Leos are blessed with such self-confidence that they are natural entertainers--does that bring any chess streamers to mind? We'll find out! Meanwhile, Virgos are known for their attention to detail and analytical skills...sounds perfect for chess!
But does that fully capture the essence of chess players born in the month of August?
For the nonce, let's put all those astrological considerations aside for our chess corner. We're chess aficionados and generally more concerned with the titled players who dominate the 64 Squares! Well, that, and how to win more games ourselves.
So, here are the big questions:
What do the biographies of the chess personalities born on a given day say about the chess potential of those born that same day in August?
What might Wikipedia and other sources be saying about you and chess in the future? Will someone credit you for starting them on the path to World CC? Is a title in your future?
Virgo or Leo, which traits are ascendant?
Like any good zodiac, it often admits to multiple interpretations. What? Did you expect more than pseudo-science? And for now, you'll have to draw your own inferences from the information provided. The lucre, and stunning lack thereof, received to date from these blogs hardly pays for me to walk over to the faucet and fill up my glass of water. Let alone to provide my keen insights into how people are influenced by those with whom they share a random day of birth.
Below you'll find images of photos, stamps, YouTube videos, paintings, book covers, or sketches of various chess luminaries, along with bios that range from short and pithy to chess-boy extremes. In some cases, you'll also find links to websites they maintain and their handle on various social media, including your fave, chess.com.
Scroll through the entire list or just click on a specific day, World CC, particularly famous player, or chess couple. And after looking at the biography of the birthday personality or personalities on a given day you should find a link that returns you here so you can select another day of the month. If you want. Enjoy!
Sources for this information included chess.com, wikipedia.com, ChessBase, FIDE, individuals' websites, YouTube.com, news articles, books, and other sources including A-Z Quotes | Quotes for All Occasions, Chess Quotes - Wisdom and Interest, and Chess Notes by Edward Winter. Plus, my faulty memories. I mixed, matched, cut, and pasted so much that separation is implausible. Particularly with quotes which are found in a thousand repositories, not to mention book covers, t-shirts, and the rantings of chess coaches of whom I've had more than a few thanks to Chess University and @AttilaTurzo (my primary instructor).
In television, puppies and/or cute kids are a standard trick for keeping the viewers engaged...is it working?
August 1
Master, author, former #6 worldwide
Emil Schallop (1 August 1843 many – 9 April 1919) was a German master and author. ChessMetrics estimates his peak rating at 2650 in July 1887 and places him sixth globally from May – July 1887. For the best part of two decades, he was listed among the top twenty in the world.
Two variations are named after him, the Schallop Defense to the King’s Gambit Accepted and in the Slav Defense.
You can read more about him from the two Top Bloggers listed below, widely trusted sources for historical information:
Let's look at one of his amusing games before we move to the books he wrote. In my youth, I'd have called this coffeehouse chess.
He wrote many books, e.g. he covered the 1886 Steinitz – Zukertort match, but he is “best known” as the author of the 1891 edition of the Handbuch des Schachspiels (Handbook of Chess). Not that it was particularly easy to find these book covers, despite the resounding claims that his revision of the Handbook was historical in nature!
GM, one-time European CC, one-time German CC, former #15 worldwide
Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu, 1 August 1976, is a Romanian GM, European CC, and one-time German CC. His peak rating was 2707 in October 2005, ranking him fifteenth in the world. He dropped below the 2600 watermark in November 2023 and never quite rebounded above that line. His standard time control rating has leveled at 2584 since May 2025.
You can find him on chess.com @LiviuDieterNisipeanu, but he has not played a game since 2020. He was online on 25 July 2025.
GM, one-time Swiss CC, one-time Australian Open CC, former #22 worldwide
Vadim Milov, 1 August 1972, is a Swiss GM, one-time Swiss CC, one-time Australian Open CC, and placed joint first in the 2005 US Open. His peak rating was 2705 in July 2008. Four years prior to that, he peaked at #22 globally. His rating stands at 2581 entering July 2025.
