Bundesarchiv Bild 102-00457, Emanuel Lasker

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

players and theoreticians have long been involved in the game of

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

and have significantly contributed to the development of chess, which has been described as the "Jewish National game". Chess gained popularity amongst Jews in the twelfth century. The game was privileged by distinguished rabbis, as well as by women. Of the first 13 undisputed world champions, over half were Jewish, including the first two. The Modern School of Chess espoused by

Wilhelm Steinitz William Steinitz (born Wilhelm Steinitz; May 14, 1836 – August 12, 1900) was an Austrian and, later, American chess player. From 1886 to 1894, he was the first official World Chess Champion. He was also a highly influential writer and che ...

and

Siegbert Tarrasch Siegbert Tarrasch (; 5 March 1862 – 17 February 1934) was a German chess player, considered to have been among the strongest players and most influential theoreticians of the late 19th and early 20th century. Life Tarrasch was born in Bresla ...

; the Hypermodernism influenced by

Aron Nimzowitsch Aron Nimzowitsch ( lv, Ārons Nimcovičs, russian: Аро́н Иса́евич Нимцо́вич, ''Aron Isayevich Nimtsovich''; 7 November 1886 – 16 March 1935) was a Latvian-born Danish chess player and writer. In the late 1920s, Nimz ...

and

Richard Réti Richard Selig Réti (28 May 1889 – 6 June 1929) was an Austro-Hungarian, later Czechoslovakian, chess player, chess author, and composer of endgame studies. He was one of the principal proponents of hypermodernism in chess. With the exc ...

; and the Soviet Chess School promoted by

Mikhail Botvinnik Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik, ( – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster. The sixth World Chess Champion, he also worked as an electrical engineer and computer scientist and was a pioneer in computer chess. Botvinnik ...

were all strongly influenced by Jewish players. Other influential Jewish chess theoreticians, writers and players include

Johannes Zukertort Johannes Hermann Zukertort (Polish: ''Jan Hermann Cukiertort''; 7 September 1842 – 20 June 1888) was a Polish chess master. He was one of the leading world players for most of the 1870s and 1880s, but lost to Wilhelm Steinitz in the World Ches ...

Savielly Tartakower Savielly Tartakower (also known as ''Xavier'' or ''Ksawery'' ''Tartakower'', less often ''Tartacover'' or ''Tartakover''; 21 February 1887 – 4 February 1956) was a Polish and French chess player. He was awarded the title of International Grand ...

Emanuel Lasker Emanuel Lasker (; December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941) was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher who was World Chess Champion for 27 years, from 1894 to 1921, the longest reign of any officially recognised World Chess Champ ...

Akiba Rubinstein Akiba Kiwelowicz Rubinstein (1 December 1880 – 14 March 1961) was a Polish chess player. He is considered to have been one of the greatest players never to have become World Chess Champion. Rubinstein was granted the title Grandmaster (chess), ...

Gyula Breyer Gyula "Julius" Breyer (30 April 1893 Budapest – 9 November 1921) was a Hungarian chess player and 1912 Hungarian national champion. Chess career In 1912 Breyer won the Hungarian championship in Temesvar. In a 1920 tournament in Berlin he fi ...

Rudolf Spielmann Rudolf Spielmann (5 May 1883 – 20 August 1942) was a Jewish-Austrian chess player of the romantic school, and chess writer. Career Spielmann was born in 1883, third child of Moritz and Cecilia Spielmann, and had a younger brother Edgar, an o ...

Samuel Reshevsky Samuel Herman Reshevsky (born Szmul Rzeszewski; November 26, 1911 – April 4, 1992) was a Polish chess prodigy and later a leading American chess grandmaster. He was a contender for the World Chess Championship from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960 ...

Reuben Fine Reuben C. Fine (October 11, 1914 – March 26, 1993) was an American chess player, psychologist, university professor, and author of many books on both chess and psychology. He was one of the strongest chess players in the world from the mi ...

David Bronstein David Ionovich Bronstein (russian: Дави́д Ио́нович Бронште́йн; February 19, 1924 – December 5, 2006) was a Soviet and Ukrainian chess player. Awarded the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE in 1950, he narr ...

Miguel Najdorf Miguel Najdorf (born Mojsze Mendel Najdorf) (15 April 1910 – 4 July 1997) was a Polish–Argentinian chess grandmaster. Originally from Poland, he was in Argentina when World War II began in 1939, and he stayed and settled there. He was a ...

Mikhail Tal Mikhail Nekhemyevich Tal; rus, Михаил Нехемьевич Таль, ''Mikhail Nekhem'yevich Tal' '', ; sometimes transliterated ''Mihails Tals'' or ''Mihail Tal'' (9 November 1936 – 28 June 1992) was a Soviet-Latvian chess player ...

and

Bobby Fischer Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. A chess prodigy, he won his first of a record eight US Championships at the age of 14. In 1964, he won with an 11� ...

. Professor

Arpad Elo Arpad Emmerich Elo ( Élő Árpád Imre; August 25, 1903 – November 5, 1992) was a Hungarian-American physics professor who created the Elo rating system for two-player games such as chess. Born in Egyházaskesző, Kingdom of Hungary, h ...

, the inventor of the scientific rating system employed by

FIDE The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( Fédération Internationale des Échecs), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national c ...

