Timeline of chess
Encyclopedia
Early history
- 6th century - The game ChaturangaChaturangaChaturanga is an ancient Indian game that is presumed to be the common ancestor of the games of chess, shogi, and makruk, and related to xiangqi and janggi.Chaturanga developed in Gupta India around the 6th century...
probably evolved into its current form around this time in India. - 569569Year 569 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 569 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Byzantine Empire :* The King of the Garamantes signs...
A Chineses emperor wrote a book of XiangqiXiangqiXiangqi is a two-player Chinese board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, shogi, Indian chess and janggi. The present-day form of Xiangqi originated in China and is therefore commonly called Chinese chess in English. Xiangqi is one of the most popular board games in China...
, Xiang JingXiang JingXiang Jing is an artist based in Beijing working in sculpture.She has featured in exhibitions including Photography As Fine Art, at Galerie Skala, Cologne and Your Body – Xiang Jing 2000-2005, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai and has exhibited at The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dubin, The National...
in AD 569 - ca. 600600Year 600 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 600 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Smallpox arrives in Europe for the first...
- The Karnamuk-i-Artakhshatr-i-Papakan contains references to the Persian game of ShatranjShatranjShatranj is an old form of chess, which came to the Western world from India. Modern chess has gradually developed from this game.-Etymology and origins:...
, the direct ancestor of modern Chess. Shatranj was initially called "Chatrang" in PersianPersian languagePersian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
(named after the Indian version), which was later renamed to Shatranj. - ca. 720720Year 720 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 720 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Nihon Shoki , one of the oldest history...
- Chess spreads across the Islamic world from Persia. - ca. 840840Year 840 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar.-Europe:* After the death of Louis the Pious, his sons Lothar, Charles the Bald and Louis the German fight over the division of the Holy Roman Empire, with Lothar succeeding as Emperor.-Asia:* Tang Wu Zong succeeds Tang Wen Zong...
- Earliest surviving chess problems by Caliph BillahBillahBillah is an Arabic phrase meaning with God or through God. It is used within various standard sayings such as the Hawqala and the Ta'awwudh. It is also used within personal names and titles, particularly by Caliphs and other rulers, when it might be seen as a counterpart of the Christian usage by...
of BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. - ca. 900900Year 900 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* April 21 – Namwaran and his children, Lady Angkatan and Bukah, are granted pardon by the Datu of Tondo, as represented Jayadewa, Lord Minister of Pila, which released them of all their debts as inscribed in the...
- Entry on Chess in the ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
work Huan Kwai Lu ('Book of Marvels'). - 997997Year 997 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* First documented reference to the City of Gdańsk....
- Versus de scachisVersus de scachisVersus de scachis is a Medieval Latin poem about chess. It is found on two manuscripts from Einsiedeln: MS Einsidlensis 365 and MS Einsidlensis 309. A copy of the poem in manuscript 319 at Stiftsbibliothek Einsiedeln has been given the estimated date of 997 CE...
is the earliest known work mentioning chess in Christian Western Europe. - 1008 - Mention of chess in the will of Count Uregel, another early reference.
- 10th century - As-Suli writes Kitab Ash-Shatranj, the earliest known work to take a scientific approach to chess strategy.
- late 10th century - Dark and light squares are introduced on a chessboardChessboardA chessboard is the type of checkerboard used in the board game chess, and consists of 64 squares arranged in two alternating colors...
. - 1173 - Earliest recorded use of algebraic chess notationAlgebraic chess notationAlgebraic notation is a method for recording and describing the moves in a game of chess. It is now standard among all chess organizations and most books, magazines, and newspapers...
. - 1283 - Alfonso X compiles the Libro de los juegosLibro de los juegosThe Libro de los Juegos, , or Libro de acedrex, dados e tablas, was commissioned by Alfonso X of Castile, Galicia and León and completed in his scriptorium in Toledo in 1283, is an exemplary piece of Alfonso’s medieval literary legacy.Consisting of ninety-seven leaves of parchment, many with color...
, with an extensive collection of chess problems. - late 13th century - Pawns can now move two ranks on first move.
- late 14th century - The en passantEn passantEn passant is a move in the board game of chess . It is a special pawn capture which can occur immediately after a player moves a pawn two squares forward from its starting position, and an enemy pawn could have captured it had it moved only one square forward...
rule is introduced. - 1422 - A manuscript from KrakówKrakówKraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
sets the rule that stalemateStalemateStalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal moves. A stalemate ends the game in a draw. Stalemate is covered in the rules of chess....
is a draw. - 1471 - The Göttingen manuscriptGöttingen manuscriptThe Göttingen manuscript is the earliest known work devoted entirely to modern chess. It is a Latin text of 33 leaves held at the University of Göttingen. A quarto parchment manuscript of 33 leaves, ff. 1–15a are a discussion of twelve chess openings, f. 16 is blank, and ff. 17–31b are a...
is the first book to deal solely with chess. - 1474 - William CaxtonWilliam CaxtonWilliam Caxton was an English merchant, diplomat, writer and printer. As far as is known, he was the first English person to work as a printer and the first to introduce a printing press into England...
publishes The Game and Playe of Chesse, the first chess book in English. - 1475-1525 - The modern moves for the queen, bishop, and castling are slowly adopted.