GM
Samy Shoker, 1 August 1987, is an Egyptian GM. His peak rating was 2517 in January 2012. He lost 14 Elo in June 2025 to slip to 2442.
You can find him on chess.com @samolo. He had played as recently as 2 July 2025 and was online on the 26th.
GM, instructor, content developer, and poker player
Mackenzie "Mac" Molner, 1 August 1988, is an American GM, instructor, content developer, and poker player. He has a Bachelor of Arts in foreign languages and speaks six languages. His peak rating was 2528 in March 2014. He has only played FIDE events intermittently since 2016, and his rating has settled at 2468 as of February 2024.
GM-Dimitrios-M Blogger, Chess Player, Rated 3742 in Puzzles
@GM-Dimitrios-Mis a member of BlogChamps where he is competing in Season 9 of competition that culminates in the Blog Bowl and also a member of The Blogger Awards where he is competitor in the monthly blogging contests. His puzzle rating was 3742 as of 29 July 2025.
GM, Correspondence IM, the first European Senior CC (2001), former #39 worldwide
Jacob Isaacovich Murey (Russian: Яков Исаакович Мурей, also transliterated Yakov Isaakovich Murei, born 2 August 1941) is a Russian-born Israeli GM, Correspondence IM, and the first European Senior CC (2001). FIDE lists his peak rating at 2560 in January 1989. ChessMetrics lists his peak rating at 2658 in January 1989, almost a hundred points higher than his Elo, and placed him at #39 globally in October 1982. As of May 2025. his Elo has declined to 2273.
IM, three-time Austrian CC, honorary GM, former #56 worldwide
Andreas Dückstein (2 August 1927 – 28 August 2024) was an Austrian IM, three-time Austrian CC, and honorary GM. FIDE lists his peak rating at 2430 in January 1975, only five years after they instituted a rating system, and when Dückstein was already 48 years of age. ChessMetrics offers their usual food for thought, rating him 2604 in July 1974, and placing him at #56 internationally way back in January 1957.
He played for Austria in nine Olympiads and won two individual gold medals, both on second board.
At Iivo Nei and Andreas Dueckstein awarded Honorary GM titles | ChessBase you can read an article posted on the occasion of receipt of the honorary GM title for these two IMs title based on their results from the 1950s through the 1970s. Of greater interest, imo, @simaginfan posted a tribute to Duckstein who was the oldest living GM at the time, age 96. Andreas Dückstein. Living Legend At 96. A Small Tribute. There are some great games included in his post, I highly recommend it. Sigh. I'm afraid I just don’t have the time for that with the Chess Zodiacs, as I seem to increase the number of individuals mentioned every month.
Prince Sergey Semyonovich Urusov (Russian: Сергей Семёнович Уру́сов (3 August 1827 – 20 November 1897) was a leading 19th century Russian master. ChessMetrics placed his peak rating at 2561 in April 1866, placing him at #5 for April and May of that year. His playing career was extremely brief, ChessMetrics only offers estimates from June 1862 until May 1866. He was never lower than 12th worldwide in the timeframe, but there is a gap of over two years that started in January 1864 and remained unplayed until April 1866. Coincidentally, his rating went up 28 points after that break, culminating in his peak rating of 2561.
Below is a King’s Gambit that Urusov won in Moscow in 1851. It's quick!
@tartajubow’s site Tartajubow On Chess II: Play the Urusov Gambit! and Tartajubow On Chess II: Is Opening Theory Wrong About the Urusov Gambit?. Below is a King’s Gambit that Urusov won in Moscow in 1851. " style="display: block; margin: 0 auto;" class="imageUploaderImg" alt="" />
You can read a bit more about Urusov and see some of his other games in:
IM and WGM, one-time European Women’s CC, European U14 and U18 Girls CC
Ulviyya Fataliyeva(Azerbaijani: Ülviyyə Fətəliyeva; born 3 August 1996) is an Azerbaijani IM and WGM, one-time European Women’s CC, and European U14 and U18 Girls CC. Her peak rating was 2428 in November 2022, placing her at #37 among women globally. She is rated 2372 entering July 2025.
