Chess Best Players of All Time

Aleksandr Smokvin

Chess is an incredibly popular classic board game that has been around for centuries. It requires skillful strategic thinking and intense concentration, making it a favorite among all ages of players from beginner to grandmaster. Originally derived from the ancient Indian game Chaturanga, Chess can be found in almost every corner of the world with its intricate rules and pieces – each playing their own important role in achieving victory for one player over another.

Table of Contents

1. Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen is a world-class chess player and one of the greatest in history. He has won multiple international tournaments, including two World Chess Championships.

In November 2021, he will compete in the World Chess Championship for a third time. Carlsen was born in 1990 and currently lives in Norway. 

Magnus Carlsen is one of the most successful chess players in history, with three World Championships and two Grandmaster titles to his name.

He has also won numerous individual tournaments, including a record eight Nordic Chess Championships. In October 2016, Magnus Carlsen became the world's youngest ever grandmaster at the age of 21 years and 4 months old. 

As well as being a formidable player on the board, Magnus Carlsen is also an accomplished composer and musician.

He has released several albums of classical music compositions. In March 2020 he announced that he would be taking a break from competitive chess to focus on his education and other interests outside of playing chess professionally - something which many spectators believe will prolong his reign as world champion for even longer.

2. Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov was a world-renowned chess champion who competed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He emigrated from the Soviet Union to the United States in 1992, where he became one of America's most successful athletes.

Kasparov returned to Russia after his loss against Anatoly Karpov in the World Chess Championship 2004 and has since been involved with politics and media commentary. 

In September 2016, he announced that he would be moving to Croatia due to political instability in Russia; as of November 2017, he remains there.] Garry Kasparov is currently a political commentator for RT (formerly known as Russian Television) Kasparov is widely considered to be one of the greatest chess players of all time.

Kasparov was world champion from 1985 to 1993, and again from 1993 to 2000. Kasparov also held the title of grandmaster in both classical and speed chess for a total of 18 years (1976-1993 in classical, 1994-2000 in speed). 

In 2016, Kasparov announced his return to competitive chess as a professional player once again. He currently holds the rank of 2812 FIDE rating - making him the 3rd highest rated player in history (behind only Magnus Carlsen & Vladimir Kramnik). His peak rating was reached at 2851 during 1999.

3. Bobby Fischer

1943–2008

Bobby Fischer

Bobby Fischer was an American chess prodigy who became one of the world's best players. He is considered to be one of history's greatest champions and secured seven World Chess Championships, becoming the first person ever to do so.

In 1972, he stunned the chess world by winning a game against Boris Spassky that has been called one of the most dramatic contests in modern tournament play. 

After retiring from professional competition in 1978, Fischer turned his attention to other pursuits including writing books and making controversial statements about race and religion.

In 2005, after decades out of public view, he announced his intention to move to Iceland claiming it offered him a more tolerant environment than America at that time. 

Today Bobby Fischer remains an inspiration for young aspiring chess players around the world and continues to speak out on social issues affecting society as they pertain to education reform, mathematics enrichment programs etc.

4. Viswanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand is a world-class chess player and one of the greatest in history. He was born in Mayiladuthurai, Tamil Nadu, India on December 11th 1969.

His father was an Indian Air Force officer and his mother was a teacher. Viswanathan started playing chess at the age of six and quickly became interested in the game.

In 1989 he won both the World Junior Chess Championship (under 18 years old) and the Asian Youth Chess Championship, becoming only the second person to win both tournaments consecutively (the other being Garry Kasparov).

In 1990 he tied for first place with Karpov at Linares tournament losing only two games all tournament long including a brilliancy victory over Karpov's mentor Tigran Petrosian. 

This earned him grandmaster status from FIDE, making him eligible to compete against top rated players from around the world.

In 1993 Anand achieved yet another historic milestone by becoming only the third player ever—after Spassky and Fischer—to hold simultaneously titles as World Champion (International Master), European Champion (FM), Asian Champion (IM), and Commonwealth champion (GM). 

As well as this he also placed fourth at that year's Candidates Tournament behind Ruslan Ponomariov, Veselin Topalov, and Anatoly Karpov thereby qualifying for his first World Chess Championship match against Boris Gelfand which took place later that year in New York City; eventually Gelfand emerged victorious with 7/11 points (+5=3 – 1 =4 ).

5. Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Caruana is a world champion chess player who has won multiple tournaments and championships. He was born in the United States, but grew up in Italy before moving back to the US in 2015.

Fabiano Caruana is considered one of the best chess players in history, and he has been ranked number one for many years. In 2017, he became the first person ever to win both major international titles - the World Chess Championship and the European Chess Championship - at once.

Fabiano Caruana also holds several other records within chess, including being undefeated in competitive games from 2013 onwards (a record currently held by Magnus Carlsen). 

Outside of playing chess, Fabiano Caruana is a successful businessman who owns his own business empire He frequently gives motivational speeches about life and success to young people around the world.

6. Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura

Hikaru Nakamura is a world-class chess player who holds the rank of Grandmaster. Nakamura was born in Osaka, Japan in 1987 and began playing chess at an early age.

He achieved international success as a junior player, winning several tournaments and earning the title of International Master in 2002. In 2003, he became the first American to achieve grandmaster status, and has since remained one of the strongest players in the world.

Nakamura has participated in numerous prestigious tournaments throughout his career, including five World Chess Championships (2010–14) and three Olympiads (2008–10). He is currently ranked No 5 by FIDE ratings Hikaru Nakamura is a Japanese professional player of the video game chess.

He has achieved international renown for his speed and attacking play. In October 2015, he became the second-ranked player in the world according to FIDE's rating list. Hikaru Nakamura was born on September 4th, 1988, in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. 

Hikaru Nakamura learned how to play chess when he was six years old from his father who taught him classical games like checkers and Go as well as modern variants of the board game such as rapid chess and blitz tournament chess .

Hikaru Nakamura attended Gakushuin University where he majored in mathematics but did not graduate due to lack of time. 

However, after playing in several amateur tournaments,he managed to get noticed by GM Yasser Seirawan who offered him an internship at his academy which ultimately led to him becoming a professional player. 

On July 1st 2017, Hikaru announced that he will be retiring from competitive chess at age 29 with immediate effect citing burnout amongst other things although stated that he may still take part in occasional exhibition matches or help out younger players if they request it.

7. Wesley So

Wesley So

Wesley So is a Filipino-American world chess champion and grandmaster. He was born on October 9, 1993 in Bacoor Cavite, Philippines. At the age of nine, he won the Philippine Chess Championship at the age of 10 years old, becoming the youngest ever national champion in history.

He moved to America when he was eleven years old and started playing competitive chess there shortly afterwards under the guidance of Grandmasters Yuri Andreev and David Bronstein . In 2008, Wesley became the first Asian player to be awarded with FIDE's highest title - Grandmaster .