, analysed some 476 major tournament players from the nineteenth century onward, and of the fifty-one highest ranked players, approximately one-half were Jewish. One of the strongest ever players is

Garry Kasparov Garry Kimovich Kasparov (born 13 April 1963) is a Russian chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist and commentator. His peak rating of 2851, achieved in 1999, was the highest recorded until being surpassed by ...

, who was world No. 1 from 1985 until his retirement in 2005; or the considered strongest female chess player in history

Judit Polgár Judit Polgár (born 23 July 1976) is a Hungarian chess grandmaster, generally considered the strongest female chess player of all time. In 1991, Polgár achieved the title of Grandmaster at the age of 15 years and 4 months, at the time the you ...

Beersheba Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...

in Israel is the city with the most chess grandmasters per capita in the world.

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

has also won one silver and one bronze medal at

Chess Olympiad The Chess Olympiad is a biennial chess tournament in which teams representing nations of the world compete. FIDE organises the tournament and selects the host nation. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, FIDE held an Online Chess Olympiad in 2020 and ...

List

The list refers to chess players who are Jewish and have attained outstanding achievements in chess. * Aaron (Albert) Alexandre (c. 1765–1850), German-born French-English *

Simon Alapin Semyon Zinovyevich Alapin (russian: Семён Зиновьевич Алапин; – 15 July 1923) was a Russian chess player, openings analyst, and puzzle composer. He was also a linguist, railway engineer and a grain commodities merchant. B ...

(1856–1923), Lithuanian *

Lev Alburt Lev Osipovich Alburt (born August 21, 1945) is a chess Grandmaster, writer and coach. He was born in Orenburg, Russia, and became three-time Ukrainian Champion. After defecting to the United States in 1979, he became three-time U.S. Champion ...

(born 1945), Russian/American *

Izaak Appel Izaak (Isaak) Appel (1905–1941) was a Polish chess master. Biography In 1926, he took 12th place in the Warsaw (1st POL-ch) competition, which was won by Dawid Przepiórka. In 1929, he took 2nd place, behind Teodor Regedziński, in the Champ ...

(1905–1941), Polish, killed by the Nazis *

Lev Aronin Lev Solomonovich Aronin (russian: Лев Соломонович Аронин; 20 July 1920, Kuibyshev – 4 October 1982, Moscow) was a Soviet International Master of chess. He was a meteorologist by profession. Early years Lev Solomonovich ...

(1920–1982), Russian/Soviet *

Levon Aronian Levon Grigori Aronian ( hy, Լևոն Գրիգորի Արոնյան, Levon Grigori Aronyan; born 6 October 1982) is an Armenians, Armenian Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, who currently plays for the United States Chess Federation. A ches ...

(born 1982), Armenian grandmaster,

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

champion twice *

Arnold Aurbach Arnold Aurbach (c. 1888, in Warsaw – 31 December 1952) was a Polish–French chess master. At the beginning of the 20th century, he left Warsaw for Paris. He won a match against Adolphe Silbert (3 : 1) at Paris (La Régence) 1907; won, ahead o ...

(c. 1888–1952), Polish-born French *

Yuri Averbakh Yuri Lvovich Averbakh (russian: Ю́рий Льво́вич Аверба́х; 8 February 1922 – 7 May 2022) was a Russian chess grandmaster and author. He was chairman of the USSR Chess Federation from 1973 to 1978. He was the first centenaria ...

(1922–2022), Russian, 2445 * Mary Weiser Bain (1904–1972), born in Hungary (now sub-Carpathian Ukraine), immigrated to the United States as a teenager, first American woman to represent the U.S. in an organized chess competition, won the U.S. Women's Chess Championship in 1951, awarded the Woman International Master title in 1952 *

Anjelina Belakovskaia Anjelina Belakovskaia (russian: Анжелина Белаковская, translit=Anzhelina Belakovskaya; born May 17, 1969) is an American chess player holding the FIDE title of Woman grandmaster, Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She is a three-time U.S. ...

(born 1969), Ukrainian-born US woman grandmaster *

Alexander Beliavsky Alexander Genrikhovich Beliavsky (, ua, Олександр Генріхович Бєлявський, sl, Aleksander Henrikovič Beljavski; also romanized ''Belyavsky''; born December 17, 1953) is a Soviet, Ukrainian and Slovenian chess pl ...

(born 1953), Ukrainian-born Soviet/Slovenian grandmaster *

Joel Benjamin Joel Lawrence Benjamin (born March 11, 1964) is an American chess player who holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM). In 1998, he was voted "Grandmaster of the Year" by the U.S. Chess Federation. , his Elo rating was 2506, making him the No. ...

(born 1964), American grandmaster *

Ossip Bernstein Ossip Samoilovich Bernstein (20 September 1882 – 30 November 1962) was a Russian-French chess player and businessman. He was one of the inaugural recipients of the title Grandmaster (chess), International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. Biogra ...

(1882–1962), Ukrainian-born French grandmaster *

Arthur Bisguier Arthur Bernard Bisguier (October 8, 1929April 5, 2017), paternal surname Bisgeier, was an American chess player, chess promoter, and writer who held the FIDE title of Grandmaster (GM). Bisguier won two U.S. Junior Championships (1948, 1949), ...

