🦸‍♂️ Famous Chess Players Glossary: Who to Study & Why

A

Abasov, Nijat Tenacious Defender

Study for: Incredible resilience in bad positions and finding resources when under heavy pressure.

Abdusattorov, Nodirbek New Gen Dynamic

Study for: Rapid calculation and fearless energy. A model for how the younger generation plays fast, accurate, and sharp chess.

Adams, Michael The Spider

Study for: "Squeezing" opponents. Adams is a master of accumulating small, subtle advantages until the opponent runs out of moves.

Adhiban, Baskaran The Beast

Study for: Unconventional openings (like 1. b3) and aggressive, psychological warfare on the board.

Adorjan, Andras Black is OK!

Study for: Fighting chess with the Black pieces. Famous for his philosophy that Black should play to win, not just equalize.

Alekhine, Alexander World Champion (Combinational)

Study for: Complex attacks and combinations. Alekhine could see tactical patterns in positions that looked quiet to everyone else.

Anand, Viswanathan The Madras Tiger

Study for: Rapid calculation and intuition. Anand is one of the fastest thinkers in history and excellent at using Knights in attack.

Anderssen, Adolf The Romantic

Study for: Sacrificial attacks. If you love gambits and giving up your Queen for checkmate (The Immortal Game), study Anderssen.

Andersson, Ulf Endgame Grind

Study for: Pure positional safety. He rarely took risks and is one of the greatest endgame technicians (especially Rook endings) ever.

Andreikin, Dmitry Universal Resourceful

Study for: Finding hidden tactical resources in lost positions.

Aronian, Levon Creative Trickster

Study for: Tactical swindles and creativity. He plays positions others fear to enter and often finds beautiful geometric escapes.

B

Bacrot, Etienne Solid Prep

Study for: Solid opening preparation and fundamental soundness.

Bareev, Evgeny The French Defense

Study for: Handling closed structures and the French Defense. A master of maneuvering in cramped positions.

Beliavsky, Alexander Uncompromising

Study for: "Big Chess." He plays classical, principled main lines and fights for the center.

Benko, Pal Gambit Play & Endgames

Study for: The Benko Gambit (positional sacrifice) and composed endgame studies. He teaches you how to value activity over pawns.

Blackburne, Joseph Henry The Black Death

Study for: 19th-century attacking violence. Great for beginners learning how to launch mating attacks.

Bogoljubov, Efim Optimism

Study for: Bold play. Famous for saying "When I am White I win because I am White; when I am Black I win because I am Bogoljubov."

Botvinnik, Mikhail The Patriarch

Study for: Scientific chess. He treats chess as a logic problem to be solved. Excellent for learning how to analyze your own games.

Bronstein, David Improvisation

Study for: Creativity and playing against the opponent's psychology. He treated chess as an art form, not a science.

Browne, Walter Time Trouble

Study for: High-energy tactical scrambles, often in severe time trouble.

C

Capablanca, Jose Raul The Machine

Study for: Flawless intuition and endgames. If you want to play simple, clear, mistake-free chess, Capablanca is your hero.

Carlsen, Magnus The GOAT

Study for: Everything. Specifically, study his ability to "grind" water from a stone in drawn endgames and his avoidance of heavy opening theory.

Caruana, Fabiano Calculation Machine

Study for: Deep calculation and opening preparation. He represents the pinnacle of the "Computer Era" of human preparation.

Chiburdanidze, Maia Dynamic Universal

Study for: A universal style that blends tactical aggression with positional soundness. A pioneer for women in chess.

Chigorin, Mikhail The Old Romantic

Study for: Using Knights! He famously preferred Knights over Bishops and loved complex, closed maneuvering battles.

Cramling, Pia Endurance

Study for: Positional longevity and solid fundamental play.

D

Ding Liren Stoic Calculator

Study for: Incredible defensive calculation and the ability to calculate deeply in quiet positions.

Dominguez Perez, Leinier Speed & Theory

Study for: Rapid chess skills and solid, theoretical main-line play.

Dreev, Alexey Rapid Master

Study for: Quick sight of the board and excellent handling of the Caro-Kann.