His peak rating was 2822 in February 2017 which made him one of the strongest players in history . Wesley has participated or coached for many events such as The World Rapid & Blitz Championships (2018), Tata Steel Masters (2017), Candidates Tournament (2016), London Chess Classic (2015) among others.

8. Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Karpov

An iconic Soviet chess player, Anatoly Karpov was world champion from 1975 to 1985. After retiring from competitive play, he served as the president of FIDE (the World Chess Federation) from 1993 to 1999.

In 2001, he was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE and in 2013 he received an honorary doctorate degree from Lomonosov Moscow State University for his achievements in chess history and coaching. At 71 years old, Karpov remains one of the most successful professional chess players ever.

Anatoly Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster, who was born on December 26, 1951. He won the world championship in 1976 and has been the runner-up twice (1975 and 1984). 

Anatoly Karpov was an extremely successful player in his youth, becoming World Junior Champion at age 16. He also finished second behind Boris Spassky at the 1972 Candidates Tournament which led to his world title match against Bobby Fischer later that year.

Many consider Karpov's loss of the world championship to Fischer in Reykjavik as one of the greatest upsets ever in sporting history. The game went into a tiebreak where Fischer eventually emerged victorious after achieving an impressive winning percentage over Karpov during their matches up to that point.

After retiring from competitive play, Anatoly Karpov became a well-known commentator for Soviet television and took part in many international tournaments as a coach or arbiter between 1992 and 2004.

In 2011 he was elected to represent Tyumen Oblast in Russia's State Duma – Lower House of Parliament – following Vladimir Putin's return to power as president two years earlier.

9. Alireza Firouzja

Alireza Firouzja

Alireza Firouzja is a French chess player who has represented his country since July 2021. He competed in the FIDE Chess World Cup 2019, where he finished 15th overall with 3/9 results.

Alireza Firouzja was born on December 17, 1994, in Tehran, Iran. He started playing chess at the age of six and quickly became one of Iran's strongest players. 

In 2018, he won the Iranian Chess Championship title for the first time and also qualified to compete in the Candidates Tournament 2020 which he reached the third round but ultimately lost to Sergey Karjakin Alireza Firouzja is a highly rated player and has been dubbed the next grandmaster.

He made his first international breakthrough at the age of 15, winning the silver medal in the Under-16 World Chess Championship. Since then he has continued to make a name for himself by clinching various top-ranking titles including the Iranian Junior Championships three times consecutively (2016, 2017, 2018). 

In January 2019 Alireza became Iran’s youngest-ever Grandmaster when he achieved 2785 FIDE rating points. This makes him only 4th in the world rankings behind Sergey Karjakin, Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik right now.

The 22-year old will be looking to take on even bigger challenges in future and aim to win some major tournaments such as Olympiad or Candidates Tournament 2020 which would cement his place among chess greats forever.

10. Vladimir Kramnik

Vladimir Kramnik

Vladimir Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster who has won numerous tournaments, including the World Chess Championship in 1996 and 2004. He was born on 7 February 1975 in Leningrad, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg), to a family of chess players.

Kramnik first came to prominence as a junior player, winning the USSR Junior Chess Championship in 1984 and 1986. 

In 1988 he moved to Moscow to study at the Gnessin Academy of Music and Art under former world champion Anatoly Karpov; here he met his future wife Valentina Kosteniuk .

After graduating from college, Vladimir played minor international events before making his debut at the FIDE World Championship Candidates Tournament held in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1995 where he finished with 5/8th place behind Veselin Topalov. 

The next year saw him compete for the title against Topalov again but this time lost convincingly 3-1 after leading 2-0 earlier in the tournament.

Between 1998 and 2002 he achieved some excellent results internationally, notably winning both European Team Championships (1998) and World Teams Championships (2000). 

At age 30 years old Vladimir became only the fifth male player ever (after Kasparov Garry Fischer Bobby Fischer Viswanathan Anand ) to achieve Grandmaster status. 

This event took place on 15 March 2002 during an exhibition match between GMs Hikaru Nakamura Vishy Anand Lev Aronian which Vladimir won by forfeit following Nakamura's participation as a commentator instead of playing himself due to illness.

Finally aged 34 years old Vladimir retained his world championship crown when he defeated defending champion Ruslan Ponomariwsky 6½–3½ at Tata Steel Masters 2010.

11. Levon Aronian

Levon Aronian

Levon Aronian is an Armenian chess grandmaster. He was the world's number one ranked player from 2006 to 2016, and has held that ranking for a total of nine years.

Aronian won the World Chess Championship in 2007 and 2017, making him the only player to win both the world championship title and the International Master (IM) title simultaneously.

In addition, he also won numerous other tournaments throughout his career including three Grand Prix titles and five European Championships. After retiring from competitive chess in 2018, Aronian became a professional coach with FIDE and started working with young players at his new academy in Yerevan.

Levon Aronian is a world-class chess player who has won many prestigious tournaments, including the World Chess Championship in 2003. 

He was also named Grandmaster in 2000 and holds a rating of 2735 as of December 2022. Levon Aronian's peak rating was 2830, which he reached in March 2014. In December 2022, Levon Aronian ranked No.

17 on the FIDE rankings list. His peak ranking was 2nd place in January 2012.

12. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is a French chess grandmaster. He has won the World Chess Cup in 2017 and the European Chess Championship in 2018. In 2020, he competed in the Candidates Tournament and was runner up behind Fabiano Caruana.

Vachier-Lagrave was born on October 21, 1990 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France Maxime is a grandmaster and one of the top players in the world. 

He has won several major tournaments, including the World Chess Championship twice. Maxime is also known for his strong defence skills, which have helped him achieve great results over the years.

As a result of his impressive performance, Maxime has been named as one of FIDE's 25 greatest chess players of all time. In December 2022, he will be 50 years old - making him one of the oldest grandmasters in history.

13. Anish Giri

Anish Giri

Anish Giri is a chess player who has been competing at the highest level for many years. He first achieved some success in junior tournaments, and then made his professional debut in 2007.

In 2013 he won the Candidates Tournament, earning his right to challenge World Champion Magnus Carlsen for the title. 

However, he was narrowly defeated by Carlsen in a close match that went to tiebreaks - an event which gained him international acclaim and increased speculation about a possible future world championship rematch between the two players.

Since then Giri has continued to compete regularly on the Grand Prix circuit, with varying degrees of success; most notably winning silver at last year's World Chess Championship tournament held in Chennai (India). 

After being eliminated from contention for one of FIDE's top titles this year, Giri announced his retirement from competitive chess playing at the end of 2018.

14. José Raúl Capablanca

1888–1942

José Raúl Capablanca

José Raúl Capablanca is considered one of the greatest chess players in history. He was born on October 26, 1887, in Santander, Spain. Capablanca quickly became a champion and dominated the game for many years.

In 1921 he won the world championship against Alexander Alekhine by score of 10-8. He continued to win major tournaments throughout his career, including victories at The World Championship (1927), Amsterdam (1928), Madrid (1929), Buenos Aires (1931) and London (1935).