She earned an individual silver medal at the 2022 Women’s Olympiad as the reserve board.
Although she was online on chess.com @ulkaf961 on July 25, 2025, I found no games played since July 6, 2022. You can follow her on Instagram @ulviyyafataliyeva (no, you won’t find me among her followers…I’ve never been very good at following).
GM
Félix Izeta Txabarri (born 3 August 1961) is a Spanish Basque GM. His peak rating was 2525 in July 1996. I found no FIDE-rated games since December 2014. His current rating is 2452.
You can find him on chess.com @GuessChess_game, but I found no games since January 2025.
Aimen Rizouk (born 3 August 1979) is an Algerian GM and one-time Algerian CC. His peak rating was 2540 in March 2010. He plays FIDE-rated event relatively infrequently, with occasional gaps of 12 months or more. His rating is 2429 as of October 2025.
WIM
Mária Grosch (born 3 August 1954) is a Hungarian WIM with a peak rating of 2220 in January 1987. She retired from play in 1989.
Grosch and RibliWIM Grosch and GM Ribli
She is married to GM Zoltán Ribli (peak rating 2625 FIDE, 2730 ChessMetrics). Together, this chess couple has a combined peak rating of 2845.
GM, one-time Chinese CC, one-time Asian Continental CC, former #12 worldwide // his chess.com pfp
Wang Hao (Chinese: 王皓; pinyin: Wáng Hào; born August 4, 1989) is a Chinese GM, one-time Chinese CC, and one-time Asian Continental CC. His peak rating was 2763 in April 2020, placing him just outside the top ten at #12. His rating dipped miniscually (two rating points) in January 2025, down to 2703. He retired briefly in 2021 due to unspecified health issues, but returned to the board the next year. Good on him!
He earned team golds in the 2002 and 2004 U-16 Olympiads.
You can find him on chess.com @Aoitsukibluemoon (pfp shown above) where he plays a boatload of rapid games against low-rated players—that’s the kind of GM I like!! Those games are unrated, but still must be a thrill for his opponents. He did play several rated rapid games against his titled player peers (super-GMs) back in September 2022, but none since then. Looks like somebody @nova-stone should challenge! (Caveat: I found no games after 12 April 2025. But he was online on 28 July when I was gathering this info.)
GM, German U15 CC, European U16 CC, tied for first in the 2001 US Open
Fabian Doettling (born 4 August 1980) is a German GM, German U15 CC, European U16 CC, and tied for first in the 2001 US Open. His peak rating was 2592 in April 2022. He has only played four FIDE-rated events I could identify since July 2015, so his rating is almost in stasis at 2589 as of May 2025 – July 2025.
GM, six-time Lithuanian CC, former #47 worldwide
Vidmantas Mališauskas (born 4 August 1963) is a Lithuanian GM and six-time Lithuanian CC. FIDE lists his peak rating at 2570 in January 1993. ChessMetrics lists his peak at 2666 in May 1993, and placed him at #47 globally the following month. He is rated 2335 in July 2025.
WGM Baginskaite and GM Mališauskas
Chess power couple
His partner, WGM Kamilė (Camilla) Baginskaite, born 24 April 1967, had a peak rating of 2365. Together, this chess couple has a combined peak rating of 5031. [She was previously married to GM Yermolinsky. I have no idea how or when that relationship ended. Or if the references are just incorrect. So it goes.]
FM, one-time European U14 CC, one-time European U16 CC, European U12 Rapid CC, peak rating 2501!! [no available picture]
Timur Fakhrutdinov(Russian: Тимур Фахрутдинов, born 4 August 2001) is a Russian FM with a peak rating of 2501!! That means an automatic upgrade to GM, skipping IM, if he achieves three GM norms. But I couldn’t find any information regarding his normquest. I found no rated games at a standard time control since August 2022. He is a one-time the European U14 CC and one-time European U16 CC. He also won the European U12 Rapid CC in 2013.
