World Champion 2013–2023
Magnus Carlsen
Norway · b. 1990Highest rating in chess history: 2882
Chess stars of the world
Players of different eras: from Philidor to today’s grandmasters
Grandmaster
Fabiano Caruana
USA · b. 1992Carlsen's opponent in the 2018 world championship match
World Champion 2023–2024
Ding Liren
China · b. 1992China's first men's world champion
Grandmaster
Ian Nepomniachtchi
Russia · b. 1990Won the Candidates tournament twice in a row, in 2021 and 2022
Grandmaster
Levon Aronian
Armenia, USA · b. 1982Three-time Olympiad champion with Armenia
Grandmaster
Alexander Grischuk
Russia · b. 1983Three-time world blitz champion (2006, 2012, 2015)
Grandmaster
Anish Giri
Netherlands · b. 1994Winner of Wijk aan Zee 2023, Candidates tournament participant
Grandmaster
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
Azerbaijan · b. 1985Two-time world junior champion (2003, 2005)
Grandmaster
Wesley So
USA · b. 1993The first official Fischer Random world champion (2019)
Grandmaster
Teimour Radjabov
Azerbaijan · b. 1987Winner of the 2019 FIDE World Cup
Grandmaster
Wang Hao
China · b. 1989Participant in the 2020–2021 Candidates tournament
Grandmaster
Richárd Rapport
Hungary · b. 1996Known for his unusual opening repertoire; played in the 2022 Candidates
Grandmaster
Julio Bolbochán
Argentina · 1920–1996One of the strongest Argentine players of the mid-20th century, Olympiad medallist with Argentina
Grandmaster
Pia Cramling
Sweden · b. 1963One of the first women to earn the overall grandmaster title (1992)
Master
Emanuel Schiffers
Russia · 1850–1904One of the strongest Russian players of the 19th century, a popular chess writer and teacher
Grandmaster
Vladislav Kovalev
Belarus · b. 1994Belarusian champion, FIDE World Cup participant
Grandmaster
Alexander Beliavsky
USSR, Slovenia · b. 1953Four-time USSR champion and well-known coach
Woman Grandmaster
Natalia Zhukova
Ukraine · b. 1979Two-time women's European champion (2000, 2010)
Grandmaster
Wang Yue
China · b. 1987One of the first Chinese players to enter the FIDE top ten
Grandmaster
Igor Kovalenko
Latvia, Ukraine · b. 1988Grandmaster who played for the national teams of Latvia and Ukraine
Grandmaster
Dmitry Bocharov
Russia · b. 1982Russian grandmaster and coach
Woman Grandmaster
Nana Alexandria
Georgia · b. 1949Twice played a women's world championship match, in 1975 and 1981
Grandmaster
Zoltán Ribli
Hungary · b. 1951Semi-finalist of the 1983 Candidates matches
Grandmaster
Larry Christiansen
USA · b. 1956Three-time US champion (1980, 1983, 2002)
Grandmaster
Baskaran Adhiban
India · b. 1992Winner of the Challengers group at Wijk aan Zee 2016
Grandmaster
Semen Dvoirys
Russia · b. 1958Soviet and Russian grandmaster and coach
Grandmaster
Raymond Keene
England · b. 1948Chess journalist, author of more than a hundred books, organiser of world championship matches
Grandmaster
Adrian Mikhalchishin
USSR, Slovenia · b. 1954Well-known coach who worked in Anatoly Karpov's team
Grandmaster
Ruslan Shcherbakov
Russia · b. 1969Russian grandmaster and coach
Grandmaster
Vladislav Tkachiev
Kazakhstan, France · b. 1973Grandmaster who played for Kazakhstan and France, a renowned blitz player
Grandmaster
Efim Bogoljubov
Russia, Germany · 1889–1952Twice played a world championship match against Alekhine, in 1929 and 1934
Grandmaster
Miguel Najdorf
Poland, Argentina · 1910–1997One of the most popular lines of the Sicilian Defence is named after him
Grandmaster
Robert Byrne
USA · 1928–2013Participant in the 1974 Candidates matches, chess columnist for The New York Times
Grandmaster
Alex Yermolinsky
USSR, USA · b. 1958US champion in 1993 and 1996
18th-century master
François-André Philidor
France · 1726–1795The strongest player of his time, author of the famous saying about pawns
Grandmaster
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
France · b. 1990World blitz champion 2021
Master
Dawid Przepiórka
Poland · 1880–1940A founder of the Polish Chess Federation and Polish champion
Grandmaster
Ľubomír Ftáčnik
Slovakia · b. 1957Multiple champion of Czechoslovakia and Slovakia
Grandmaster
Arthur Bisguier
USA · 1929–2017US champion 1954
Grandmaster
Kevin Spraggett
Canada · b. 1954Participant in the 1985 and 1988 Candidates matches
Grandmaster
Miguel Illescas
Spain · b. 1965Multiple Spanish champion who advised the creators of Deep Blue
Master
Georg Salwe
Russia, Poland · 1862–1920Winner of the 1905–1906 All-Russian tournament
Grandmaster
Lê Quang Liêm
Vietnam · b. 1991World blitz champion 2013
Grandmaster
Vladimir Epishin
Russia · b. 1965Anatoly Karpov's second for many years
Grandmaster
Vadim Milov
Switzerland · b. 1972Multiple Swiss champion
Grandmaster
Eduardo Iturrizaga
Venezuela, Spain · b. 1989Venezuela's strongest player, later represented Spain
Grandmaster
Herman Pilnik
Argentina · 1914–1981Participant in the 1956 Candidates tournament
Grandmaster
Predrag Nikolić
Bosnia and Herzegovina · b. 1960One of the strongest Yugoslav players of the 1980s–90s
Grandmaster
Ulf Andersson
