“Chess is a beautiful mistress.” Bent Larsen was a Danish chess grandmaster born on March 4, 1935, and passed away on September 9, 2010. He was one of the strongest non-Soviet players of his era and is widely regarded as one of the best chess players from Denmark. Larsen was… Read more: Bent Larsen

HAL 9000 is a highly advanced artificial intelligence, portrayed in 2001: A Space Odyssey as capable of playing chess at a high level. HAL outplays astronaut Frank Poole, symbolizing its superior intellectual capabilities, including in areas like chess.

Frank Poole is a fictional astronaut in 2001: A Space Odyssey. He is part of the crew aboard the Discovery One spacecraft, which is on a mission to Jupiter.

“Chess is an art. The players who play with precision and depth create something beautiful on the board.” Robert Eugene Byrne was a prominent American chess player and International Grandmaster. Born on April 20, 1928, in New York City, and passing away on April 12, 2013, Byrne was one of… Read more: Robert Eugene Byrne

“Chess is my profession, but I don’t like to be professional about it.” Lubomir Kavalek was a Czechoslovak-American chess Grandmaster, born on August 9, 1943, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and passed away on January 18, 2021. He was one of the strongest players of his time and had a significant influence… Read more: Lubomir Kavalek

“I have never in my life played a move which I didn’t want to play.” Eduard Gufeld was a prominent Soviet and later Ukrainian chess Grandmaster, born on March 19, 1936, and passing away on September 23, 2002. He was not only a skilled player but also a renowned chess… Read more: Eduard Gufeld

Ion Gudju was a Romanian chess player and problem composer, born in 1897 and passing away in 1988. He was a significant figure in Romanian chess, particularly active in the early to mid-20th century. Gudju was known for his contributions to chess as both a player and a problemist, creating… Read more: Ion Gudju

Erik Malmberg was a Swedish chess player born on September 15, 1908, and passed away on April 22, 1994. He was a prominent figure in Swedish chess during the mid-20th century and represented Sweden in various international tournaments, including Chess Olympiads. Malmberg was known for his strategic and solid play,… Read more: Erik Malmberg

“Chess is everything: art, science, and sport.” Nona Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player born on May 3, 1941. She was the sixth Women’s World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1962 to 1978. Gaprindashvili is known for her aggressive and dynamic style of play, and she was the first… Read more: Nona Gaprindashvili

Milunka Lazarevic was a Serbian chess player born on December 1, 1932, and passing away on December 15, 2018. She was one of the leading female chess players in the mid-20th century and a prominent figure in Yugoslavian chess. Lazarevic won the Yugoslav Women’s Chess Championship eleven times between 1952… Read more: Milunka Lazarevic

“Chess is like life.” Boris Spassky is a Russian chess grandmaster born on January 30, 1937. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972. Spassky is known for his versatile and universal style, capable of playing both aggressive and positional chess with equal proficiency.… Read more: Boris Spassky

“My opponents make good moves too. Sometimes I don’t take these things into consideration.” Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet Armenian chess grandmaster, born on June 17, 1929, and passing away on August 13, 1984. He was the ninth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1963 to 1969. Petrosian… Read more: Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian

“I will not claim that I understand the truth of chess better than anyone else, but I will assert that I can feel it more keenly than most.” Vasily Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, born on March 24, 1921, and passing away on March 27, 2010. He… Read more: Vasily Smyslov

“There are two kinds of sacrifices: correct ones and mine.” Mikhail Tal was a legendary Soviet chess grandmaster, born on November 9, 1936, and passing away on June 28, 1992. Known as “The Magician from Riga,” Tal was the eighth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1960 to 1961.… Read more: Mikhail Tal

“Chess is an art. It is a delicate balance between calculation and intuition.” Rashid Gibiatovich Nezhmetdinov was a highly skilled Soviet chess player, born on December 15, 1912, and passing away on June 3, 1974. He was renowned for his extraordinary attacking style and combinational prowess. Although he never achieved… Read more: Rashid Nezhmetdinov

“I believe that the purpose of chess is to encourage and develop the human mind through the medium of the game.” Lev Polugaevsky was a distinguished Soviet and later Belarusian chess grandmaster. Born on November 20, 1934, and passing away on August 30, 1995, Polugaevsky was a formidable player who… Read more: Lev Polugaevsky