He represented Russia in the 2017 World U16 Olympiad, winning a team gold and an individual silver.
One can’t help but wonder if the Russian invasion of Ukraine derailed his path to IM and GM.
IM, five-time Portuguese CC, former #261 worldwide
Fernando Ribeiro da Silva (born 4 August 1950) is a Portuguese IM and five-time Portuguese CC. FIDE lists his peak rating at 2385 in July 1994, and he is currently rated 2309. There was a three-year gap between 2019 and 2022 when he played no FIDE-rated events. His rating dropped from 2264 to 2251 following a so-so showing in May 2025. ChessMetrics offered a peak rating estimate of 2508 in April 1978, and placed him #261 two years earlier.
Marina Guseva (also known as Marina Romanko and Marina Nechaeva; born 5 August 1986) is a Russian IM and WGM. She earned team silver in the 2009 Women’s World Team CC and team gold in the 2009 European Women’s Team CC. Her peak rating was 2466 in April 2009. She lost ten rating points in June 2025 to slip to 2303.
I found a GREAT interview at Marina Guseva: "My immediate plans are to buy a car and go to the seaside". What’s so great about this interview? First, her description of her preparation for her game against IM/WGM Bodnaruk. Second, the final response in the interview where she voices her plan to buy a car and go to the seaside.
You can find her on chess.com @Vesper2018. She plays every month or so in bursts of up to eleven games or thereabouts. That includes bullet, blitz, rapid, and 960.
GM, one-time European CC, two-time Lithuanian CC, one-time Lithuanian Women’s CC, one-time European Women’s Rapid CC, one-time European Women’s CC, one-time European U12 Girls CC, one-time World U12 Girl’s CC, politician
Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen (née Čmilytė, born 6 August 1983) is a Lithuanian GM, one-time European CC, two-time Lithuanian CC, one-time Lithuanian Women’s CC, one-time European Women’s Rapid CC, one-time European Women’s CC, one-time European U12 Girls CC, one-time World U12 Girl’s CC, and politician. Her peak rating was 2542 in June 2017. That slipped four points in April 2019 after a year-long hiatus from FIDE-rated events. She has not played FIDE-rated standard game since then, presumably focused on her political career.
She participated in the 2010 Open section of the Olympiad and has also competed in the Women’s Olympiads. In the latter, she won gold medals on board one in 2000 and 2004.
GM Čmilytė-Nielsen and GM NielsenChess power couple
She is married to GM Peter Nielsen (24 May), this chess power couple has a combined peak rating of 5242—wow!!
GM, one-time West German Junior CC, author, television host, medical doctor, former #33 worldwide
Helmut Pfleger (born August 6, 1943) is a German GM, one-time West German Junior CC, author, television host, and medical doctor.
He played for Germany in seven Olympiads and earned a gold medal for best board four performance in 1964. FIDE offers a peak rating for this GM in July 1972, and ranked him 33rd globally in January 1976. ChessMetrics suggests a peak rating of 2656 in January 1976, but never placed him higher than #36. His “retirement” rating of 2477 is reflective of the fact he has been all but inactive since 1990.
He hosted a series of German public television chess shows from the late 1970s until 2005. That included the show Chess of the Grandmasters, a show often co-hosted with GM Vlastimil Hort.
He wrote several books, published at least one Fritz course that I found, and published in magazines.
GM, coach, former #69 worldwide
Vladimir Belov (born 6 August 1984) is a Russian GM and coach. His peak rating was 2641 in November 2010, while his rank peaked at #69 in October 2008. I found no FIDE-rated games for him since January 2018. He lost 16 rating points that month to decline to 2598. That was only his third event since September 2010. Before then, he played quite regularly.
His full-time coaching career began in 2005. Among his students have been Aleksandra Goryachkina, Alexey Sarana, Nazi Paikidze, David Paravayan, and others. [Nazi is a great chess instructor in her own right. I had several group lessons with her in the 2014 – 2016 timeframe.]