Dubov, Daniil Modern Creative

Study for: New ideas. Dubov consistently plays "weird" moves in the opening to drag opponents out of their prep.

Duda, Jan-Krzysztof Fearless Fighter

Study for: Uncompromising fighting spirit. He plays to win with Black against the world's best.

E

Ehlvest, Jaan Classical

Study for: Solid, classical Soviet-style education and fundamentals.

Eljanov, Pavel Positional Power

Study for: Strong positional play and deep opening preparation.

Euwe, Max Logic & Amateurism

Study for: Logical, systematic play. He proved that an amateur (he was a math teacher) could beat the best (Alekhine) through discipline.

F

Firouzja, Alireza Tactical Speed

Study for: Bullet-speed tactics. His ability to spot tactical tricks in seconds is unmatched.

Fischer, Bobby Clarity & Willpower

Study for: Crystal clear plans. Fischer made complex moves look simple. Also, study his King's Indian Defense and Ruy Lopez play.

Flohr, Salo Safety First

Study for: Invincibility. In his prime, he was almost impossible to beat. Great for learning safety and prophylaxis.

G

Gelfand, Boris The Professional

Study for: Deep classical understanding and the Najdorf Sicilian. A model of longevity and dedication.

Geller, Efim The Opening Killer

Study for: Finding opening novelties. He was the "theory expert" of the Soviet era and beat World Champions regularly.

Giri, Anish Invincible Theory

Study for: "Unbeatable" chess. His opening preparation is so deep that he is incredibly hard to defeat.

Gligoric, Svetozar King's Indian Master

Study for: The Mar del Plata variation of the KID. He defined how to play dynamic structures.

Grischuk, Alexander Time Trouble Artist

Study for: Deep thought. He thinks for 30 minutes on one move, then plays the rest of the game in seconds with high accuracy.

Gukesh D Prodigy Calculation

Study for: Maturity beyond years. He plays with the calm of a veteran despite his youth.

H

Harikrishna, Pentala Resourceful

Study for: Endgames and finding wins in equal positions.

Hodgson, Julian The Attack

Study for: The Trompowsky Attack (1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5). He plays unusual openings to get attacks quickly.

Hou Yifan The Queen

Study for: Dominant tactical play and aggressive flair. The strongest female player of the 21st century.

I

Ivanchuk, Vassily Planet Ivanchuk

Study for: Pure creativity. He plays every opening and understands chess on an intuitive level that defies logic. Inspiring but hard to copy.

Ivanov, Igor The Grand Prix

Study for: How to beat weaker players. He was a master of the "Swiss System" grind in America.

J

Jobava, Baadur Unorthodox

Study for: The Jobava London System. He proves you can play "bad" moves (like blocking your pawns) if you have a creative plan.

Judit Polgar

See Polgar, Judit.

K

Kamsky, Gata The Grinder

Study for: The London System and Stonewall. He plays solid systems but grinds opponents down with immense willpower.

Karjakin, Sergey The Minister of Defense

Study for: Defense. He can defend "lost" positions better than almost anyone in history.

Karpov, Anatoly The Boa Constrictor

Study for: Prophylaxis (stopping opponent's plans) and positional squeezing. He defeats you by taking away your squares one by one.

Kasparov, Garry The Boss

Study for: Dynamic energy and opening prep. He is the model for "Energetic Chess"—always pushing forward, always taking the initiative.

Keres, Paul The Crown Prince

Study for: Attacking chess with classical elegance. He never became World Champion but played beautiful, instructive games.

Korchnoi, Viktor Viktor the Terrible

Study for: Counter-attacking and fighting spirit. He loved to grab pawns ("poisoned pawns") and dare opponents to checkmate him.

Kramnik, Vladimir The Berlin Wall

Study for: Understanding space and solid structures. He reinvented modern chess by making the Berlin Defense a drawing weapon.

L

Larsen, Bent Optimist

Study for: Flank openings (1. b3, 1. f4). He believed any position could be won and refused to play for draws.

Lasker, Emanuel The Psychologist

Study for: Psychological chess. He often played "second best" moves to make his opponents uncomfortable.