(1929–2017), US grandmaster, 2455 *

Abram Blass Moshe Aba Blass (born 1896, Łomża, Poland - 1971, Tel-Aviv, Israel) was a Polish-Israeli chess master. Born in Łomża (then Russian Empire), he moved to the US, staying from 1911 to 1924. After returning to Poland, he lived in Warsaw. In 1924/2 ...

(1896–1971), Polish *

Isaac Boleslavsky Isaac Yefremovich Boleslavsky ( uk, Ісаак Єфремович Болеславський, russian: Исаак Ефремович Болеславский; 9 June 1919 – 15 February 1977) was a Soviet chess player and writer. Early caree ...

(1919–1977), Ukrainian-born Soviet grandmaster *

(1911–1995), Russian/

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

grandmaster and World champion *

(1893–1921), Hungarian, pioneer of the hypermodern school, important chess theorist, blindfold simultan record holder *

(1924–2006), Ukrainian-born Soviet grandmaster, 2590 *

Oscar Chajes Oscar Chajes (pronounced "HA-yes") (December 14, 1873 – February 28, 1928)* was an American chess player. Biography Chajes was Jewish and was born in Brody, Galicia, Austria-Hungary, in what is now Ukraine. In 1909, he won in the U.S. Open Cham ...

(1873–1928), Ukrainian/Polish/Austrian-born US *

Vitaly Chekhover Vitaly Alexandrovich Chekhover (also spelled Tschechower or Czechower, pronounced "chekh a VYAIR") (russian: Вита́лий Алекса́ндрович Чехове́р) (December 22, 1908 – February 11, 1965) was a Soviet chess player and ch ...

(1908–1965), Russian *

Erich Cohn Erich Cohn ( he, אריק קוהן, March 1, 1884, Berlin – August 28, 1918, France) was a German chess master. He won or tied for 1st in several tournaments in Berlin (1902, 1905, 1906, 1909/10, 1914). In strong tournaments, he tied for 11 ...

(1884–1918), German *

Wilhelm Cohn Wilhelm Cohn ( he, וילהלם קוהן, February 6, 1859, Berlin – August 17, 1913, Charlottenburg) was a German chess master. He participated in some strong tournaments. In 1897, he tied for 13-14th in Berlin ( Rudolf Charousek won). In 189 ...

(1859–1913), GermanChess
JewishEncyclopedia.com. Retrieved on 2010-06-21. *

Moshe Czerniak Moshe Czerniak (born Moizes Czerniak, also knowns as Miguel Czerniak; he, משה צ'רניאק; 3 February 1910 – 31 August 1984) was a Polish-Israeli chess player. He was awarded the title of International Master (IM) by FIDE in 1952. Biog ...

(1910–1984), Polish-born Israeli *

Arnold Denker Arnold Sheldon Denker (February 21, 1914 – January 2, 2005) was an American chess player and author. He was U.S. champion in 1944 and 1946. In later years he served in various chess organizations, receiving recognition from the United States ...

(1914–2005), US grandmaster, 2293 *

Arthur Dunkelblum Arthur Dunkelblum (23 April 1906 – 27 January 1979) was a Polish people, Polish-born Belgium, Belgian chess master. Arthur Dunkelblum was born in Cracow (Kraków-Podgórze), Austria-Hungary. He played for Belgium in eleven Chess Olympiads: 192 ...

(1906–1979), Polish-born Belgian *

Mark Dvoretsky Mark Izrailevich Dvoretsky (russian: Марк Изра́илевич Дворе́цкий; December 9, 1947 – September 26, 2016) was a Russian chess trainer, writer, and International Master. Biography Dvoretsky was born in Moscow in 1947. ...

(1947–2016), noted Russian trainer and international master *

Roman Dzindzichashvili Roman Yakovlevich Dzindzichashvili ( ka, რომან იაკობის-ძე ჯინჯიხაშვილი; pronounced ''jin-jee-khash-VEE-lee''; born May 5, 1944) is a Soviet-born Israeli-American chess player. He was awarded th ...

(born 1944),

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

-born Israeli American grandmaster, 2550 *

Vereslav Eingorn Vereslav (Viacheslav) Eingorn (born 23 November 1956, Odessa) is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster, coach and author. He was a member of the gold medal-winning Ukrainian team at the 2001 World Team Chess Championship. Chess career Born into a Jewis ...

(born 1956), Ukrainian grandmaster *

Berthold Englisch Berthold Englisch (9 July 1851, Hotzenplotz – 19 October 1897, Vienna) was a leading Austrian chess master. Englisch was born in Austrian Silesia (then Austria-Hungary) into a Jewish family. He earned his living as a stock-market agent. He won ...

(1851–1897), Austrian * Larry Evans (1932–2010), US grandmaster, 2530 *

Rafał Feinmesser Rafał Feinmesser (1895 – ?) was a Polish chess master. He was killed in the Holocaust in Warszawa. He played several times in the Warsaw championships. He tied for 5-6th in 1926 (Abram Blass and Paulino Frydman, Paulin Frydman won), tied for ...

(1895–?), Polish, killed in Warsaw during Holocaust *

(1914–1993), US grandmaster *

(1943–2008), US grandmaster and World champion *

Alexander Flamberg Alexander Flamberg (1880, Warsaw – 24 January 1926, Warsaw) was a Polish chess master. Biography Alexander Davidovich Flamberg born in Warsaw (then Russian Empire), spent his early years in England, where he learned to play chess. After retu ...

