Second half of the 20th century

A Soviet World Champion and influential teacher who made systematic preparation a central part of elite chess.

Samuel Reshevsky was an American prodigy and world-title contender whose elite career lasted for several decades.

Miguel Najdorf was a Polish-Argentine chess player, world elite contender, and exceptional team competitor.

A Soviet grandmaster, 1951 world title challenger, and one of the most creative chess thinkers of his era.

Vasily Smyslov was the seventh world champion, celebrated for harmonious piece play and precise endgame technique.

A Latvian World Champion famous for sacrifices, initiative, and complex positions that forced opponents to solve difficult problems at the board.

Tigran Petrosian was the ninth world champion, renowned for preventing threats and turning defense into counterattack.

Boris Spassky was the tenth world champion and a versatile player who excelled in very different styles.

An American World Champion from 1972 to 1975 whose extraordinary path to the title ended a long succession of Soviet champions.

Bent Larsen was a Danish chess player, world title contender, and one of the most original leading players of his generation.

Viktor Korchnoi was a Soviet and Swiss chess player who challenged twice for the world title and remained elite for an exceptionally long career.

Nona Gaprindashvili was Women's World Champion from 1962 to 1978 and the first woman to receive chess's highest standard international title.

Anatoly Karpov was the twelfth world champion and a master of gradual pressure and converting small advantages.

A Georgian grandmaster who held the Women's World Chess Championship from 1978 until 1991.

A World Champion from 1985 to 2000, famous for attacking energy, opening preparation, and a central role in the computer-chess era.

Susan Polgar is a world champion, grandmaster, and coach who opened new competitive paths for women in chess.

Xie Jun was Asia's first Women's World Champion and a central figure in the rise of Chinese chess.