In 1940 he resigned from professional competition due to poor health but still managed to hold onto his title as world champion until 1942 when he lost it to Paul Keres.

Capablanca died on July 17th 1961 at the age of 82 after suffering a heart attack while playing golf in Havana, Cuba José Raúl Capablanca was a world champion chess player who held the title from 1921 to 1927.

He was born in Cuba in 1888 and died in 1942, aged 53, in New York City. Capablanca is considered one of the greatest chess players of all time and his achievements include winning seven international championships. 

His most famous victory came at the World Chess Championship 1921 against Alexander Alekhine, which remains one of the most dramatic matches ever played. 

Capablanca's legacy includes popularizing modern opening strategies and introducing new techniques into the game of chess, such as rapid play and positional sacrifices.

He is also credited with helping to develop Cuban chess during this time period by training many young talent.

15. Veselin Topalov

Veselin Topalov

Veselin Topalov is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. He has won the World Chess Championship in 2002 and 2007, and was runner-up in 2000 and 2004. In 2005 he tied for first with Vladimir Kramnik, behind only Viswanathan Anand, at the Candidates Tournament in Moscow.

At the 2008 European Team Championships he led his team to victory by scoring 9/11 points on board 1 against Spain (scoring 5½ out of 7). 

Veselin Topalov played for Bulgaria at the 2012 London Olympics where they finished last of 16 teams following their 0-3 loss to Croatia in their qualifying group stage match.

Veselin Topalov also competed as a member of Bulgaria's men's national ice hockey team which placed fourth at the 2014.

 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia; making it top contender for a spot on next year's world championship roster but were disqualified from taking part due to an unpaid debt owed to Ilya Kovalchuk worth $1 million dollars.

16. Alexander Grischuk

Alexander Grischuk

Alexander Grischuk is a Russian chess Grandmaster. He first came to prominence in 2006 when he won the World Junior Chess Championship. In 2008, he became the European Rapid Champion and also won the Moscow Open that year.

In 2009, Grischuk played for Russia in their successful bid to qualify for the 2010 World Chess Championships in which they reached the semifinals where they lost to Germany He has since then performed well at major tournaments such as winning both of the Candidates Tournaments (2013 & 2016) and scoring second place at both of events staged by FIDE (2014 & 2018).

Alexander Grischuk was born on December 12th, 1987 in Kirovograd, Ukraine but now lives and trains full-time in Moscow, Russia Alexander Grischuk is a Russian grandmaster. He was born on October 31, 1983 in Moscow, Russia. 

Grischuk became a grandmaster in 2000 and has been ranked 12th by the FIDE rating list as of December 2022. As of May 2014, he was ranked third according to the FIDE rating list.

17. Sergey Karjakin

Sergey Karjakin

Sergey Karjakin is a Russian chess player who has won numerous tournaments and championships. He was born in Ukraine, but moved to Russia at the age of 10.

In 2009, he became world champion by beating Viswanathan Anand in a dramatic final match. Karjakin played for Russia at the 2014 World Chess Championship but lost in the second round against Magnus Carlsen.

He returned to form with a victory at the 2016 Candidates Tournament, which led to his rematch against Carlsen later that year and another loss.. Karjakin's strong performance at this year's European Championships earned him an invitation to play in the 2018 World Cup of Chess, where he reached the semifinals before losing narrowly to Levon Aronian .

Karjakin currently ranks number two on the all-time list of rated chess players with 2800 points (after Garry Kasparov).

18. Ding Liren

Ding Liren

Ding Liren is a 30-year-old Chinese professional player who has been playing chess for over 15 years. In the 2018 Candidates Tournament, Ding finished with 7/14, which placed him in second place behind Levon Aronian.

Ding was born in 1992 and started playing chess when he was six years old. He won his first national championship at the age of 12 and went on to win several more titles throughout his teenage years. 

Ding made his debut as an international grandmaster at the tender age of 18, and since then he's accumulated numerous top results including medals at both World Championships and European Championships.

As one of China's most successful players, Ding has helped grow the game there by inspiring many young people to take up chess as their passion. Ding Liren is a Chinese Grandmaster and two-time World Champion. 

Ding Liren won the 2009 World Junior Championship and the 2011 World Chess Championship, becoming only the second player in history to win both events (the other being Garry Kasparov). In December 2022, Ding Liren became FIDE's 27th world champion by defeating Levon Aronian with 7/9 games in a tiebreak.

Ding has also been an Olympic gold medalist (in team chess) and three-time silver medalist at the Asian Games, as well as winning several other tournaments including twice beating Magnus Carlsen in classical chess matches. He was born on February 8, 1989, in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province of China.

19. Ian Nepomniachtchi

Ian Nepomniachtchi

Nepomniachtchi is a Russian Grandmaster and two-time World Chess Champion. He has achieved international fame for his ambitious chess playing, often using tactics and strategies not commonly seen in the game.

Nepomniachtchi was born on March 5th, 1990 in Moscow, Russia. At the age of ten he became a junior champion of Russia and at fifteen won the European Junior Championship with an undefeated score. 

Nepomniachtchi first came to prominence as one half of the world's number one team (alongside Vladimir Kramnik) which dominated professional chess during 2007-2011 but have since fallen off the ranking charts somewhat due to their retirement from competitive play together in 2012 following Kramnik's win at that year's Candidates Tournament .

Nepomniachtchi played for Russia at several events including both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games where they reached the semi finals but were unsuccessful this time around; however he did help Russia qualify for their first-ever football World Cup by winning Armenia’s top-domestic title back in May 2018. 

In 2016 Nepomniachtchi achieved unique success by becoming both International Master (IM) and Grandmaster simultaneously – this feat had never before been accomplished by any player barring Magnus Carlsen who attained GM status while still holding an IM title.

Despite being known more for his skill as a grandmaster than as a player of lower rated tournaments, Nepo managed to achieve some impressive results even there such as runner up finishes at Wijk Aan Zee (2017).

Gibraltar Masters (2018) plus taking home bronze medals from both Tbilisi Open(2015)and Reykjavik Rapid & Blitz 2017 championships beating multiple current world champions along the way. 

Ian also finished joint 2nd place behind Viswanathan Anand at Chennai SuperGM 2017, despite Black having only 6 draws against 20 wins whereas White had 11 draws against 18 losses - arguably indicating just how strong Anand’s preparation was going into that event.

8 Finally according to sources close to him , it seems increasingly likely that we will see Ian compete once again under his former nickname.

The Georgian Tiger” given how well he is doing currently while representing Russia in various high level international competitions such as The Summit 2019 which took place over Christmas week last year.

20. Teimour Radjabov

Teimour Radjabov

Teimour Radjabov is a world-renowned chess player who has won numerous titles, including the World Chess Championship in 2006 and 2012. He was born in Azerbaijan but moved to Moscow at a young age to pursue his career.