Sweden · b. 1951One of the strongest players in the world in the 1970s–80s, later top-rated in correspondence chess
Master
Alexandre Deschapelles
France · 1780–1847The strongest player in the world in the early 19th century
Woman Grandmaster
Tatiana Shumiakina
Russia · b. 1965Woman Grandmaster and coach
Woman Grandmaster
Galina Strutinskaya
Russia · b. 1957Medallist in USSR championships, chess organiser
Master
Pyotr Izmailov
USSR · 1906–1937RSFSR champion 1928. Victim of the 1937 repressions
Coach
Vladimir Zak
USSR · 1913–1994Honoured Coach of the USSR, Boris Spassky's first coach
Grandmaster
Boris Kostić
Serbia · 1887–1963Played a match against Capablanca in 1919
International Master
Erik Lundin
Sweden · 1904–1988Multiple Swedish champion
Master
Yakov Neishtadt
USSR, Israel · b. 1923Chess writer and historian, author of books about great players
Grandmaster
Boris Verlinsky
USSR · 1887–1950USSR champion 1929, the first Soviet player to receive the grandmaster title
Grandmaster
Nicolas Rossolimo
France, USA · 1910–1975The Rossolimo Variation of the Sicilian Defence is named after him
Grandmaster
Rudolf Spielmann
Austria · 1883–1942Master of attack and sacrifice, author of “The Art of Sacrifice in Chess”
International Master
Lev Aronin
USSR · 1920–1983Soviet master and opening theorist
Grandmaster
Aleksandar Matanović
Yugoslavia · b. 1930Long-time editor-in-chief of Chess Informant
Grandmaster
Elizbar Ubilava
Georgia · b. 1950Well-known coach
Master
Ignatz Kolisch
Austria · 1837–1889Strong 19th-century master, later a banker and patron of chess tournaments
Grandmaster
Jan Hein Donner
Netherlands · 1927–1988Chess writer, author of “The King”
Women's World Champion 1956–1958
Olga Rubtsova
USSR · 1909–1994The fourth women's world champion, later correspondence chess world champion
Grandmaster
Pal Benko
Hungary, USA · 1928–2019Author of the Benko Gambit (Volga Gambit), well-known problem composer
Grandmaster
Frank Marshall
USA · 1877–1944US champion from 1909 to 1936, author of the Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez
Master
Louis-Charles de La Bourdonnais
France · 1795–1840The strongest player of the 1820s–30s; played a series of matches with McDonnell
FIDE President
Alexander Rueb
Netherlands · 1882–1959First President of FIDE (1924–1949)
Master
Fedor Bohatyrchuk
USSR, Canada · 1892–1984USSR champion 1927 and a radiologist
Master
Carlos Torre
Mexico · 1904–1978Author of the Torre Attack; famous for his “windmill” against Lasker (1925)
Woman Grandmaster
Elena Tomilova
Russia · b. 1984Russian chess player, Woman Grandmaster
Grandmaster
John Nunn
England · b. 1955Chess author and three-time world chess solving champion
Master
Dawid Janowski
Poland, France · 1868–1927Played a world championship match against Lasker in 1910
Grandmaster
Andrey Rychagov
Russia · b. 1979Russian grandmaster
Master
Johann Löwenthal
Hungary, England · 1810–1876Strong 19th-century master, tournament organiser and chess editor
Grandmaster
Jeroen Piket
Netherlands · b. 1969Multiple Dutch champion
Master
Martin From
Denmark · 1828–1895From's Gambit is named after him
Grandmaster
Zurab Azmaiparashvili
Georgia · b. 1960European champion 2003, President of the European Chess Union
Grandmaster
Krishnan Sasikiran
India · b. 1981Multiple Indian champion
Master
Carl Jaenisch
Russia · 1813–1872Chess theorist, author of the Jaenisch Gambit
Grandmaster
Yasser Seirawan
USA · b. 1960Three-time US champion and well-known chess commentator
Grandmaster
Lev Psakhis
USSR, Israel · b. 1958Two-time USSR champion (1980, 1981)
Master
Amos Burn
England · 1848–1925One of the strongest masters of the late 19th century
Grandmaster
Rauf Mamedov
Azerbaijan · b. 1988European team champion with Azerbaijan
Coach
Alexander Nikitin
USSR · b. 1935Honoured Coach of the USSR who coached Garry Kasparov for many years
Women's World Champion 2017–2018
Tan Zhongyi
China · b. 1991The sixteenth women's world champion
Master
Grigory Ravinsky
USSR · 1909–1996Soviet master and coach
Grandmaster
Nick de Firmian
USA · b. 1957Three-time US champion, editor of “Modern Chess Openings”
Master
Joseph Blackburne
England · 1841–1924One of the strongest masters of the 19th century, nicknamed “The Black Death”
Grandmaster
Artur Yusupov
USSR, Germany · b. 1960Three-time Candidates semi-finalist and author of a well-known training course
Woman Grandmaster
Elena Tairova
Russia · b. 1991Russian chess player, Woman Grandmaster
Grandmaster
Milan Matulović
Serbia · 1935–2013One of the strongest Yugoslav players of the 1960s–70s
Grandmaster
Svetozar Gligorić
Serbia · 1923–2012Multiple Yugoslav champion, participant in Candidates tournaments and matches
Master
Adolf Albin
Austria · 1848–1920Author of the Albin Countergambit
Grandmaster
Alexander Moiseenko
Ukraine · b. 1980European champion 2013
Master
Alexander Koblencs
Latvia · 1916–1993Chess coach, Mikhail Tal's mentor
Woman Grandmaster
Almira Skripchenko
Moldova, France · b. 1976Women's European champion 2001
Master
Henri Grob
Switzerland · 1904–1974The Grob opening (1. g4) is named after him