- 1475 - Scachs d'amorScachs d'amorScachs d'amor , whose complete title is Hobra intitulada scachs d'amor feta per don franci de Castelvi e Narcis vinyoles e mossen fenollar is the name of a poem written by Francesc de Castellví, Bernat Fenollar, and Narcís de Vinyoles, published in Valencia, Spain towards the end of the 15th...
the first published game of modern chess, written as a poem. - 1497 - Luis Ramirez LucenaLuis Ramirez LucenaLuis Ramírez de Lucena was a leading Spanish chess player. He wrote the oldest existing printed book on chess, Repetition of Love and the Art of Playing Chess , published in Salamanca in 1497...
publishes the first European work on chess openings. - 1510 - Marco Girolamo VidaMarco Girolamo VidaMarco Girolamo Vida or Marcus Hieronymus Vida was an Italian humanist, bishop and poet. Born at Cremona, Vida joined the court of Pope Leo X and was given a prior at Frascati. He became bishop of Alba in 1532....
wrote Scacchia ludus(The Game of Chess) with the first reference to a goddess of chess. - 1512 - Pedro DamianoPedro DamianoPedro Damiano was a Portuguese chess player who lived from 1480 to 1544. A native of Odemira, he was a pharmacist by profession...
publishes one of the first chess treatises, Questo libro e da imparare giocare a scachi et de li partiti - 1561 - Ruy López coins the word gambitGambitA gambit is a chess opening in which a player, most often White, sacrifices material, usually a pawn, with the hope of achieving a resulting advantageous position. Some well-known examples are the King's Gambit , Queen's Gambit , and Evans Gambit...
to describe opening sacrifices. - 1690 - Openings are now systematically classified by the Traite de Lausanne.
18th century
- 1744 - François-André Danican PhilidorFrançois-André Danican PhilidorFrançois-André Danican Philidor , often referred to as André Danican Philidor during his lifetime, was a French composer and chess player. He contributed to the early development of the opéra comique...
plays two opponents blindfoldedBlindfold chessBlindfold chess is a form of chess play wherein the players do not see the positions of the pieces or touch them. This forces players to maintain a mental model of the positions of the pieces...
in Paris. - 1747 - François-André Danican PhilidorFrançois-André Danican PhilidorFrançois-André Danican Philidor , often referred to as André Danican Philidor during his lifetime, was a French composer and chess player. He contributed to the early development of the opéra comique...
(France) defeats Philipp Stamma (Syria) in a London match. - 1763 - Sir William JonesWilliam Jones (philologist)Sir William Jones was an English philologist and scholar of ancient India, particularly known for his proposition of the existence of a relationship among Indo-European languages...
invents CaissaCaissaCaïssa is a mythical Thracian dryad portrayed as the goddess of chess, as invented during the Renaissance by Italian poet Hieronymus Vida.-Vida's poem:...
, the chess muse. - 1769 - Baron Wolfgang von KempelenWolfgang von KempelenJohann Wolfgang Ritter von Kempelen de Pázmánd was a Hungarian author and inventor with Irish ancestors.-Life:...
builds the Mechanical TurkThe TurkThe Turk, also known as the Mechanical Turk or Automaton Chess Player , was a fake chess-playing machine constructed in the late 18th century. From 1770 until its destruction by fire in 1854, it was exhibited by various owners as an automaton, though it was exposed in the early 1820s as an...
. - 1783 - Philidor plays as many as three games simultaneously without seeing the board.
19th century
- 1802 - Earliest known American chess book, Chess Made Easy, by J. Humphreys.
- 1813 - The Liverpool Mercury prints the world's earliest chess column.
- 1824 - Earliest known British correspondence chessCorrespondence chessCorrespondence chess is chess played by various forms of long-distance correspondence, usually through a correspondence chess server, through email or by the postal system; less common methods which have been employed include fax and homing pigeon...
match, London-Edinburgh. - 1830 - Earliest recorded instance of a modern female chess player.
- 1834 - Earliest recorded international challenge match: Alexander McDonnellAlexander McDonnellAlexander McDonnell was an Irish chess master, who contested a series of six matches with the world’s leading player Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais in the summer of 1834.- Early life :...
(Ireland) versus Louis de la BourdonnaisLouis-Charles Mahé de La BourdonnaisLouis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais was a French chess master, possibly the strongest player in the early 19th century.- Early life :...
(France) at the Westminster Chess Club, London. - 1843 - Howard StauntonHoward StauntonHoward Staunton was an English chess master who is generally regarded as having been the world's strongest player from 1843 to 1851, largely as a result of his 1843 victory over Saint-Amant. He promoted a chess set of clearly distinguishable pieces of standardised shape—the Staunton pattern—that...
(England) wins a match against Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant (France) in Paris. - 1845 - Telegraph is used to transmit moves in a match between London and Portsmouth.
- 1846 - Deutsche SchachzeitungDeutsche SchachzeitungDeutsche Schachzeitung was the first German chess magazine.Founded in 1846 by Ludwig Bledow under the title Schachzeitung der Berliner Schachgesellschaft, it took the name Deutsche Schachzeitung in 1872...
is the first German chess magazine. - 1848 - Earliest known instance of a game played between blind players.
- 1849 - Staunton chess setStaunton chess setThe Staunton chess set is composed of a particular type of chess pieces used to play the game of chess. According to the rules of chess, this style is to be used for competitions. Nathaniel Cook is credited with the design, and they are named after Howard Staunton. The first 500 sets were hand...
created by Nathaniel CookNathaniel CookNathaniel Cook was the designer of a set of chess figures, which is now the standard set.He registered his design at the United Kingdom Patent Office on 1 March 1849 under the Ornamental Designs Act of 1842. As he was the editor of The Illustrated London News, the newspaper where Howard Staunton...