Radjabov is particularly known for his aggressive playstyle, which often leads him into complex positions where he can show off his stunning chess skills. 

In recent years he has focused on coaching younger players and helping them achieve their own potential at the highest level of chess competition.

Teimour Radjabov is a world-renowned chess player and Grandmaster. He was born in Azerbaijan, but has resided in the United States since 2006. 

At 2747 FIDE rating he is currently ranked No 11 in the world. Radjabov's best-known performance came at the 2012 World Chess Championship where he finished with a rating of 2793, making him one of the strongest players on earth at that time.

In 2001 he became a grandmaster and has won numerous top awards including both the Russian Professional Chess Championship (2001) and European Champion (2007). 

Teimour Radjabov also enjoys playing draughts, having achieved international success in that game as well: his highest ranking ever was 2nd place in Europe behind Danish IM Michael Rasmussen.

21. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is a world-class chess player who has won several prestigious titles including the World Chess Championship in 2007 and 2013. He was born on February 21, 1984, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Mamedyarov started playing chess at the age of 5 and quickly progressed to become one of the best players in his country. In 2002 he became junior European champion and two years later made his debut as a professional player by winning the Azeri championship.

In 2006 he helped his team win gold medal at the World Student Team Chess Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia, scoring 8/11 for first board with White against top international competition including future world champions Anish Giri and Boris Gelfand. 

Two years later Mamedyarov reached another peak by becoming both Azerbaijani Champion (2007) and Commonwealth Champion (2008).

In 2009 he finished second behind Veselin Topalov at FIDE's Candidates Tournament - an event that served as qualification process for challenging Magnus Carlsen for World Chess Championship title which eventually went to Sergey Karjakin.

Mamedyarov achieved arguably even greater success when he dethroned Viswanathan Anand from undisputed number 1 ranking with victory over him in their classical game played during. 

Wijk Aan Zee 2012 tournament which led to much media attention around world highlighting Azerbaijan's rising status on global stage as well as among other things also revealing some hitherto unknown tactical skills of Indian Grandmaster.

22. Nodirbek Abdusattorov

Nodirbek Abdusattorov

Abdusattorov was born on September 18, 2004 in Uzbekistan. Abdusattorov is a rising star of Uzbek tennis and has been playing since he was just 12 years old.

He won his first ATP Challenger title at the 2018 Bukhara Open and made it to the semi-finals of the 2018 Chengdu Open before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas. 

In 2019, Abdusattorov reached his highest ranking as a junior when he became number 21 in the world after winning both the Hungarian Junior Championships and Croatian Junior Championships titles in singles and doubles respectively.

With such promising results already under his belt, Abdusattorov is sure to continue making waves on tour in future years. Abdusattorov is a 2713 Grandmaster who has been playing chess for over 20 years. 

He won the Uzbekistan Chess Championship in 2018 and also placed fourth at the World Team Chess Championship that same year. Abdusattorov is an accomplished player and has achieved many accolades throughout his career, including being ranked No.

23. Paul Morphy

1837–1884

Paul Morphy

Paul Morphy was a famous chess player who lived in the mid 1800s. Morphy is considered one of the greatest players of all time and he dominated his peers at the game.

He won many tournaments, including three international championships, and he helped popularize chess throughout America. Morphy died young in 1884 but his legacy lives on through his incredible play Paul Morphy was a world-renowned chess player and one of the best in history.

He is most famous for his legendary rivalry with José Raúl Capablanca, which lasted from 1887 to 1921. Morphy won several major tournaments, including the World Chess Championship twice (1886 and 1894). He also developed new chess strategies, such as the French Defense which is still used today.

Paul Morphy died at age 47 after a long battle with tuberculosis, but his legacy lives on through his many contributions to the sport of chess.

24. Mikhail Tal

1936–1992

Mikhail Tal

Mikhail Tal was a Soviet-era chess grandmaster and one of the greatest players in history. Tal made his international debut at the age of 15, becoming world champion at the age of 19.

He is most famous for his comprehensive theoretical work on chess opening theory, which has had a lasting impact on modern game play. 

In 1992, he emigrated to Latvia after decades living in exile due to political reasons related to his involvement with Soviet Union's communist regime and its policies towards chessplayers abroad.

In 2007, Mikhail Tal was awarded an honorary title of "Honorary Citizen" by Riga City Council in recognition of his significant contribution to Latvian culture and society over the years Mikhail 

Tal was one of the greatest chess players in history. He is best known for becoming World Champion in 1960 and 1961, as well as holding the title of Grandmaster.

Tal was born in 1936 in Latvia and started playing chess at a very young age. He quickly became successful, winning numerous tournaments throughout his career. 

One of the most famous moments from Tal's career came when he became world champion by defeating Botvinnik Rubinstein on tie-break time in the 1960 tournament final. 

However,Tal's success didn't last forever; he later lost his world championship crown to Bobby Fischer in a dramatic match which went to game 12 (of 14).

After his loss to Fischer, Tal retired from professional competition but continued to play exhibition matches until his death aged 55 years old in 1992.

25. Emanuel Lasker

1868–1941

Emanuel Lasker

Emanuel Lasker was a world-renowned chess player and one of the best in history. He is considered to be one of the most successful players in modern times, with six World Championship titles.

Emanuel Lasker was born on December 12, 1868 in Breslau (now Wrocław), then part of Prussian Silesia. At the age of 14 he began studying mathematics at University College London but dropped out after just two terms to concentrate on his chess career full-time.

In 1895, Emanuel Lasker became the youngest ever international grandmaster when he won the Berlin tournament championship at only 19 years old. His first World Chess Championship title came two years later, as a result of winning that year's Paris championship – an event which he also successfully defended nine times.

Although Emanuel Lasker had many successes during his playing days, it was his coaching skills that really set him apart from other chess experts - notably helping Bobby Fischer achieve global fame and success despite having no formal training in the game itself. 

Following his retirement from competitive play in 1927, Emanuel Lasker served as International Arbitrator for several sports events including boxing and Olympic Games before dying on October 8th, 1939 aged 71 years old due to blood poisoning following surgery for a hernia operation.

26. Leinier Domínguez

Leinier Domínguez

Leinier Domínguez is a Cuban baseball player who defected to the United States in 2018. He was an All-Star catcher for Cuba and played in the 2010 World Baseball Classic.

In 2018, he signed with the Houston Astros as a free agent and made his debut with them later that year. Domínguez has also played for the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks, among other teams.

He has been named to multiple Gold Glove Awards and three Silver Slugger Awards lists throughout his career so far Leinier Domínguez is a Cuban chess grandmaster. He was born in Havana on September 23, 1983.

In 2001 he became a grandmaster and held the title until December 2022 when it was relinquished to Hikaru Nakamura. Domínguez has won several tournaments including the 2009 Havana Open and the 2005 Sinquefield Cup where he achieved his highest rating of 2768.

He also played for Cuba at six Chess Olympiads (2002-2010). In October 2018, Leinier Domínguez announced that he would be retiring from competitive chess after winning an event in Santiago de Cuba later that month.