(1880–1926), Polish *

Salo Flohr Salomon Mikhailovich Flohr (November 21, 1908 – July 18, 1983) was a Czechoslovak and Soviet chess player and writer. He was among the first recipients of the title International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. Flohr dominated many tournam ...

(1908–1983), Ukrainian-born

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

and Soviet grandmaster *

Henryk Friedman Henryk Friedman (Friedmann) (1903–1942) was a Polish chess master. He lived in Lviv (Lwów, Lemberg). In 1926–1934, Friedman won seven times in succession the Championship of Lviv but 1930, when he took 2nd place behind Stepan Popel. Friedman ...

(1903–1942), Polish, killed by the Nazis *

Paulino Frydman Paulino (Paulin) Frydman (26 May 1905 in Warsaw, Poland – 2 February 1982 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) was a Polish chess master. Career In 1922, Paulin Frydman took 2nd place, behind Kazimierz Makarczyk in Warsaw. In 1923, he tied for 2nd- ...

(1905–1982), Polish-born Argentine *

Boris Gelfand Boris Gelfand ( he, בוריס אברמוביץ' גלפנד; be, Барыс Абрамавіч Гельфанд, Barys Abramavich Hel'fand; russian: Борис Абрамович Гельфанд, Boris Abramovich Gel'fand; born 24 June 1968) ...

(born 1968), Belarusian-born Israeli grandmaster,

champion *

Efim Geller Efim Petrovich Geller (russian: Ефим Петрович Геллер, uk, Юхим Петрович Геллер; 8 March 1925 – 17 November 1998) was a Soviet chess player and world-class grandmaster at his peak. He won the Soviet Champi ...

(1925–1998), Ukrainian-born Soviet grandmaster *

Harry Golombek Harry Golombek OBE (1 March 1911 – 7 January 1995) was a British chess player, chess author, and wartime codebreaker. He was three times British chess champion, in 1947, 1949, and 1955 and finished second in 1948. He was born in Lambeth t ...

(1911–1995), English *

Eduard Gufeld Eduard Yefimovich Gufeld (russian: Эдуа́рд Ефи́мович Гу́фельд; 19 March 1936 – 23 September 2002) was a USSR, Soviet International Grandmaster of chess, and a chess author. Chess career Gufeld began participating in che ...

(1936–2002), Ukrainian grandmaster, 2565 *

Boris Gulko Boris Franzevich Gulko ( rus, Борис Францевич Гулько, p=bɐˈrʲis ɡʊlʲˈko; born February 9, 1947) is a Soviet-American Grandmaster in chess. Gulko is noted to be the only person to win both the Soviet Chess Championship a ...

(born 1947), German-born Russian US grandmaster, 2644 *

Isidor Gunsberg Isidore ( ; also spelled Isador, Isadore and Isidor) is an English and French masculine given name. The name is derived from the Greek name ''Isídōros'' (Ἰσίδωρος) and can literally be translated to "gift of Isis." The name has survived ...

(1854–1930), Hungarian-born English *

Ilya Gurevich Ilya Mark Gurevich (born February 8, 1972) is a Soviet-born American chess player. Born in Kyiv, he emigrated to the U.S. in January 1980. He was a student at Yeshiva Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1983, Gurevich won the U.S. National ...

(born 1972), Russian-born US grandmaster and junior World champion, 2575 * Mikhail Gurevich (born 1959), Ukrainian-born Russian Turkish grandmaster, 2694 *

Dmitry Gurevich Dmitry Gurevich (russian: Дмитрий Гуревич; born September 11, 1956) is a Russian-American chess player who holds the FIDE title of Grandmaster. Born in Moscow, Gurevich emigrated to New York City in 1980 and earned the Grandmaste ...

Born in 1956, Russian/American grandmaster *

Lev Gutman Lev Gutman ( lv, Ļevs Gutmans; born 26 September 1945 in Riga) is a Latvian, Israeli, and German chess grandmaster. At the beginning of his career, Gutman tied for 11–12th at Riga 1967 (LAT-ch; Jānis Klovāns won), which was the first o ...

(born 1945), Latvian-born Israeli German grandmaster, 2547 *

Daniel Harrwitz Daniel Harrwitz (22 February 1821 – 2 January 1884) was a German chess master. Harrwitz was born in Breslau (Wrocław) in the Prussian Province of Silesia. Harrwitz's correct birth and death dates (22 February 1821 and 2 January 1884 respectiv ...

(1821–1884),

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

n/Polish/German-born English French *

Israel Horowitz Israel Albert Horowitz (often known as I. A. Horowitz or Al Horowitz) (November 15, 1907 – January 18, 1973) was an American International Master of chess. He is most remembered today for the books he wrote about chess. In 1989 he was induct ...

(1907–1973), US *

Bernhard Horwitz Bernhard Horwitz (1807 in Neustrelitz – 1885 in London) was a German and British chess master, chess writer and chess composer. Horwitz was born in Neustrelitz and went to school in Berlin, where he studied art. From 1837 to 1843, he was part ...

(1807–1885), German-born English *

Dawid Janowski Dawid Markelowicz Janowski (25 May 1868 – 15 January 1927; often spelled ''David'') was a Polish-born French chess player. The Janowski variations of the Old Indian Defense and of the Queen's Gambit Declined are named after him. Biography B ...