Max LangeMaster, 4-time Western German CC, problem composer, editor, author, second President of the German Chess Federation, former #7 worldwide
Max Lange (August 7, 1832 – December 8, 1899) was a German chess master, 4-time Western German CC, problem composer, editor, author, and second President of the German Chess Federation. By ChessMetrics measurements, Lange started at the #8 position in the world with a rating of 2527! Only two months later, he peaked at #7. After that it was, statistically, all downhill. Although his highest rating of 2540 was reached in April 1865, that was already good enough only for the #9 spot…at which point he took an eight year break from the royal game. When he returned in August 1883 the decline in his skills was evident. His rating now was 2403 and he ranked only 46th globally.
Above is a 50 minute (more or less) video by Ben Finegold as part of his Great Players of the Past series. There’s a fun game against NN and lots of the repartee Finegold is famous for. There is a humorous bit of interaction with people who watched Ben make this video. At one point he says, “I think I see three mates.” None of his audience, or Ben, seemed to notice that the third mate (c3) rhymes sweetly with “see three”. Despite the fact that Ben said it at least three times.
If you want to know a bit about the infamous Max Lange Attack, I’ll point you towards the Ginger GM’s (aka, Simon Williams) works on chess.com, starting with Spicy Openings: The Max Lange Attack - Chess Lessons. For the more visually inclined, I’ll point you towards @vitualis’ Vienna Gambit (Max Lange) 3… Bb4 | FASCINATING LINE! As part of that post, he also offers a link to his YouTube video regarding this gambit.
GM
Tal Baron (Hebrew: טל בר און; born August 7, 1992, in Tel Aviv) is an Israeli GM. His peak rating was 2560 in August 2016. His standard rating is 2436 as of July 2025. His blitz and rapid ratings are similar, so I won’t bore you with a dry recitation of similar numbers.
In 2017, Baron confessed to using outside assistance during a Titled Tuesday event. Second chances are real! You can find him on chess.com @Tal-Baron, though I found no games since January 2024, the last time he visited the site.
GM, one-time Chilean CC
Cristóbal Guillermo Henríquez Villagra (born 7 August 1996) is a Chilean GM, one-time Chilean CC. His peak rating to date was 2630 in September 2023. He gained two rating points in June 2025, hovering just below the 2600 watermark at 2599.
You can find him on chess.com @HVillagra where he sported a bullet rating of 3124 and a blitz rating of 2962 as of 29 July 2025.
Top Blogger @emateu26 knows Henríquez Villagra quite well, as the latter participated in the last two Andorran Opens.
WIM, PhD (I think...the web is a bit unclear)
Olga Dolgova(Russian: Ольга Долгова), born 7 August 1987, is a Russian-born Norwegian WIM. Her peak rating was 2262 from May - November 2010. She did not play a FIDE-rated, standard time control game from July 2013 until March 2023. Her rating stands at 2137 entering July 2025. She has a PhD in the IT realm (from what I can determine from various sites).
Olga and GM Alexei ShirovChess Power Couple! Peak Combined Rating > 5000!
She is married to GM Alexei Shirov. Together, this chess power couple has a combined peak rating of 5017.
GM, two-time Israeli CC, trainer, former #5 worldwide
Leonid Grigoryevich Yudasin (Hebrew: ליאוניד גריגורייביץ' יודסין; Russian: Леонид Григорьевич Юдасин), 8 August 1959, is a Soviet-born, Israeli and American GM, two-time Israeli CC, and trainer. His peak rating was 2645 in January 1991, placing him #8 globally. ChessMetrics rates him at 2741 in that same month and #5 worldwide…so, we’ll go with those numbers! His playing strength has gradually declined and some rated games in April 2025 slid him to 2290.
You can find him on chess.com #besmall where he plays bullet, blitz, and rapid. He had been playing on 31 July 2025 when I put this together.
The book in the image above is the cover of a book about Yudasin. My way of cementing his credentials as a top player worthy of study. Authors rarely write books about nobodies.