27. Mikhail Botvinnik

1911–1995

Mikhail Botvinnik

Mikhail Botvinnik was a world-renowned chess champion and one of the most successful players in history. He is best known for his devastatingly effective defense of King's Indian Defense against Soviet rivals, which helped him win many key tournaments.

Botvinnik was born into a poor family in the Russian Empire, but he found success as a chess player at an early age. In 1935 he joined the Communist Party and soon became its leading figure in Moscow chess circles. 

During World War II, Botvinnik served as an artillery officer on the front lines of Stalingrad and Kiev; after the war he returned to play professional chess full time.

In 1946, Botvinnik won his first World Championship title with a stunning victory over Max Euwe; two years later he defended his crown against Tigran Petrosian with even more impressive results. 

After winning another championship title in 1957, Botvinnik retired from competitive playing at age 36—a record that still stands today. He continued to serve as both coach and commentator for top-level tournament games until his death in 2006 at age 98.

28. Vidit Gujrathi

Vidit Gujrathi

Vidit Gujrathi is an Indian professional squash player who has represented his country in several international tournaments. He made his debut at the age of just 17, and quickly rose to become one of India's leading players.

In 2018, Vidit won the Tata Steel tournament - a prestigious event that features some of the world's best players. He continues to play competitively and aims to win more titles in future years. 

Vidit is known for his aggressive style of play, which often sees him throw powerful shots from all angles.

He enjoys spending time with friends and family, as well as playing sports outdoors - something he attributes to his upbringing in rural India. 

Outside of squash, Vidit likes watching action movies and listening to music – both genres which he believes capture the essence of life perfectly.

29. Daniil Dubov

Daniil Dubov

Daniil Dubov was born on November 21, 1993, in Russia. He started playing tennis at the age of six and competed internationally from the age of 12 onwards.

In 2017, he reached his career-high ranking of world number 9 and won two tournaments that year including the Marseille Open. Daniil Dubov is currently ranked at No 8 in the world and has been tipped to win a Grand Slam title in the future.

Daniil Dubov is a Grandmaster from Russia. He was born on April 18, 1996 and achieved this ranking in December 2021. Daniil Dubov has won numerous tournaments including the European Rapid Championship (2018), Berlin Open (2017) and Graz Candidates Tournament (2015).

His highest FIDE rating is 2720 which he achieved in December 2021. Daniil Dubov is currently ranked No 34 in the world rankings.

30. Richárd Rapport

Richárd Rapport

Richárd Rapport is the Hungarian minister of foreign affairs. He has been in this position since 2017, and before that he was a state secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Richárd Rapport is known for his aggressive rhetoric when it comes to Hungary's relationships with other countries, as well as its stance on immigration and refugees. 

In March 2018, he made headlines when he said that Hungary would not take any more refugees from Italy and Greece after their governments refused to provide financial assistance for housing them.

Shortly afterwards, Budapest announced plans to build a fence along its border with Serbia in order to prevent illegal migrants from entering the country illegally.. In September 2018, Richárd Rapport met with Vladimir Putin during his visit to Moscow for an international conference on arms control.

31. Ray Robson

Ray Robson

Ray Robson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour since 2012. He won his first tour event in 2016 at the Quicken Loans National.

Ray was born and raised in Southern California, before moving to Florida to attend college at Palm Beach Atlantic University. After two successful years of collegiate golf, Robson turned professional and joined the PGA Tour full-time in 2012.

The following year he finished 34th on the money list, earning him a place on Europe's second tier Challenge Tour for 2013/14 – his only season as a pro outside of America so far. 

In 2015 Ray enjoyed back-to-back top 20 finishes on both Tours (he had also done this previously during 2011/12), finishing third overall on the Money List thanks to €1 million bonus earnings from winning three tournaments that season including.

The Masters Championship at Augusta National Golf Club which he became just the fourth player ever - after Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els - to win twice consecutively (& without losing one.).

6 His maiden victory came later that same year at The Open Championship held at Royal Troon Golf Club where he shot a final round 68 (+8) for an 18 under par total which gave him a one stroke victory over fellow American Jordan Spieth with Jack Nicklaus & Rory McIlroy completing joint 2nd place behind them respectively.

This made Robson not only just 3rd ranked amateur but also 1st ranked player in British history. Not bad for someone who didn't start playing competitively until their late teens.

However it would be another 5 years before Ray got back into contention again when he finished T7th Overall & T3rd On Sunday At THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP hosted.

Trump International Golf Links Doral Miami FL becoming only the 2nd American Male Golfer (after Hale Irwin) To Win A Major Title On Foreign soil; Previously Arnold Palmer had achieved this feat six times.

8 Next up was yet another major championship when Ray qualified via sectional play as number 36 seed and carded rounds of 66 (-10), 73 (+9) 64 (-2) 79 (+13), 71 (−1) en route to shooting +11 for four rounds. 

Which saw him finish 4 shots behind eventual champion Rickie Fowler along with Justin Rose (who tied for 2nd spot) 9 Finally 2019 seesRay regain some form by qualifying directly onto TOUR once again.

32. Judit Polgár

Judit Polgár

Judit Polgár is a Hungarian actress, singer and model. She began her career in 1998 as an extra on the soap opera Szőke Farkas. In 1999, she made her film debut with the role of Júlia in Kormányzó (The Government).

Polgár has since appeared in numerous films and TV shows, including László Nemes's dramas Baromira (2003) and Átok az Életben (2010), Péter Ruzsa's comedy-drama Az élvezetnek nem kell szeretnie a világot (2012) and Isten tudja mi van.

(2015). In 2016, she won the Best Actress Award at the 54th Grand Prix de la Francophonie for her performance in Pascal Bonitzer's drama Khaled: első ember. Judit Polgár was married to actor Gérard Depardieu from 2006 until their divorce in 2008; they have one daughter together named Valentina.

Since then, she has been romantically linked to French businessman Nicolas Sarkozy. On 9 January 2019 it was announced that Polgár would play Hedwig von Wolkenstein / The Wicked Witch of Westport on Broadway during 2020–21 season opposite Jackie Hoffman.

33. Dmitry Andreikin

Dmitry Andreikin

Dmitry Andreikin is a Russian grandmaster who has been playing chess for over 20 years. He first came to prominence in 2006 when he won the World Under-16 Chess Championship.

In 2013, he became the reigning European Champion and was later awarded the Grand Master title that same year. Dmitry Andreikin played on board one for Russia at their 2018 World Cup semi-final match against Spain, but they were eliminated from the tournament after losing by 3½ points.

Dmitry Andreikin is married with two children and resides in Moscow, Russia Dmitry Andreikin is a Russian grandmaster and former World Champion. He was born in Ryazan, Russia, in 1990 and began playing chess at the age of six. 

Andreikin first came to prominence when he won the Russian Under-12 Championship in 1998 at the age of eleven.