(1868–1927), Belarusian/Polish-born French grandmaster *

Max Judd Max Judd (born Maximilian Judkiewicz; 27 December 1851 – 7 May 1906) was an American chess player. Born in Tenczynek, southern Poland (then Galicia, Austro–Hungary), he emigrated to America in 1862. He was an American cloak manufacturer. He ...

(1851–1906), US *

Gregory Kaidanov Gregory Kaidanov (russian: Григорий Зиновьевич Кайда́нов, ; born 11 October 1959) is a Soviet-born American chess grandmaster. He was inducted into the United States Chess Hall of Fame in 2013. His peak rating is 2646 ...

(born 1959), Ukrainian-born Russian US grandmaster, 2695 *

Julio Kaplan Julio Argentino Kaplan Pera (born 25 July 1950, Argentina) is a Puerto Rican chess player, former world junior chess champion as well as software developer and founder of Heuristic Software. Born in Argentina, he emigrated in 1964 to Puert ...

(born 1950), Argentine-born Puerto Rican US grandmaster and World junior champion *

Mona May Karff Mona May Karff (née Minna Ratner; 20 October 1908 – 10 January 1998) was an American chess player. She dominated U.S. women's chess in the 1940s and early 1950s: she held seven U.S. Women's Chess Champion titles and four consecutive U.S. O ...

(1908–1998),

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...

n-born US woman master *

Isaac Kashdan Isaac Kashdan (November 19, 1905 in New York City – February 20, 1985 in Los Angeles) was an American chess grandmaster and chess writer. He was twice U.S. Open champion (1938, 1947). He played five times for the United States in chess Olymp ...

(1905–1985), US grandmaster *

(born 1963), Russian grandmaster, former World Chess Champion

Alexander Khalifman Alexander Valeryevich Khalifman (russian: Алекса́ндр Вале́рьевич Халифма́н; born 18 January 1966) is a Russian chess player and writer. Awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1990, he was FIDE World Chess Ch ...

(born 1966), Russian grandmaster and World champion, 2702 *

Stanisław Kohn Stanisław Kohn (1895–1940) was a Polish chess master. Kohn played for Poland in 1st unofficial Chess Olympiad at Paris 1924. In 1925, he won the Warsaw Championship. In 1926, he tied for 3rd-7th, behind Dawid Przepiórka and Paulin Frydman ...

(1895–1940), Polish, killed by the Nazis *

Ignatz von Kolisch Baron Ignatz von Kolisch (6 April 1837 – 30 April 1889), also Baron Ignaz von Kolisch (German) or báró Kolisch Ignác ( Hungarian), was a merchant, journalist and chess master with Jewish roots. Kolisch was born into a Jewish family in Pr ...

(1837–1889), Hungarian/

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

n-born Austrian grandmaster *

George Koltanowski George Koltanowski (also "Georges"; 17 September 1903 – 5 February 2000) was a Belgian-born American chess player, promoter, and writer. He was informally known as "Kolty". Koltanowski set the world's blindfold record on 20 September 1937 ...

(1903–2000), Belgian-born US grandmaster *

Viktor Korchnoi Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi ( rus, Ви́ктор Льво́вич Корчно́й, p=vʲiktər lʲvovʲɪtɕ kɐrtɕˈnoj; 23 March 1931 – 6 June 2016) was a Soviet (before 1976) and Swiss (after 1980) chess grandmaster (GM) and chess writer. He ...

(1931–2016), Russian-born grandmaster *

Yair Kraidman Yair Kraidman (born 1 November 1932, in Haifa) is an Israeli chess Grandmaster (chess), grandmaster. He played for Israel in ten Chess Olympiads. * In 1958, he played at second reserve board at the 13th Chess Olympiad in Munich (+1 –3 =5). * In ...

(born 1932), Israeli grandmaster, 2455 *

Leon Kremer Leon Kremer (1901–1941) was a Polish chess master. He played several times in the Warsaw championships, and won in 1929. He also took 6th in 1925 ( Stanisław Kohn won), took 4th in 1926 (Abram Blass and Paulin Frydman won), shared 1st with Koh ...

(1901–1941), Polish *

Abraham Kupchik Abraham Kupchik (25 March 1892 – 26 November 1970) was an American chess master. Abraham Kupchik was born into a Jewish family in Brest (then Russian Empire, now Belarus) to parents Pinchas Kupchik and Bessie Kupchik née Perlmutter. His fam ...

(1892–1970), Belarusian/Polish-born US *

Alla Kushnir Alla Shulimovna Kushnir ( he, אלה שולימובנה קושניר; russian: Алла Шулимовна Кушнир; 11 August 1941 – 2 August 2013) was a Soviet-born Israeli chess player. She was awarded the FIDE titles of Woman Intern ...

(1941–2013), Russian Israeli woman grandmaster, 2430 *

Salo Landau Salo (Salomon) Landau (1 April 1903, Bochnia, Galicia, Austria-Hungary – March 1944,Westerbork Cartotheek NIOD Amsterdam Grodziszcze, Świdnica County, Poland) was a Dutch chess player, who died in a Nazi concentration camp. Biography Early l ...