“I make mistakes in almost all of my games, but I somehow manage to make my opponent make more.” This quote is often attributed to David Bronstein. David Ionovich Bronstein was a legendary Soviet chess grandmaster. Born on February 19, 1924, and passing away on December 5, 2006, Bronstein was… Read more: David Bronstein

Bogdan Sliwa was a prominent Polish chess player. Born on February 4, 1922, and passing away on May 16, 2003, Sliwa was known for his contributions to Polish chess, particularly during the mid-20th century. He won the Polish Chess Championship five times (in 1946, 1951, 1952, 1953, and 1955) and… Read more: Bogdan Sliwa

One of Bobby Fischer’s most famous quotes is: “Chess is life.” Robert James “Bobby” Fischer (1943–2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer’s contributions to chess include revolutionizing opening theory and demonstrating… Read more: Robert James “Bobby” Fischer

Donald Byrne (1930–1976) was an American chess player and International Master. He is best known for his participation in the “Game of the Century,” where he played against the young prodigy Bobby Fischer in 1956. Byrne was also a respected chess educator and a professor of English at Pennsylvania State… Read more: Donald Byrne

Erich Auerbach was a notable chess player from Czechoslovakia. Born on November 26, 1903, and passing away on September 23, 1977, he was recognized for his contributions to the chess scene in his country. Auerbach was particularly active during the mid-20th century and participated in various national and international tournaments.… Read more: E Auerbach

“We have a saying in Russia: if there hadn’t been an unhappy incident, there would have been a happy accident.” Yuri Sergeyevich Gusev, often referred to as Yuri S. Gusev in some sources, was a notable Russian chess player. Born in 1935 and passing away in 2002, Gusev was recognized… Read more: Yuri S Guse

Bernardo Molinari, an Argentine chess player. Born in 1904 and passed away in 1975, he was known for his participation in various national and international chess tournaments during the mid-20th century. He represented Argentina in several Chess Olympiads and contributed to the country’s reputation in the international chess community. Molinari’s… Read more: Bernardo Molinari

Luis Roux Cabral was an Argentine chess player who gained recognition in the mid-20th century. He was particularly active during the 1940s and 1950s. Roux Cabral represented Argentina in several Chess Olympiads, contributing to the country’s international standing in the chess world. His playing style and achievements were part of… Read more: Luis Roux Cabral

George Wheatcroft was a British chess player who was active in the mid-20th century. He was born on July 16, 1898, in London, England, and passed away on August 19, 1988. Wheatcroft was a respected figure in the English chess community and made significant contributions to the game both as… Read more: George Wheatcroft

Frank Parr was an English chess player who competed in the mid-20th century. He was born on March 12, 1908, in London, England, and passed away on May 14, 1987. Parr was a prominent figure in English chess during his time, known for his contributions as a player, writer, and… Read more: Frank Parr

José Raúl Capablanca was a Cuban chess Grandmaster and the third official World Chess Champion. Born on November 19, 1888, in Havana, Cuba, Capablanca became known for his exceptional talent and intuitive playing style. He learned chess at the age of four and quickly rose to become one of the… Read more: José Raúl Capablanca

Mikhail Botvinnik was a Soviet and Russian chess Grandmaster and World Chess Champion. Born on August 17, 1911, in what is now Saint Petersburg, Russia, Botvinnik emerged as one of the strongest chess players in the mid-20th century. He became World Chess Champion in 1948 after winning the championship tournament… Read more: Mikhail Botvinnik

Max Euwe was a Duth chess player who became the fifth World Chess Champion. Born on May 20, 1901, Euwe was a highly accomplished chess player and mathematician. He studied mathematics at the University of Amsterdam and later earned a doctorate in mathematics. Euwe’s chess career reached its pinnacle when… Read more: Max Euwe

Alexander Alekhine was a Russian and French chess player and the fourth World Chess Champion. Born in Russia in 1892, Alekhine became known for his aggressive and imaginative playing style. He dominated the chess world during the 1920s and 1930s and is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess… Read more: Alexander Alekhine

J. Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist and one of the key figures in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Born on April 22, 1904, in New York City, Oppenheimer is best known for his role as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project, the… Read more: J. Robert Oppenheimer

Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists in history. He was born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, in the Kingdom of Württemberg in the German Empire. Einstein is best known for developing the theory of relativity, which revolutionized our… Read more: Albert Einstein