. - 1851 - First international tournamentLondon 1851 chess tournamentright|thumb|[[Adolf Anderssen]] won both the London International Tournament and the rival London Club Tournament.London 1851 was the first international chess tournament. The tournament was conceived and organised by English player Howard Staunton, and marked the first time that the best chess...
is held in London, and won by Adolf AnderssenAdolf AnderssenKarl Ernst Adolf Anderssen was a German chess master. He is considered to have been the world's leading chess player in the 1850s and 1860s...
. - 1852 - SandglassHourglassAn hourglass measures the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. The name hourglass comes from historically...
es are first used to time a gameGame clockA game clock consists of two adjacent clocks and buttons to stop one clock while starting the other, such that the two component clocks never run simultaneously. Game clocks are used in two-player games where the players move in turn...
. - 1857 - First American Chess CongressAmerican Chess CongressThe American Chess Congress was a series of chess tournaments held in the United States, a predecessor to the current U.S. Chess Championship. It had nine editions, the first played in 1857 and the last in 1923.-First American Chess Congress :...
, won by 20 year old Paul MorphyPaul MorphyPaul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...
, causes a chess epidemic across the U.S. - 1857 - The UK Chess Association is formed.
- 1858 - The California Chess Congress is held in San Francisco, won by Selim Franklin
- 1859 - Paul MorphyPaul MorphyPaul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...
declared unofficial world champion after two years of international play - 1861 - Games played via transoceanic cables (Dublin-Liverpool).
- 1867 - Mechanical game clockGame clockA game clock consists of two adjacent clocks and buttons to stop one clock while starting the other, such that the two component clocks never run simultaneously. Game clocks are used in two-player games where the players move in turn...
s are introduced in tournament play. - 1870 - Earliest recorded tournament in Germany (Baden-Baden).
- 1871 - Durand publishes the first book on endgames.
- 1873 - The Neustadtl scoreNeustadtl scoreThe Neustadtl score is a scoring system often used to break ties in chess tournaments. It is named after Hermann Neustadtl, who proposed it in a letter published in Chess Monthly in 1882....
system is first used in a tournament. - 1877 - Formation of the Deutsche Schachbund.
- 1879 - First New Zealand Chess ChampionshipNew Zealand Chess ChampionshipThe New Zealand Chess Championship was first conducted in 1879.Note: Up until 1934 foreign players were eligible for the title. The eligibility rules were changed in 1935 to preclude this; John Angus Erskine was born in Invercargill and was therefore eligible although he was domiciled in...
, the longest running national chess championship in the world. - 1883 - Invention of Forsyth notationForsyth-Edwards NotationForsyth–Edwards Notation is a standard notation for describing a particular board position of a chess game. The purpose of FEN is to provide all the necessary information to restart a game from a particular position....
. - 1884 - Paul MorphyPaul MorphyPaul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...
dies. - 1886 - First official World Chess Championship matchWorld Chess Championship 1886The World Chess Championship 1886 was the first official World Chess Championship match contested by Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort. The match took place in the USA, the first five games being played in New York, the next four being played in St.Louis and the final eleven in New Orleans....
held between Wilhelm SteinitzWilhelm SteinitzWilhelm Steinitz was an Austrian and then American chess player and the first undisputed world chess champion from 1886 to 1894. From the 1870s onwards, commentators have debated whether Steinitz was effectively the champion earlier...
and Johannes ZukertortJohannes ZukertortJohannes Hermann Zukertort was a leading chess master of German-Polish-Jewish origin. He was one of the leading world players for most of the 1870s and 1880s, and lost to Wilhelm Steinitz in the World Chess Championship 1886, which is generally seen as the first World Chess Championship match, he...
. Steinitz wins decisively with the score 12½-7½ to become the first official world champion. - 1888 - First international correspondence tournament.
- 1888 - U.S. Chess ChampionshipU.S. Chess ChampionshipThe U.S. Chess Championship is an invitational tournament held to determine the national chess champion of the United States. Since 1936, it has been held under the auspices of the U.S. Chess Federation. Until 1999, the event consisted of a round-robin tournament of varying size...
starts. - 1894 - Emmanuel Lasker defeats Wilhelm Steinitz in a world championship matchWorld Chess Championship 1894The fifth World Chess Championship was held in New York , Philadelphia and Montreal between March 15 and May 26, 1894. Holder William Steinitz lost his title to challenger Emanuel Lasker, who was 32 years his junior.-Results:...
to become the second official world champion. - 1895 - Hastings 1895 chess tournamentHastings 1895 chess tournamentThe Hastings 1895 chess tournament was a round-robin tournament of chess conducted in Hastings, England from August 5 to September 2, 1895.Hastings 1895 was arguably the strongest tournament in history at the time it occurred. All of the strongest players of the generation competed...
at Hastings, England. - 1899 - Chess clocks now have timeout flags.
20th century
- 1902 - First radio chess match by players on two American ships.
- 1904 - British Chess Federation (BCF) is established.
- 1905 - British national championship for women starts.
- 1907 - Lasker-Marshall World Championship match in several US cities.
- 1910 - José Raúl CapablancaJosé Raúl CapablancaJosé Raúl Capablanca y Graupera was a Cuban chess player who was world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. One of the greatest players of all time, he was renowned for his exceptional endgame skill and speed of play...
is the first to win a major tournament (in New York) with a 100% score. - 1911 - The first simultaneous exhibitionSimultaneous exhibitionA simultaneous exhibition or simultaneous display is a board game exhibition in which one player plays multiple games at a time with a number of other players. Such an exhibition is often referred to simply as a "simul".In a regular simul, no chess clocks are used...
with more than 100 participants. - 1913 - Publication of Harold Murray'sHarold James Ruthven MurrayHarold James Ruthven Murray , was an English educationalist, inspector of schools, and prominent chess historian. He was the first to publish the theory that chess originated in India...
monumental book A History of ChessA History of ChessA History of Chess is a chess history book by Harold James Ruthven Murray published in 1913.Murray's aim is threefold: to present as complete a record as is possible of the varieties of chess that exist or have existed in different parts of the world; to investigate the ultimate origin of these...