(1903–1944), Polish-born Dutch, killed by the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

s *

Berthold Lasker Berthold Lasker (also, per birth registry Jonathan Berthold Barnett)per birth registry (Archiwum Państwowe Gorzów Wielkopolski, Sąd Obwodowy w Barlinku, Duplikaty księg metrykalnych gminy żydowskiej, signature 66/886/0/3/4, item 105 on the ...

(1860–1928), Prussian/German/Polish-born master, elder brother of Emanuel Lasker *

Edward Lasker Edward Lasker (born Eduard Lasker) (December 3, 1885 – March 25, 1981) was a German-American chess and Go player. He was awarded the title of International Master of chess by FIDE. Lasker was an engineer by profession, and an author of ...

(1885–1981), Polish/German-born US *

(1868–1941), Prussian/German/Polish-born US grandmaster and World champion *

Anatoly Lein Anatoly Yakovlevich Lein (russian: Анатолий Яковлевич Лейн; March 28, 1931 – March 1, 2018) was a Soviet-born American chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1968. Chess career FIDE awarded Le ...

(1931–2018), Russian/Soviet/American grandmaster *

Konstantin Lerner Konstantin Zaivelevich Lerner ( uk, Костантин Зайвелевич Лернер; 28 February 1950, Odessa, Ukraine, former USSR – 24 September 2011, Herzlia, Israel) was a Ukrainian chess grandmaster (GM). In 1978 and 1982, he w ...

(1950–2011), Ukrainian/Israeli grandmaster *

Grigory Levenfish Grigory Yakovlevich Levenfish (russian: Григо́рий Я́ковлевич Левенфи́ш; – 9 February 1961) was a Soviet chess player who scored his peak competitive results in the 1920s and 1930s. He was twice USSR Chess Champ ...

(1889–1961), Polish/Russian-born grandmaster *

Irina Levitina Irina Solomonovna Levitina (born June 8, 1954) is a Russian-American chess and bridge player. In chess, she has been a World Championship Candidate in 1984 and gained the title Woman Grandmaster. In contract bridge she has won five world champio ...

(born 1954), Russian-born US woman grandmaster * Vladimir Liberzon (1937–1996), Russian-born Israeli grandmaster *

Andor Lilienthal Andor (André, Andre, Andrei) Arnoldovich LilienthalReuben Fine, ''The World's Great Chess Games'', Dover Publications, 1983, p. 216. . (5 May 1911 – 8 May 2010) was a Hungarian and Soviet chess player. In his long career, he played against ten ...

(1911–2010), Russian-born Hungarian/Soviet grandmaster * Samuel Lipschütz (1863–1905), Austria-Hungary/American *

Johann Löwenthal Johann Jacob Löwenthal ( hu, Löwenthal János Jakab; 15 July 1810 – 24 July 1876) was a professional chess master. He was among the top six players of the 1850s. Biography Löwenthal was born in Budapest, the son of a Jewish merchant. He ...

(1810–1876), Hungarian-born US English *

Moishe Lowtzky Moishe (Mojżesz) Lowtzky (Łowcki) (1881–1940) was a Ukrainian–Polish chess master. Biography He was born into a Jewish family in Ukraine. In 1903, Lowtzky tied for 6-7th with Eugene Znosko-Borovsky in Kiev (3rd RUS-ch). The event was won b ...

(1881–1940), Ukrainian-born Polish, killed by Nazis * Gyula Makovetz (1860–1903), Hungarian *

Jonathan Mestel Andrew Jonathan Mestel (born 13 March 1957 in Cambridge, England) is Professor of Applied Mathematics at Imperial College London. He worked on magnetohydrodynamics and biological fluid dynamics. He obtained his PhD with the thesis "Magnetic Le ...

(born 1957), English grandmaster and World U-16 champion, 2540 * Houshang Mashian (born 1938), Iranian-Israeli chess master *

Jacques Mieses Jacques Mieses (born Jacob Mieses; 27 February 1865 – 23 February 1954) was a German-born British chess player. He was one of the inaugural recipients of the title International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. He became a naturalized British ci ...

(1865–1954), German-born English grandmaster *

(1910–1997), Polish-born Polish/Argentine grandmaster *

Daniel Naroditsky Daniel Naroditsky (born ), also known as Danya, is an American chess grandmaster, author, and commentator. He published his first chess book at age 14. Chess career Born in San Mateo, California, Naroditsky learned chess at age six from ...

(born 1995), American grandmaster and chess streamer *

Ian Nepomniachtchi Ian Alexandrovich Nepomniachtchi ( rus, Ян Алекса́ндрович Непо́мнящий, r=Yan Aleksandrovich Nepomnyashchiy, p=ˈjan ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ nʲɪˈpomnʲɪɕːɪj, a=Ru-Ian Alexandrovich Nepomnyashchij.ogg; born 14 J ...

(born 1990), Russian grandmaster *

(1886–1935), Latvian-born Danish * Isaías Pleci (1907–1979), Argentine *

(born 1976), Hungarian grandmaster, 2735 *

Susan Polgár Susan is a feminine given name, from Persian "Susan" (lily flower), from Egyptian '' sšn'' and Coptic ''shoshen'' meaning "lotus flower", from Hebrew ''Shoshana'' meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose" and a flower in general), ...