In 2003, he became national champion of Russia again, this time with a score of 10/13 points ahead of his nearest rival Alexander Grischuk (who went on to become world champion later that year). 

The following year saw him win both the European Junior Chess Championship and the Moscow Open tournament, scoring 8/9 points overall (+7 =3 −1) for each event combined - an impressive performance for someone just sixteen years old.

Unfortunately for Dmitry Andreikin fans everywhere (and himself), 2004 didn't go quite as well: he finished joint second behind Evgeny Bareev at both the European Youth Chess Championships held in Tallinn and Dortmund respectively - something which would stay with him long after those tournaments had ended. 

Dmitry achieve qualification for board one position at both the World Cup 2006 qualifying rounds held in Saint Petersburg and Sarajevo but also scored 5½/8 (+4=5 −0) to finish equal first with Vladimir Kramnik at Linares’s prestigious Corus Masters tournament (=the strongest event outside Candidates cycles).

This latter result confirmed his status as one of Europe’s top players alongside reigning world champion Vishy Anand. Interestingly enough (or perhaps unsurprisingly), it was already rumoured prior to this competition that Kramnik might be seeking revenge against Anand by fielding another player who could pose some threat.

Dmitry Andreikin it seems. Although having progressed through most junior stages relatively easily thanks largely to his formidable skills on the board, there.

Were signs early on that Dmitry may have struggled somewhat psychologically during adolescence; reports suggest that even now (at age 32), he still finds it difficult separating professional from personal life.

Regardless however you look upon these matters – whether they be genuine concerns or simply part & parcel of being ‘a prodigy’ – they do tend to detract slightly from what would otherwise arguably be an exceptional achievement record. 

34. Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is a chess player from India. He has won three medals at the World Youth Chess Championships, including gold in 2013 and silver in 2017.

In 2019, he will compete in Tata Steel Chess Tournament as part of the Indian team. Rameshbabu was born on 11 December 1996 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India to Ramachandran and Rajeshwari Devi Praggnanandhaa.

His father is an engineer by profession and his mother is a homemaker Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa is a Grandmaster from India. In 2018, he became the 53rd-ranked player in the world. 

He has won several international tournaments, including the Asian Chess Championship and World Youth Chess Championships medals.

35. Alexander Alekhine

1892–1946

Alexander Alekhine

Alexander Alekhine was a Russian chess grandmaster and world champion. He is considered one of the greatest players in history, and holds the record for the most competitive games played (77).

Alekhine was born in 1887 to a wealthy family in St Petersburg, Russia. At age 12 he won his first major tournament, which led to him being offered an apprenticeship at Paris's leading chess club.

In 1913 he became the world's youngest ever international master, and two years later emerged as Europe's top player by winning a series of tournaments including London (1916), Vienna (1917), Amsterdam (1920) and Carlsbad (1921).

Alekhine achieved worldwide recognition with his victory over reigning World Champion José Raúl Capablanca at Havana 1923—a game that has been described as "one of Chess' great contests". After this event he began calling himself "The Soviet World Champion".

He continued to play successfully into old age; however, his last title defense came against Max Euwe at The Hague 1935, losing narrowly after holding leads throughout the game. 

By then Alekhine had become blind from cataracts caused by glaucoma surgery earlier in life but refused treatment because it would have taken away from his focus on playing chess. Alekhine died shortly afterwards from heart failure.

36. Jan-Krzysztof Duda

Jan-Krzysztof Duda

Duda is a Polish chess player who was born in 1998. Duda has played for Poland at the youth level and made his international debut in 2018. Duda is known for his attacking style of play, which has earned him accolades from both fellow players and spectators alike.

In October 2018, Duda won the prestigious Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting ahead of grandmasters Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana . 

As of December 2019, Duda holds an IM title as well as ranking No 1 in the world under 25 years old according to FIDE rating list Duda is a prestigious grandmaster from Poland who has been playing the game for over two decades.

He first came to prominence in 2012, when he won the Polish Chess Championship and was subsequently promoted to grandmaster status by FIDE. 

In 2019, Duda achieved his highest ranking of12th in the world after clinching second place at the European Chess Championships in Minsk. 

As one of Europe's leading chess players, Duda will be looking to defend his title at this year's edition of the World Cup Qualifier which takes place from October 2-11th in Wieliczka, Poland.

37. Gata Kamsky

Gata Kamsky

Gata Kamsky is a Russian chess grandmaster who has won several major tournaments, including the World Chess Championship in 1996. He first came to prominence as the runner-up at the 1989 Soviet championship and later played for Russia in the 1990 Chess Olympiad.

He moved to the United States in 1989 and became an American citizen in 2001. In 2006 he was awarded the International Master (IM) title by FIDE and also received an honorary degree from Yale University that same year. Kamsky currently lives near Boston, Massachusetts with his wife and two children .

He is a member of The New England Scholastic Chess Association (NESCA). Gata Kamsky is a Russian grandmaster and one of the most successful chess players in history. 

Kamsky has won numerous international events, including the World Cup and European Championship, and was ranked number four in the world by FIDE at his peak.

In 1990, he became Grandmaster after winning an event held in Moscow. He subsequently reached No. 4 ranking on the World Chess Federation (FIDE) rankings list in July 1995. 

In recent years, Kamsky has focused more on coaching than playing competitively but still retains a high rating of 2664 as of December 2022. Along with Alexei Shirov, Gata Kamsky is one half of Russia's "Twin Masters" who share first place on the all-time Soviet Union national chess ratings list with each other.

Born into a family with strong chess roots – his father was also a professional player – it seems likely that Gata Kamsky will continue to be among our greatest ever players for many years to come.

38. Samuel Sevian

Samuel Sevian

Samuel Sevian is a young American chess player. He was born on December 26, 2000 in the United States. Samuel Sevian started playing chess at the age of 5 and has quickly become one of America's best players.

In 2016, he won silver medals at both the U14 World Youth Chess Championship and the U16 World Youth Chess Championship, as well as placing third at the 2017 Pan-American Junior Chess Championships. 

Samuel Sevian hopes to compete internationally soon and win gold medals at major tournaments such as the Olympiad or World Cup someday.

Samuel Sevian is a 2687 rated grandmaster from Corning, New York. He has held the No. 50 ranking in the world for December 2022 and June 2022 respectively. 

His peak rating was 2703, achieved in May 2022. Samuel Sevian is also a leading chess coach and strategist who has worked with many of the worlds top players including Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.

39. Yu Yangyi

Yu Yangyi

Yu Yangyi is one of the world's top chess players and holds the title of World Chess Champion. Yu was born in China in 1994 and learnt to play chess at a young age.

He won his first national tournament at just 14 years old and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming one of the world's best players by 2016. In 2018, he became only the fifth player ever to achieve two perfect scores in an international competition - winning both individual matches and team tournaments alike.

As well as being a grandmaster on board three, Yu also has strong skills with black pieces - having achieved victories against some of the world's top players with them. 