. - 1913 - The grasshopper is the first fairy pieceChess variantA chess variant is a game related to, derived from or inspired by chess. The difference from chess might include one or more of the following:...
invented, having its origin in the Renaissance "leaping queen". - 1919 - Capablanca plays a simul in the House of Commons against 39 players.
- 1921 - British correspondence championship starts.
- 1921 - José Raúl Capablanca defeats Emmanuel Lasker in Havana +4 -0 =10 to become the third official world champion.
- 1924 - Establishment of Fédération Internationale des ÉchecsFédération Internationale des ÉchecsThe Fédération Internationale des Échecs or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competition. It is usually referred to as FIDE , its French acronym.FIDE...
(FIDE). - 1924 - Staunton set officially adopted by FIDE.
- 1927 - First official Chess OlympiadChess OlympiadThe Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
in London. - 1927 - Alexander AlekhineAlexander AlekhineAlexander Alexandrovich Alekhine was the fourth World Chess Champion. He is often considered one of the greatest chess players ever.By the age of twenty-two, he was already among the strongest chess players in the world. During the 1920s, he won most of the tournaments in which he played...
defeats Capablanca at Buenos Aires with +6 -3 =25 and became the fourth official world champion. - 1935 - Max EuweMax EuweMachgielis Euwe was a Dutch chess Grandmaster, mathematician, and author. He was the fifth player to become World Chess Champion . Euwe also served as President of FIDE, the World Chess Federation, from 1970 to 1978.- Early years :Euwe was born in Watergraafsmeer, near Amsterdam...
wins the world championship title from Alexander Alekhine in Zandvoort, The Netherlands +9 -8 =13 and became the fifth official world champion. - 1937 - A record for simultaneous blindfold play against 34 opponents.
- 1937 - Alexander Alekhine regains his champion title from Max Euwe in The Netherlands +10 –4 =11.
- 1941 - Basic Chess EndingsBasic Chess EndingsBasic Chess Endings is a book on chess endgames which was written by Grandmaster Reuben Fine and originally published in 1941. It is considered the first systematic book in English on the endgame phase of the game of chess. It is the best-known endgame book in English and is a classic piece of...
by Reuben FineReuben FineReuben Fine was one of the strongest chess players in the world from the early 1930s through the 1940s, an International Grandmaster, psychologist, university professor, and author of many books on both chess and psychology.Fine won five medals in three chess Olympiads. Fine won the U.S...
published. - 1945 - USA vs USSR Radio match is the first international sporting event after World War II. The USSR scores an overwhelming victory and would dominate world chess for the next 25 years.
- 1946 - Reigning world champion Alexander Alekhine dies in Portugal, leaving the title vacant. FIDE moves to gain control of the world championship.
- 1947 - The first postage stamp with a chess motif was printed by Bulgaria.
- 1948 - Mikhail BotvinnikMikhail BotvinnikMikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...
wins the 1948 World Chess ChampionshipWorld Chess Championship 1948The 1948 World Chess Championship was a tournament played to determine a new World Chess Champion following the death of the previous champion Alexander Alekhine in 1946. The tournament marked the passing of control of the championship title to FIDE, the International Chess Federation which had...
, which was held at The Hague and Moscow. He became the sixth official world champion. - 1949 - Claude Shannon speculates on how computers might play chessComputer chessComputer chess is computer architecture encompassing hardware and software capable of playing chess autonomously without human guidance. Computer chess acts as solo entertainment , as aids to chess analysis, for computer chess competitions, and as research to provide insights into human...
. - 1950 - FIDE introduces the International Grandmaster (GM) and International Master (IM) titles.
- 1950 - First Candidates TournamentCandidates TournamentThe Candidates Tournament is a chess tournament organized by the world chess federation FIDE since 1950, as the final contest to determine the challenger for the World Chess Championship...
is held in BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. David BronsteinDavid BronsteinDavid Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...
wins after a playoff against Isaac BoleslavskyIsaac BoleslavskyIsaac Yefremovich Boleslavsky was a Soviet–Jewish chess Grandmaster.-Early career:Boleslavsky taught himself chess at age 9...
. - 1951 - Mikhail BotvinnikMikhail BotvinnikMikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...
retains his title after the World Championship match with challenger David BronsteinDavid BronsteinDavid Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...
ends in a 12–12 tie. - 1951 - First World Junior Chess ChampionshipWorld Junior Chess ChampionshipThe World Junior Chess Championship is an under-20 chess tournament organized by the World Chess Federation ....
held. - 1952 - Soviet Union begins their string of Chess OlympiadChess OlympiadThe Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams from all over the world compete against each other. The event is organised by FIDE, which selects the host nation.-Birth of the Olympiad:The first Olympiad was unofficial...
victories in Helsinki. - 1953 - Vasily SmyslovVasily SmyslovVasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...
wins the Candidates Tournament at Zurich. The tournament is the subject of a well-known book by David BronsteinDavid BronsteinDavid Ionovich Bronstein was a Soviet chess grandmaster, who narrowly missed becoming World Chess Champion in 1951. Bronstein was described by his peers as a creative genius and master of tactics...