(born 1969), Hungarian-born US grandmaster and World champion, 2577 *

Zsófia Polgár Sofia Polgar ( hu, Polgár Zsófia, ); born November 2, 1974) is a Hungarian and Israeli chess player, teacher, and artist. She holds the FIDE titles of International Master and Woman Grandmaster. A former chess prodigy, she is the middle sister ...

(born 1974), Hungarian-born Israeli international master, 2500 *

Lev Polugaevsky Lev Abramovich Polugaevsky ( rus, Лев Абрамович Полугаевский, p=pəlʊɡɐˈjefskʲɪj; 20 November 1934 – 30 August 1995) was a Soviet chess player. He was awarded the title of International Grandmaster by FIDE i ...

(1934–1995), Belarusian/Soviet grandmaster, 2640 *

Dawid Przepiórka Dawid Przepiórka (22 December 1880 – presumed April 1940) was a prominent Polish chess player of the early twentieth century. Biography Dawid Przepiórka was born 22 December 1880 in Warsaw, Poland (then part of the Russian Empire), to a ...

(1880–1940), Polish, killed by Nazis *

Lev Psakhis Lev Borisovich Psakhis ( he, לב בוריסוביץ' פסחיס; ; born 29 November 1958 in Tver (then Kalinin), Russia) is a naturalised Israeli chess grandmaster, trainer and author. Born in Siberia, he is also a two-time former champion of th ...

(born 1958), Russian/Soviet/Israeli grandmaster *

Abram Rabinovich Abram Isaakovich Rabinovich (5 January 1878 – 7 November 1943) was a Lithuanian–Russian chess player. He was champion of Moscow in 1926. Biography Rabinovich was born in Vilna, Lithuania (then the Russian Empire) into a Litvak family. ...

(1878–1943), Lithuanian/Russian *

Ilya Rabinovich Ilya Leontievich Rabinovich (russian: Илья Леонтьевич Рабинович; 11 May 1891 – 23 April 1942) was a Russian and later Soviet chess player, among the best ones in his country for three decades, from 1910 to 1940. His best ...

(1891–1942), Russian *

Teimour Radjabov Teimour Boris oghlu Radjabov (also spelled Teymur Rajabov; az, Teymur Boris oğlu Rəcəbov, ; born 12 March 1987) is an Azerbaijani chess grandmaster, ranked number 18 in the world A former child prodigy, he earned the title of Grandmaster ...

(born 1987), Azerbaijani grandmaster *

Nukhim Rashkovsky Nukhim (Naum) Nikolayevich Rashkovsky (born 18 April 1946, in Sverdlovsk) is a chess Grandmaster and coach from Russia. Life His first meaningful chess moves were played at the Sverdlovsk Palace of Pioneers, one of many training schools for t ...

(born 1946), Russian grandmaster * Éloi Relange (born 1976), French grandmaster *

(1911–1992), Polish-born US grandmaster *

(1889–1929), Slovakian/Hungarian-born Czech *

Maxim Rodshtein Maxim Rodshtein ( he, מקסים רודשטיין, russian: Максим Эдуардович Родштейн, translit=Maksim Eduardovich Rodshtein; born 19 January 1989) is an Israeli chess grandmaster. He competed in the FIDE World Cup in 20 ...

(born 1989), Israeli U-16 World champion *

Kenneth Rogoff Kenneth Saul Rogoff (born March 22, 1953) is an American economist and chess Grandmaster. He is the Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Public Policy and professor of economics at Harvard University. Early life Rogoff grew up in Rochester, New York. ...

(born 1953), US grandmaster *

Samuel Rosenthal Samuel Rosenthal (7 September 1837 – 12 September 1902) was a Polish-born French chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to chec ...

(1837–1902), Polish-born French *

Eduardas Rozentalis Eduardas Rozentalis (born 27 May 1963 in Vilnius) is a Lithuanian chess grandmaster. He played for the Lithuanian team in every Chess Olympiad since 1992, except in 2000 and 2012. Rozentalis won the Lithuanian Chess Championship in 1981, 1983 ...

(born 1963), Lithuanian grandmaster *

Levy Rozman Levy Rozman (born December 5, 1995), known online as GothamChess, is an American chess International Master and commentator. He produces content on the online platforms Twitch and YouTube. Early life Rozman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on D ...

(born 1995), American chess master *

(1880–1961), Polish grandmaster *

Gersz Salwe Gersz Salwe (12 December 1862, Warsaw – 15 December 1920, Łódź), also written Salve, pl, Henryk Jerzy Salwe, italic=no, was a Polish chess master. Biography Salwe was born into a Jewish family in Warsaw (then Russian Empire). He was Szlama ...

(1862–1920), Polish grandmaster *

Leonid Shamkovich Leonid Aleksandrovich Shamkovich (Russian: Леони́д Алекса́ндрович Шамко́вич; June 1, 1923 – April 22, 2005) was a chess Grandmaster and chess writer. He was born in a Jewish family in Rostov-on-Don in Russia. Che ...

(1923–2005), Soviet/Israeli/Canadian/American grandmaster *

Yury Shulman Yuri Shulman ( be, Юрый Маркавіч Шульман, russian: Ю́рий Ма́ркович Шу́льман; born April 29, 1975 in Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, USSR) is a Belarusian American chess player who holds the FIDE title of Grandma ...