Leko, Peter Solid as a Rock

Study for: How *not* to lose. One of the hardest players to beat in the early 2000s.

M

Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar Romantic Aggression

Study for: h-pawn pushes! He plays modern chess with a 19th-century attacking spirit.

Marshall, Frank The Swindler

Study for: Tactical swindles and gambits. The Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez is named after his brilliance.

Miles, Anthony The Maverick

Study for: Playing weird openings (like 1...a6) to confuse superior opponents.

Morozevich, Alexander Chaos

Study for: Complicating the game. If you like tactical chaos where logic breaks down, Morozevich is your guide.

Morphy, Paul The First Genius

Study for: Development and open lines. Every beginner should study Morphy to learn how to use all pieces in an attack.

N

Najdorf, Miguel The King's Indian

Study for: The Sicilian Najdorf and King's Indian. Dynamic, emotional, fighting chess.

Nakamura, Hikaru Speed Demon

Study for: Defensive resources and speed. He never gives up and finds tricks in completely lost positions.

Nepomniachtchi, Ian Rapid Attack

Study for: Playing fast and putting pressure on the opponent from move 1.

Nimzowitsch, Aron The System

Study for: Positional concepts like Blockade, Overprotection, and Prophylaxis. The father of Hypermodernism.

Nunn, John The Problem Solver

Study for: Tactical precision and solving ability. He wrote the best books on chess endings.

O

O'Kelly, Alberic Correspondence

Study for: Deep strategic planning suited for long time controls.

P

Petrosian, Tigran Iron Tigran

Study for: Safety. He sensed danger 20 moves away. If you want to stop losing, study Petrosian.

Philidor, Andre Pawns

Study for: Pawn play. "Pawns are the soul of chess."

Polgar, Judit The Attacker

Study for: The Sicilian Defense and fearless attacking play. She proved that aggression pays off.

Portisch, Lajos Positional Classic

Study for: Correct, logical play in the Hungarian tradition.

R

Radjabov, Teimour King's Indian

Study for: How to play the King's Indian Defense at the top level.

Rapport, Richard The Artist

Study for: Unique openings. He plays moves nobody else dares to play and wins with them.

Reshevsky, Samuel The Prodigy

Study for: Positional grit. He was famous for winning despite terrible time trouble.

Rubinstein, Akiba Endgame God

Study for: Rook endgames. His endgame technique is considered some of the finest ever produced.

S

Shirov, Alexei Fire on Board

Study for: Tactical complexity. He is the spiritual successor to Tal, finding sacrifices that computers hate but humans cannot refute.

Short, Nigel English Dynamic

Study for: Walking the King! His King walk against Timman is one of the most famous plans in history.

Smyslov, Vasily Harmony

Study for: Flow. Smyslov's pieces seem to move to the right squares effortlessly. Great for learning smooth positional play.

So, Wesley Accuracy

Study for: Risk-free precision. He rarely makes mistakes and punishes opponents who overpress.

Spassky, Boris Universal Style

Study for: Everything. Spassky could attack like Tal or defend like Petrosian. The ultimate all-rounder.

Steinitz, Wilhelm The First Scientist

Study for: The origins of positional play. He invented the concepts of "weak squares" and "accumulating advantages."

Svidler, Peter Gruenfeld Defense

Study for: The Gruenfeld Defense and dynamic piece play.

T

Tal, Mikhail The Magician

Study for: Sacrifices and intuition. Tal teaches you that 2+2=5 if you create enough complications.

Tarrasch, Siebert The Teacher

Study for: Dogmatic, correct chess. His rules ("Don't block the c-pawn") are great foundations for beginners.

Topalov, Veselin Energy

Study for: Initiative over material. He would always sacrifice an exchange to keep the attack going.

V

Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime (MVL) The Najdorf Specialist

Study for: The Sicilian Najdorf and Grunfeld. He plays the same two openings his whole life and knows them better than anyone.

W

Wei Yi The King Hunter

Study for: Beautiful mating nets. His "Immortal Game" against Bruzon is a must-see.

Y

Yusupov, Artur The Trainer

Study for: Solid, instructional chess. He is one of the world's best coaches, and his games are textbook examples of logic.