. - 1954 - Mikhail BotvinnikMikhail BotvinnikMikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, Ph.D. was a Soviet and Russian International Grandmaster and three-time World Chess Champion. Working as an electrical engineer and computer scientist at the same time, he was one of the very few famous chess players who achieved distinction in another career while...
retains his title after the World Championship match with challenger Vasily SmyslovVasily SmyslovVasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...
ends in a 12–12 tie. - 1956 - Vasily SmyslovVasily SmyslovVasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...
wins the Candidates Tournament in Amsterdam. Paul KeresPaul KeresPaul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
finishes second. - 1957 - Vasily SmyslovVasily SmyslovVasily Vasilyevich Smyslov was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, and was World Chess Champion from 1957 to 1958. He was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on eight occasions . Smyslov was twice equal first at the Soviet Championship , and his total of 17 Chess Olympiad medals won...
defeats Botvinnik by the score 12.5-9.5 and became the seventh official world champion. - 1958 - Botvinnik defeats Smyslov in a rematch by the score 12.5-10.5 to regain the title.
- 1958 - Bobby FischerBobby FischerRobert James "Bobby" Fischer 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 was also a best-selling chess author...
qualifies for the 1959 Candidates Match, becoming the youngest ever Grandmaster. This record would stand until 1991. - 1959 - Mikhail TalMikhail TalMikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
wins the Candidates Tournament in Yugoslavia. Paul KeresPaul KeresPaul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
finishes second. - 1960 - Mikhail TalMikhail TalMikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
defeats Botvinnik +6 -2 =13 to become the eighth official world champion and the youngest-ever world champion (a record later broken by Garry Kasparov, who earned the title at 22). - 1961 - Botvinnik defeats Tal in a rematch by the score +10 -5 =6 to regain the title.
- 1962 - Tigran PetrosianTigran PetrosianTigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...
wins the Candidates Tournament in Curaçao, going through the tournament without a defeat. Paul KeresPaul KeresPaul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
finishes second in a Candidates Tournament for the third consecutive time. - 1963 - Tigran PetrosianTigran PetrosianTigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...
defeats Botvinnik 12.5–9.5 to become the ninth World Chess Champion. - 1965 - Boris SpasskyBoris SpasskyBoris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
wins Candidates Matches against Paul KeresPaul KeresPaul Keres , was an Estonian chess grandmaster, and a renowned chess writer. He was among the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
, Efim GellerEfim GellerEfim Petrovich Geller was a Soviet chess player and world-class grandmaster at his peak. He won the Soviet Championship twice and was a Candidate for the World Championship on six occasions...
, and Mikhail TalMikhail TalMikhail Tal was a Soviet–Latvian chess player, a Grandmaster, and the eighth World Chess Champion.Widely regarded as a creative genius, and the best attacking player of all time, he played a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability....
. - 1966 - Tigran PetrosianTigran PetrosianTigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...
successfully defends his World Championship title against Boris SpasskyBoris SpasskyBoris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
, 12½–11½. - 1967 - Bent LarsenBent LarsenJørgen Bent Larsen was a Danish chess Grandmaster and author. Larsen was known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play and he was the first western player to pose a serious challenge to the Soviet Union's dominance of chess...
wins the Sousse Interzonal after Bobby FischerBobby FischerRobert James "Bobby" Fischer 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 was also a best-selling chess author...
withdraws after ten games while leading with 8½ points. Larsen also wins the first Chess OscarChess OscarChess Oscar is an international award given to the best chess player every year. The winner is selected by a poll of chess experts across the world, including Grandmasters...
. - 1969 - Boris SpasskyBoris SpasskyBoris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
defeats Petrosian 12½-11½ to become the tenth World Chess Champion. - 1970 - Bobby FischerBobby FischerRobert James "Bobby" Fischer 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 was also a best-selling chess author...
wins the Palma de Mallorca Interzonal 3½ points ahead of his nearest rival. - 1971 - Bobby FischerBobby FischerRobert James "Bobby" Fischer 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 was also a best-selling chess author...
blazes through his Candidates Matches, defeating Mark TaimanovMark TaimanovMark Evgenievich Taimanov is a leading Soviet and Russian chess player and concert pianist.-Chess:He was awarded the International Grandmaster title in 1952 and played in the Candidates Tournament in Zurich in 1953, where he tied for eighth place. From 1946 to 1956, he was among the world's top...
and Bent LarsenBent LarsenJørgen Bent Larsen was a Danish chess Grandmaster and author. Larsen was known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play and he was the first western player to pose a serious challenge to the Soviet Union's dominance of chess...
each 6–0 and Tigran PetrosianTigran PetrosianTigran Vartanovich Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian grandmaster, and World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969. He was nicknamed "Iron Tigran" due to his playing style because of his almost impenetrable defence, which emphasised safety above all else...
by 6½–2½. Fischer establishes a 20 game winning streak in 1970 and 1971. - 1972 - Bobby FischerBobby FischerRobert James "Bobby" Fischer 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 was also a best-selling chess author...
beats Boris SpasskyBoris SpasskyBoris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
for the World Chess Championship 1972, giving chess an unprecedented level of publicity. The score was 12.5-8.5 to become the eleventh World Chess Champion. - 1975 - Anatoly KarpovAnatoly KarpovAnatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
becomes the twelfth World Champion without having defeated the reigning champion as Fischer forfeits his crown. - 1977 - Female player Nona GaprindashviliNona GaprindashviliNona Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player, the sixth women's world chess champion , and first female Grandmaster. Born in Zugdidi, Georgia , she was the strongest female player of her generation....
wins the men's tournament at Lone PineLone Pine InternationalLone Pine International was a series of chess tournaments held annually in March or April from 1971 through 1981 in Lone Pine, California. Sponsored by Louis D. Statham , millionaire engineer and inventor of medical instruments, the tournaments were formally titled the Louis D. Statham Masters...
