but was defeated by Vincent Keymer in the second round.
He won the Belgian Chess Championship for the fourth time in 2024.

Personal life

Dardha was born on 1 October 2005 in Mortsel, Belgium. His father, Arben Dardha, who became U-20 Albanian Champion at age 16, is a FIDE Master and, as of 2019, Daniel's coach. Dardha's grandfather, Bardhyl Dardha, coached the Tomori chess club in Berat, Albania, as well as his son. At age 82, he was still active in online chess.