(born 1975), Belarusian/Soviet/American grandmaster * Gennady Sosonko (born 1943), Russian-born Dutch grandmaster *

Jon Speelman Jonathan Simon Speelman (born 2 October 1956) is an English Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster chess player, mathematician and chess writer. Early life and education He was educated at Worcester College, Oxford, where he read Mathematics. Caree ...

(born 1956), English grandmaster *

(1883–1942), Austrian-born Swedish *

Leonid Stein Leonid Zakharovich Stein (; November 12, 1934 – July 4, 1973) was a Soviet chess Grandmaster from Ukraine. He won three USSR Chess Championships in the 1960s (1963, 1965, and 1966), and was among the world's top ten players during that era. ...

(1934–1973), Ukrainian-born Russian grandmaster *

Endre Steiner Endre (Andreas) Steiner (27 June 1901 – 29 December 1944) was a Hungarian chess player, born in Budapest. Endre Steiner played for Hungary in five official and one unofficial Chess Olympiads. * In 1927, he played at first reserve board at 1st ...

(1901–1944), Hungarian, killed by the Nazis *

Herman Steiner Herman Steiner (April 15, 1905 – November 25, 1955) was an American chess player, organizer, and columnist. He won the U.S. Chess Championship in 1948 and became International Master in 1950. Even more important than his playing career were his ...

(1905–1955), Slovakian/Hungarian-born US *

Lajos Steiner Lajos Steiner (14 June 1903, in Nagyvárad ( Oradea) – 22 April 1975, in Sydney) was a Hungarian–born Australian chess master. Steiner was one of four children of Bernat Steiner, a mathematics teacher, and his wife Cecilia,(née Schwarz) ...

(1903–1975), Romanian/Hungarian-born Australian *

(1836–1900), Czech-born Austrian and US grandmaster and World champion *

Emil Sutovsky Emil Sutovsky (born 19 September 1977) is an Israeli chess player. He was awarded the title Grandmaster (chess), Grandmaster by FIDE in 1996. Sutovsky is the FIDE CEO since 2022. Previously he served as FIDE Director-General (2018-22). He was the ...

(born 1977), Israeli grandmaster, 2697 *

Peter Svidler Pyotr Veniaminovich Svidler (russian: Пётр Вениами́нович Сви́длер; born 17 June 1976), commonly known as Peter Svidler, is a Russian chess grandmaster and an eight-time Russian Chess Champion who now frequently commenta ...

(born 1976), Russian grandmaster,

champion * László Szabó (1917–1998), Hungarian grandmaster *

Mark Taimanov Mark Evgenievich Taimanov (russian: Марк Евгеньевич Тайманов; 7 February 1926 – 28 November 2016) was one of the leading Soviet and Russian chess players, among the world's top 20 players from 1946 to 1971. A prolific ch ...

(1926–2016), Soviet/Russian grandmaster *

(1936–1992), Soviet/Latvian grandmaster and World champion, 2645 *

(1862–1934), Polish/German grandmaster and Senior World champion *

(1887–1956), Russian-born Austrian/Polish/French grandmaster *

Anna Ushenina Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina (; born 30 August 1985) is a Ukrainian chess grandmaster who was Women's World Chess Champion from November 2012 to September 2013. Personal life Ushenina lives in Kharkiv, where she was born. She is of Jewish ethnici ...

(born 1985), Ukraine-born Women's World Champion * Anatoly Vaisser (born 1949), Kazakh-born Soviet/French grandmaster * Joshua Waitzkin (born 1976), American Junior Champion and martial arts champion *

Max Weiss Miksa (Max) Weisz (21 July 1857 – 14 March 1927) was an Austrian chess player born in the Kingdom of Hungary. Weiss was born in Sereď. Moving to Vienna, he studied mathematics and physics at the university, and later taught those subjects. We ...

(1857–1927), Slovakian/Hungarian-born Austrian *

Simon Winawer Szymon Abramowicz Winawer (March 6, 1838 – November 29, 1919) was a Polish-Jewish chess player who won the German Chess Championship in 1883. Tournament and match results At the Paris 1867 tournament held at the Café de la Régence, his first ...

(1838–1919), Polish *

Leonid Yudasin Leonid Yudasin ( he, ליאוניד גריגורייביץ' יודסין; russian: Леонид Григорьевич Юдасин, translit=Leonid Grigoryevich Yudasin; born August 8, 1959) is a Soviet-born Israeli chess player and trainer. He ...

(born 1959), Russian-born Israeli grandmaster, 2692 *

Tatiana Zatulovskaya Tatiana Zatulovskaya ( he, טטיאנה זטולובסקיה; russian: Татьяна Яковлевна Затуловская, ; 8 December 1935 – 2 July 2017) was an Israeli (formerly Soviet and Russian) chess player. She was three-time Sov ...

(1935–2017), Azerbaijani-born Russian Israeli woman grandmaster *

Mark Stolberg Mark Moiseevich Stolberg (1922 in Rostov-on-Don – 16 May 1942 in Novorossiysk) was a Russian chess master. Stolberg won the Rostov-on-Don City championship in 1938. The next year he finished in second place in a Soviet master candidates tourna ...

(1922–1942) Russian *

(1842–1888), Polish-born German English

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jewish Chess Players, List Of

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...

Lists of sportspeople

List

See also

References

Further reading

External links