. - 1978 - Nona GaprindashviliNona GaprindashviliNona Gaprindashvili is a Georgian chess player, the sixth women's world chess champion , and first female Grandmaster. Born in Zugdidi, Georgia , she was the strongest female player of her generation....
becomes the first woman to receive the FIDE Grandmaster title. - 1978 - FIDE Master (FM) introduced as a title below International Master.
- 1978 - First Sargon (chess)Sargon (chess)Sargon is a line of chess-playing software for personal computers.-Origin:The original SARGON was written by Dan and Kathleen 'Kathe' Spracklen in a Z80-based computer called Wavemate Jupiter III...
chessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
-playing software for personal computers introduced at the 1978 West Coast Computer FaireWest Coast Computer FaireThe West Coast Computer Faire was an annual computer industry conference and exposition most often associated with San Francisco, its first and most frequent venue. The first fair was held in 1977 and was organized by Jim Warren and Bob Reiling. At the time it was the biggest computer show in the...
. - 1981 - Anatoly KarpovAnatoly KarpovAnatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
convincingly defeats challenger Viktor KorchnoiViktor KorchnoiViktor Lvovich Korchnoi ; pronounced in the original Russian as "karch NOY"; Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, born March 23, 1931 is a professional chess player, author and currently the oldest active grandmaster on the tournament circuit...
six wins to two to retain the World Championship. - 1984 - In a controversial decision, the FIDE president abandons the first World Championship matchWorld Chess Championship 1984The World Chess Championship 1984 was a match between challenger Garry Kasparov and defending champion Anatoly Karpov for the World Chess Championship title...
between Garry KasparovGarry KasparovGarry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
and Anatoly KarpovAnatoly KarpovAnatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
after 48 games with Karpov leading 5–3. - 1985 - Garry KasparovGarry KasparovGarry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
defeats Anatoly KarpovAnatoly KarpovAnatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
to become the thirteenth World Chess Champion 13-11, and then dominates world chess for the next 15 years. - 1986 - Theatrical version of ChessChess (musical)Chess is a musical with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, and with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story involves a romantic triangle between two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other;...
opens in London's West EndWest End theatreWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. - 19911991 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 by Elo rating - January 1991# Garry Kasparov 2800# Anatoly Karpov 2725# Boris Gelfand 2700# Vassily Ivanchuk 2695# Evgeny Bareev 2650# Mikhail Gurevich 2650# Jan Ehlvest 2650# Leonid Yudasin 2645# Valery Salov 2645...
- Judit PolgárJudit PolgárJudit Polgár is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is by far the strongest female chess player in history. In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, the youngest person ever to do so at that time.Polgár was ranked No...
becomes the youngest ever Grandmaster, breaking Bobby Fischer's record by about a month. - 19921992 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 by Elo rating - January 1992# Garry Kasparov 2780# Anatoly Karpov 2725# Vassily Ivanchuk 2720# Nigel Short 2685# Viswanathan Anand 2670# Boris Gelfand 2665# Alexei Shirov 2655# Gata Kamsky 2655# Artur Yusupov 2655...
- Bobby FischerBobby FischerRobert James "Bobby" Fischer 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 was also a best-selling chess author...
plays Boris SpasskyBoris SpasskyBoris Vasilievich Spassky is a Soviet-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from late 1969 to 1972...
in FR Yugoslavia in a rematch of the 1972 World Championship. - 19931993 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 by Elo rating - January 1993# Garry Kasparov 2805# Anatoly Karpov 2725# Vassily Ivanchuk 2710# Viswanathan Anand 2710# Boris Gelfand 2690# Vladimir Kramnik 2685# Alexei Shirov 2670# Evgeny Bareev 2670# Kiril Georgiev 2660...
- Searching for Bobby FischerSearching for Bobby FischerSearching for Bobby Fischer is a 1993 film based on the life of prodigy chess player Joshua Waitzkin, played by Max Pomeranc. Adapted from the book of the same name by Joshua's father Fred, the film was written and directed by Steven Zaillian...
motion picture released (in the United Kingdom as "Innocent Moves").
-
- - Garry KasparovGarry KasparovGarry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
and Nigel ShortNigel ShortNigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
break from FIDE to play their world championship match, forming the Professional Chess AssociationProfessional Chess AssociationThe Professional Chess Association , which existed between 1993 and 1996, was a rival organisation to FIDE, the international chess organization...
.- 19941994 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 by Elo rating - January 1994# Garry Kasparov 2815# Anatoly Karpov 2740# Alexei Shirov 2715# Viswanathan Anand 2715# Vassily Ivanchuk 2710# Vladimir Kramnik 2710# Gata Kamsky 2695# Valery Salov 2685# Evgeny Bareev 2685...
- - 19951995 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 by Elo rating - January 1995#Garry Kasparov 2805#Anatoly Karpov 2765#Valery Salov 2715#Viswanathan Anand 2715#Vladimir Kramnik 2715#Alexei Shirov 2710#Gata Kamsky 2710#Boris Gelfand 2700#Vassily Ivanchuk 2700...
- - 19961996 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 by Elo rating - January 1996#Vladimir Kramnik 2775#Garry Kasparov 2775#Anatoly Karpov 2770#Vassily Ivanchuk 2735#Gata Kamsky 2735#Viswanathan Anand 2725#Veselin Topalov 2700#Boris Gelfand 2700#Alexei Shirov 2690...