With many accolades under his belt, 2020 looks set to be another successful year for Yu as he gears up for major competitions such as The Masters Tournament hosted by Wijk aan Zee Chess Festival.

40. Sam Shankland

Sam Shankland

Sam Shankland is a chess grandmaster from the United States. He has won several major tournaments and championships, including two World Chess Championships.

In 2016, he represented his country at the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan. There, he finished sixth with a score of 7/11. Sam Shankland is also known for his strong online play—he has accumulated more than 2 million rating points on ICC servers alone.

He currently teaches chess at Yale University and holds the title of professor emeritus there since 2006. Samuel L Shankland was born on October 6th, 1978 in New Haven, Connecticut to parents Sandy and Joel Shankland. 

Sam Shankland is a world-class chess player who has won numerous tournaments and achieved grandmaster status.

He was born in Berkeley, California in 1991 and began playing the game at an early age. In 2011, he became the youngest Grandmaster in history when he attained his rating of 2710. His achievements have continued since then with him ranking as No. 

33 on the FIDE list of December 2022 and No. 24 on its February 2019 edition, respectively. Sam Shankland’s passion for chess will undoubtedly continue to drive him forward both professionally and personally, making him one of the most accomplished players ever seen.

41. Wang Hao

Wang Hao

Wang Hao is a Chinese professional Go player. He has been the World No 1 for two years in succession and was awarded the International Master (IM) title in 2017.

Wang Hao won his first WGM title at the age of 16, and followed this up with five consecutive titles including three invitationals between 2010-2013. 

In 2015 he became China's second male ever to win an individual international tournament, when he triumphed at the IGS Kisei Super Tournament in Japan, taking home USD$100,000 as well as the trophy and board game set presented by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Since 2016 Wang Hao has competed in several tournaments outside of China such as The Strongest Dan Cup which he narrowly lost to Japanese prodigy Keigo Umezawa but went on to finish runner-up behind fellow Chinese talent Zhao Xue.

The Mind Games European Tour where he finished joint third with compatriot Li Chao; and finally The shogi championship held annually in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills that saw him crowned champion ahead of strong opposition from Japanese grandmasters Yuki Nakamura and Yoshiharu Habu.

42. Boris Spassky

Boris Spassky

Boris Spassky is a chess grandmaster who was one of the world's best players for many years. He won the World Chess Championship in 1972, 1974 and 1978.

After leaving Russia, he won the French championship six times (1982-1992). In 1999 he moved to Spain where he has since been living quietly with his wife and two children .

Boris Spassky is a chess grandmaster who was the world champion from 1969 to 1972. He was born in Leningrad, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, on January 30, 1937.

As a child, he showed great talent for the game and quickly became one of Russia's top players. In 1955, Boris Spassky won the title of Grandmaster and began to dominate international competition.

He reached his peak as world champion in 1971 when he scored an impressive 2690 rating points. After leaving chess behind him, Boris Spassky has devoted himself to various other interests including politics and business ventures.

In 2012 he received an honorary doctorate from Tel Aviv University for his lifetime achievements in chess and other areas of life.

43. Pentala Harikrishna

Pentala Harikrishna

Harikrishna is an Indian professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour since 2011. Harikrishna won his first major title at the 2016 British Open, becoming only the second player to win a European and a U.S.

open in one year (after Bernhard Langer). He also won twice on the Asian Tour, including back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, he finished runner-up at The Masters behind Jordan Spieth and was ranked world No 1 for six weeks during that season before eventually slipping down to No 5 by early September.

he would regain the world number one status later that year with two more victories on tour - at The Swedish Open and Dubai Desert Classic respectively.

Harikrishna's biggest disappointment came in 2018 when injuries ended his season just short of defending his PGA Championship title which he had won in 2017.
A resident of Chennai, India, Harikrishna currently resides near Orlando Florida where he trains full time with coach Butch Harmon.

44. Lê Quang Liêm

Lê Quang Liêm

Born in 1991, Lê Quang Liêm is a Vietnamese grandmaster. In 2006, he became the country's second Grandmaster and was ranked No. 22 at that time. He has since gained further ranking positions and currently holds the 20th spot on the world rankings list as of September 2022.

Besides chess, Liem also enjoys playing table tennis and badminton; both sports have helped him develop his skills as a player overall. 

Outside of chess, Liem is known for his charitable work – most notably through his sponsorship of an orphanage in Vietnam which provides shelter to dozens of children who would otherwise be homeless or living rough on the streets.

Lê Quang Liêm is a Vietnamese chess player who has represented his country at the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games. He won a gold medal in men's individual blitz play at the 2010 Guangzhou edition of the Asiad and was part of Vietnam's team that took home a silver medal in men's rapid play two years later. 

In 2019, Lê Quang Liêm competed as part of Vietnam's blindfold team at the Chess Olympiad held in Batumi, Georgia; they finished 8th out of 16 teams.

Outside of competitive chess, Lê Quang Liêm is also an accomplished musician - he released his first album "Nguyen" in 2016 and has since toured throughout Vietnam and abroad to promote it. 

In addition to playing classical guitar, Lê Quang Liem also plays traditional Vietnamese instruments such as xun (a kind of lute) and dao (a type of viol).

45. Bogdan-Daniel Deac

Bogdan-Daniel Deac

Bogdan-Daniel Deac was born on 8 October 2001 in Romania. Bogdan-Daniel Deac is a young tennis player who has been playing since he was very young. 

Bogdan-Daniel Deac has achieved some success so far, including becoming the youngest player ever to win a main draw singles match at the Austrailian Open when he won against Australia’s Jordan Thompson in 2019 aged just 19 years and 5 months old.

Bogdan-Daniel Deac is currently ranked world number 914 as of September 2019 and looks set for even more success in the future. Bogdan-Daniel Deac is a Romanian chess grandmaster. He was born in Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania on October 8, 1990. 

Deac has won numerous national and international tournaments including the 2016 Romanian Chess Championship where he earned his title of Grandmaster. Bogdan-Daniel Deac's peak rating was 2710 in September 2022, making him No 34 in the world at that time.

Currently Bogdan-Daniel Deac ranks No 39th in the world rankings.

46. Michael Adams

Michael Adams

Michael Adams is a world-renowned chess player. He has won numerous awards, including the World Chess Championship in 2007 and 2010. Adams was born in England in 1977 and began playing competitive chess at age 10.

In 2002, he became the youngest ever winner of an international chess title when he won the British Chess Championship at the age of 20 years, 9 months old. 

Adams represented Great Britain at several prestigious tournaments, including the World Cup (in 2006) and European Championships (in 2009).

In 2013, he moved to Moscow to take up a position as director of chess development for FIDE—the governing body for international chess—where his work focuses on developing new players worldwide through online learning platforms such as Chess BaseLive. 

Michael Adams made his debut in professional competition during 1998 by placing fourth among young grandmasters at London’s Corus Club tournament aged just 12 years 8 months.

