Najdorf

Miguel Najdorf was born in Poland and built the defining part of his life and career in Argentina. After competing in Buenos Aires in 1939, he remained in the country and became one of the world's strongest players during the 1940s and 1950s.

His team record is especially notable in the Chess Olympiad, a competition in which national federations field teams of players. Najdorf appeared in 14 Olympiads across four decades and earned seven team medals and four individual medals. That longevity made him far more than a short-lived star: he represented Argentine chess at the highest level for generations.

His surname also names a famous branch of the Sicilian Defense, but the person should not be reduced to that opening. In 1947 he played 45 opponents at once without seeing the boards or pieces, tracking every position mentally. That blindfold-chess exhibition remained a record for more than six decades.