- Deep Blue beats Garry Kasparov in the first game won by a chess-playing computer against a reigning world champion under normal chess tournament conditions. Kasparov recovers to win the matchDeep Blue versus Garry KasparovDeep Blue versus Garry Kasparov was a pair of famous six-game human-computer chess matches played between the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue and the World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov. The first match was played in February 1996 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kasparov won the match 4–2, losing one...
4–2 (three wins, one loss, two draws). - 19971997 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 players by Elo rating - January 1997#Garry Kasparov 2795#Viswanathan Anand 2765#Anatoly Karpov 2760#Vladimir Kramnik 2740#Vassily Ivanchuk 2740#Veselin Topalov 2725#Gata Kamsky 2720#Boris Gelfand 2700#Alexei Shirov 2690...
- Garry KasparovGarry KasparovGarry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
loses a rematchDeep Blue versus Garry KasparovDeep Blue versus Garry Kasparov was a pair of famous six-game human-computer chess matches played between the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue and the World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov. The first match was played in February 1996 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kasparov won the match 4–2, losing one...
to chess supercomputer Deep Blue (2½–3½), becoming the first World ChampionWorld Chess ChampionshipThe World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
to lose a match to a computer. - 19981998 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 players by Elo rating - July 1998#Garry Kasparov 2815#Viswanathan Anand 2795#Vladimir Kramnik 2780#Vassily Ivanchuk 2730#Anatoly Karpov 2725#Alexei Shirov 2720#Gata Kamsky 2720#Michael Adams 2715#Peter Svidler 2710...
- - 19991999 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 players by Elo rating - January 1999;#Garry Kasparov 2812#Viswanathan Anand 2781#Vladimir Kramnik 2751#Alexei Shirov 2726#Alexander Morozevich 2723#Michael Adams 2716#Vasily Ivanchuk 2714#Peter Svidler 2713...
- Kasparov plays and wins against the WorldKasparov versus The WorldKasparov versus the World was a game of chess played in 1999 over the Internet. Conducting the white pieces, Garry Kasparov faced the rest of the world in consultation, with the World Team moves to be decided by plurality vote. Over 50,000 individuals from more than 75 countries participated in the...
whose moves were determined by plurality of vote via Internet.
- 1994
- - Garry Kasparov
21st century
- 20002000 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 players by Elo rating - July 2000;#Garry Kasparov 2849#Vladimir Kramnik 2770#Viswanathan Anand 2762#Alexander Morozevich 2756#Michael Adams 2755#Alexei Shirov 2746#Peter Leko 2743#Vassily Ivanchuk 2719#Veselin Topalov 2707...
- Garry KasparovGarry KasparovGarry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
loses his title to Vladimir KramnikVladimir KramnikVladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
8.5 - 6.5. Kramnik became the fourteenth World Chess Champion. - 20012001 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 players by Elo rating - October 2001;#Garry Kasparov 2838#Vladimir Kramnik 2809#Viswanathan Anand 2770#Alexander Morozevich 2742#Peter Leko 2739#Veselin Topalov 2733#Michael Adams 2731#Vassily Ivanchuk 2731...
- - 20022002 in chess-Top players:FIDE top 10 players by Elo rating - October 2002;#Garry Kasparov 2836#Vladimir Kramnik 2809#Viswanathan Anand 2755#Michael Adams 2745#Veselin Topalov 2743#Peter Leko 2743#Ruslan Ponomariov 2743#Evgeny Bareev 2737...
- Sergey KarjakinSergey KarjakinSergey Alexandrovich Karjakin is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was a chess prodigy and holds the record for both the youngest International Master, eleven years and eleven months, and grandmaster in history, at the age of twelve years and seven months...
becomes the youngest ever Grandmaster at age 12 years and 7 months. - 20032003 in chess-Deaths:*February 4 – Jaroslav Šajtar , 81, Czech Grandmaster and FIDE vice chairman.*May 10 – Milan Vukcevich , 66, Yugoslav/American International Master, Grandmaster of Chess Composition, and scientist....
- - 20042004 in chess-Deaths:*April 30 – Kazimierz Plater , 89, Polish International Master and several time Polish champion.*August 3 – Bryon Nickoloff , 48, Canadian International Master....
- Rustam KasimdzhanovRustam KasimdzhanovRustam Kasimdzhanov is an Uzbekistani chess Grandmaster, best known for winning the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004. He was born in Tashkent, in the former Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic...
wins the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004FIDE World Chess Championship 2004The FIDE World Chess Championship, 2004 was held at the Almahary Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, from June 18 to July 13.It was won by Rustam Kasimdzhanov, who beat Michael Adams in the final by a score of 4½-3½...
by beating Michael Adams in the final. - 20042004 in chess-Deaths:*April 30 – Kazimierz Plater , 89, Polish International Master and several time Polish champion.*August 3 – Bryon Nickoloff , 48, Canadian International Master....
- Vladimir KramnikVladimir KramnikVladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
successfully defends his title in the Classical World Chess Championship 2004Classical World Chess Championship 2004The Classical World Chess Championship 2004 was held from September 25, 2004 - October 18, 2004 in Brissago, Switzerland. Vladimir Kramnik, the defending champion, played Peter Leko, the challenger, in a fourteen game match....
against Peter LekoPéter LékóOn the way to winning the prestigious Corus chess tournament in 2005, Lékó defeated Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand with the black pieces. The moves were:...
. - 20052005 in chess-Deaths:*January 2 – Arnold Denker , 90, American Grandmaster.*January 3 - Laszlo Vadasz , 56, Hungarian Grandmaster.*March 14 – Simon Webb , 55, British International Master, International Correspondence Chess Grandmaster, and chess writer.*April 9 – Dragoljub Minić , 68, Yugoslavian/Croation...