Since then he has amassed over 250 career wins against top competitors from around the world, demonstrating unrivalled mastery of classical opening theory coupled with an explosive attacking play that often leaves opponents guessing what move next.

47. Evgeny Tomashevsky

Evgeny Tomashevsky

Evgeny Tomashevsky was a Russian chess grandmaster. He is one of the most decorated players in history, having won several international tournaments and titles.

In 2005 he became world champion by defeating Viswanathan Anand in an Candidates Tournament held in Moscow. He retired from competitive play at the age of 29, but continues to give lectures and teach chess to young people around the world.

Evgeny Tomashevsky is a Russian Grandmaster who has achieved widespread international recognition. He was born on 1 July 1987 in Saratov, Russia and became a professional chess player at the age of thirteen. 

Tomashevsky quickly established himself as one of the world's top players and won several prestigious tournaments, including the World Youth Chess Championship in 2002 and the European Individual Chess Championship in 2003.

In 2005, he reached grandmaster level, becoming only the eleventh player to achieve this status and earning his title with an unbeaten score at FIDE's World Cup event that year. 

Tomashevsky has since continued to perform strongly on the international stage, winning major events such as Dortmund 2017 (a Candidates Tournament) and Linares 2018 (the Spanish Open). 

As well as his chess achievements, Tomashevsky is also known for his philanthropic work - he founded an organisation called Help for Life which provides support to children living with cancer or other serious illnesses.

48. Sanan Sjugirov

Sanan Sjugirov

Sanan Sjugirov is a Russian professional ice hockey player. He currently plays for HC Sochi of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Sjugirov made his KHL debut playing with HC Sochi during the 2013–14 season, and recorded 12 points in 41 games played.

In 2014, he was named to Russia's U20 team that competed at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where they finished in 7th place after losing in the semifinal round to Canada. 

In 2015-16, Sanan Sjugirov appeared in 48 games with HC Sochi scoring 11 goals and 28 assists for 37 points as well as adding 10 penalty minutes.

On 3 May 2016, it was announced that Sanan Sjugirov had been traded by HC Sochi to SKA Saint Petersburg in exchange for Ruslan Fedotenko and Yegor Rykov. 

During the 2017-18 season with SKA Saint Petersburg, Sanan registered 21 points (7G-14A) along with 54 penalty minutes before being traded back to HC Sochi on 26 February 2018 for Dmitri Kulikov and Nikolay Prokhorkin.

S jugirirov has represented Russia internationally at various junior levels including at both the Under 18 & 20 World Championships where Russia captured gold medals both times behind Team USA who took home silver each time.

He also won a bronze medal from under 20 level when representing Russia at European Championship Qualifying Tournament earlier this year.

49. Nikita Vitiugov

Nikita Vitiugov

Nikita Vitiugov is a Russian grandmaster and former world chess champion. He held the title of World Chess Champion from 2014 to 2018, defeating Magnus Carlsen in the final match.

In 2016, he won the Grenke Open tournament by scoring 7 out of 9 games with an Elo rating of 2811.[1] Vitiugov has represented Russia at several international tournaments, including three European Team Championships (in 2007, 2009 and 2011) and two World Cups (in 2010 and 2014).

Currently ranked number 3 in the world rankings,[2] he was awarded his FIDE Master International Grandmaster (GM) designation in 2006. 

From May 2022 until his resignation on May 2023, Nikita Vitiugov will be holding the title of Deputy Minister for Physical Culture and Sports in Russia’s Ministry of Sport.[3] Nikita Vitiugov is a Russian grandmaster and former World Chess Champion.

He was born on 4 February 1987 in Leningrad, Russia, and developed his chess skills at the Saint Petersburg Youth Chess Championship. In 2007 he became a Grandmaster after winning the Candidates Tournament in Moscow with 7/9 points from six games. 

Vitiugov won the World Cup 2006 as well as nine consecutive Russian championships from 2004 to 2010, becoming one of the most successful players in Russian history.

He competed for Russia at three Olympic Games (2008, 2012 and 2016), but failed to win a single game although he did finish fourth twice (in 2008 and 2016). 

After losing his world title to Magnus Carlsen in November 2018, Vitiugov retired from professional chess playing aged 35 years old citing health concerns stemming from multiple sclerosis which he has battled since age 15 when doctors diagnosed him with MS while still attending school.

50. Vladimir Fedoseev

Vladimir Fedoseev

Vladimir Fedoseev is a Russian chess player who has been playing for FIDE since May 2022. He was born on February 6th, 1988 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Vladimir Fedoseev achieved his first international success at the Grenke Chess Open 2016 where he won the silver medal behind Fabiano Caruana. In 2018, he tied for 4th-5th with Hikaru Nakamura at the Sinquefield Cup held in St Louis, Missouri USA..

Vladimir Fedoseev is currently ranked world no 106 according to the April 2019 FIDE rating list and holds the Soviet Union national record of 5/9 for black against GM Alexei Shirov (2007). His hobbies include playing tennis and skiing and he also enjoys cooking Italian cuisine .

Vladimir Fedoseev is a Russian grandmaster and former World Junior Champion. He has won several tournaments, including the 2017 European Individual Chess Championship. Fedoseev was awarded the Grandmaster title in 2011, making him one of Russia's most successful chess players ever.

Fedoseev is known for his strong defense and powerful attacks on the board - two hallmarks of top-level chess play.

51. Bu Xiangzhi

Bu Xiangzhi Career

  • 2006 Doha: Mixed Team
  • 2010 Guangzhou: Men's Individual
  • 2010 Guangzhou: Men's Team

Bu Xiangzhi is a Chinese actress and model. She was born in Qingdao, Shandong province on December 10, 1985. Bu has appeared in several films and television shows throughout her career.

Her notable roles include the role of Guo Jingjing in the 2013 film "The Flowers of War" and Qi Xin in the drama series "Smile Again". In 2017, she starred as one of the main characters in Zhang Yimou's historical epic romance film "The Great Wall".

Bu currently resides in Beijing with her husband and two children Bu Xiangzhi is a chess grandmaster and one of the most successful players in history. 

Bu Xiangzhi has won numerous international tournaments, including two World Chess Championships. In 1999, Bu Xiangzhi was awarded the Grandmaster title by FIDE.

As of February 2019, he ranks No. 42 on the world rankings list with a rating of 2698.. Bu Xiangzhi retired from professional competition in 2008 but continues to participate in amateur events.

Also Played For: china chess

Final Words

. . There are many great chess players throughout history, but the greatest of all time is undoubtedly Bobby Fischer. He was a legendary champion and one of the most controversial figures in the game’s history.

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Aleksandr Smokvin

Working with competitive skaters at the national and international level can provide great experience. This experience plays an important role in developing skaters' on- and off-ice techniques and workouts; Compose programs according to international standards and requirements in single skating; Organizing and conducting ice-skating training camps. Committed to staying up to date with current developments and systematically strengthening my own knowledge and competence. LinkedIn

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