- Veselin TopalovVeselin TopalovVeselin Aleksandrov Topalov is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. He currently has the sixth highest rating in the world, and was the challenger facing world champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2010, losing the match 6½–5½....
wins the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005FIDE World Chess Championship 2005The FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 took place in Potrero de los Funes, San Luis Province in Argentina from September 27 to October 16, 2005. It was won by Veselin Topalov.-Background:...
with 10/14 (+6=8-0). - 20062006 in chess-May:*May 5 – The world's oldest living Grandmaster, Andor Lilienthal, celebrates his 95th birthday. In his career Lilienthal played World Champions Emanuel Lasker, José Raúl Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, and Mikhail Botvinnik.- October :...
- World Chess ChampionshipWorld Chess ChampionshipThe World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
reunited when Vladimir KramnikVladimir KramnikVladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
defeats Veselin TopalovVeselin TopalovVeselin Aleksandrov Topalov is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. He currently has the sixth highest rating in the world, and was the challenger facing world champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2010, losing the match 6½–5½....
in the FIDE World Chess Championship 2006FIDE World Chess Championship 2006The World Chess Championship 2006 was a chess match between Classical World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik, and FIDE World Chess Champion Veselin Topalov. The match, which was won by Kramnik, determined the undisputed World Chess Champion for the first time in 13 years...
. - 20072007 in chess-January:*January 1 – Veselin Topalov lost 30 rating points but still tops the FIDE rating list at 2783. Viswanathan Anand is second at 2779 and Vladimir Kramnik is third at 2766. There is only one change in the players in the top eleven: Peter Svidler dropped from number 4 to number 12 with...
- Viswanathan AnandViswanathan AnandV. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
becomes the fifteenth World Chess Champion after winning the World Chess Championship 2007World Chess Championship 2007The World Chess Championship 2007 was held in Mexico City, from September 12, 2007 to September 30, 2007 to decide the world champion in the board game chess. It was an eight-player, double round robin tournament....
tournament held in Mexico City. Anand finished the tournament with a score of 9/14 (+4=10-0). - 20082008 in chess-January:* January 1 – Vladimir Kramnik gains 14 rating points to move from number three to head the FIDE top 100 players lists at 2799. Viswanathan Anand also at 2799 drops from first to second as he played fewer rated games in the previous reporting period. Veselin Topalov is third at 2780...
- Former World Champion Bobby FischerBobby FischerRobert James "Bobby" Fischer 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 was also a best-selling chess author...
dies in Iceland at age 64. - 20082008 in chess-January:* January 1 – Vladimir Kramnik gains 14 rating points to move from number three to head the FIDE top 100 players lists at 2799. Viswanathan Anand also at 2799 drops from first to second as he played fewer rated games in the previous reporting period. Veselin Topalov is third at 2780...
- Viswanathan AnandViswanathan AnandV. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
successfully defends his title against Vladimir KramnikVladimir KramnikVladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
in the World Chess Championship 2008World Chess Championship 2008The World Chess Championship 2008 was a best-of-twelve-games match between the World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand, and the previous World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik...
. - 20092009 in chess-January:* January 1 – Veselin Topalov gains 5 rating points to remain at the head the FIDE top 100 players list at 2796. Viswanathan Anand is second at 2791.-Grandmaster:In 2009 FIDE awarded the title Grandmaster to the following players:...
- Eighteen-year-old Magnus CarlsenMagnus CarlsenSven Magnus Øen Carlsen is a Norwegian chess Grandmaster and chess prodigy who is currently the number-one ranked player in the world. In January 2010 he became the seventh player ranked number one in the world on the official FIDE rating list...
wins the super-grandmaster (Category 21) Nanjing Pearl Spring Tournament, scoring an undefeated 8-2 in the double round robin event. Carlsen's performance rating for the tournament is 3002, one of the highest in history, and his rating goes over 2800, making him the fifth player (and by far the youngest) to attain that rating level. - 20092009 in chess-January:* January 1 – Veselin Topalov gains 5 rating points to remain at the head the FIDE top 100 players list at 2796. Viswanathan Anand is second at 2791.-Grandmaster:In 2009 FIDE awarded the title Grandmaster to the following players:...
- Kasparov and Karpov play each other once more, as a commemoration of their World Championship Match 25 years ago. - 2010 - Chess therapyChess TherapyChess therapy is a form of psychotherapy that attempts to use chess games between the therapist and client or clients to form stronger connections between them towards a goal of confirmatory or alternate diagnosis and consequently, better healing. Its founder can be considered to be the Persian...
was explored by Alexian Center For Mental Health at the South Elgin Rehabilitation Center in Elgin, Illinois.
See also
- ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
- History of chessHistory of chessThe history of chess spans some 1500 years. The earliest predecessors of the game originated in India, before the 6th century AD. From India, the game spread to Persia. When the Arabs conquered Persia, chess was taken up by the Muslim world and subsequently spread to Southern Europe. In Europe,...
- Chess in early literatureChess in early literatureOne of the most common ways for chess historians to trace when the board game chess entered a country is to look at the literature of that country. Although due to the names associated with chess sometimes being used for more than one game , the only certain reference to chess is often several...
- Chess in EuropeChess in EuropeThe exact location, time and method of the entry of chess, or rather its immediate precursor Shatranj, into western Europe is unknown, however linguistic evidence suggest that it was almost certainly transmitted via the Arab world....
- Schools of chess