GM, eight-time Hungarian CC, World U18 CC, one-time author, former #41 worldwide
Ferenc Berkes (born 8 August 1985) is a Hungarian GM, eight-time Hungarian CC, World U18 CC, and one-time author. His peak rating was 2706 in September 2011, placing him at #41 internationally. He plays frequently and is rated 2604 entering August 2025.
Apparently, top-level chess is more lucrative than I expected. A 2022 article Ferenc Berkes - The Hungarian Chess Grandmaster placed his net worth between three and five million US dollars.
His one book (seen above) is described as being for advanced, serious tournament players.
GM, two-time Croatian CC
Marin Bosiocic (August 8, 1988) is a Croatian GM and two-time Croatian CC. His peak rating was 2648 in January 2020. Entering August 2025 his standard rating stands at 2525. (Numerologists would try to make something of all those “25”s, but this is a zodiac blog, so we won’t stand for such stuff and nonsense.)
You can find him on chess.com @Bosiocic. He had been online as recently as 27 July 2025 when I looked, but I found no games since January.
Here’s a 2021 interview (almost 43m duration) where Bosiocic talks about the psychology of competition.
IM, 16-time Pakistani CC, two-time Asian Senior 50+ CC, former #396 worldwide
Mahmood Lodhi, 8 August 1961, is a Pakistani IM, 16-time Pakistani CC, and two-time Asian Senior 50+ CC. His peak rating was 2438 in July 2000, but he has slid below the 2200 waterline and has been submerged at 2149 since January 2025. ChessMetrics suggests his peaks were at 2511 and #396 globally in September 1987, so we’ll go with that standard. He has one GM norm, so a peak rating of 2511 sounds about right.
GM, two-time Czechoslovak CC, three-time US CC (lost a playoff in one, declared co-winner in another), coach, organizer, teacher, commentator, author, columnist, former #10 worldwide
Lubomir (Lubosh) Kavalek (Czech: Lubomír Kaválek, August 9, 1943 – January 18, 2021) was a Czech-American GM, two time Czechoslovak CC, three-time US CC (but lost a playoff in one of the three and was declared co-winner in another), coach, organizer, teacher, commentator, author, and award-winning chess columnist. FIDE lists his peak rating at 2625 in May 1974, good enough for #10 internationally in that era. ChessMetrics bumps his peak rating up to 2695 in February 1974, but places him no higher than 18th in November 1973 and April 1974.
He played in nine Olympiads, representing Czechosloakia twice and the US the remaining seven times. The US team won five bronze medals and one gold medal (1976) during his tenure; it was the first US team gold medal since the 1930s.
Kavelek coached numerous well-known players, including Robert Byrne, Yasser Seirawan, Eugene Torre and Robert Hübner. He was a second to Bobby Fischer in the 1972 World CC match. Later he served as a trainer for Nigel Short from 1990 to 1993, from the Interzonal through the Candidate’s matches, to the unsuccessful World CC bout with Kasparov.
The above Kavalek– Gufeld game was listed as #7 in Soltis’ book The 100 Best Chess Games of the 20th Century.
As a writer, Kavalek was selected to the Gallery of Distinguished Chess Journalists in 2006 and won the Chess Journalists of American award for the best newspaper column in the nation. He also wrote for Chess Life & Review, the British Chess Magazine, and other magazines. He wrote a number of books as well.
Much has been written about Kavalek. Below are links to a few of those articles upon the occasion of his death.
GM, two-time Dutch CC, one-time European Junior CC, former #16 worldwide
Johan van der Wiel (born 9 August 1959) is a Dutch GM, two-time Dutch CC (he placed second nine times), and one-time European Junior CC. His peak rating was 2590 in January 1987, #16 globally. ChessMetrics places his peak rating at 2683 in November 1986, but never ranks him higher than #31.
IM, WGM, four-time Armenian Women’s CC, coach, peak rating 2503
Lilit Mkrtchian (Armenian: Լիլիթ Մկրտչյան; born 9 August 1982) is an Armenian IM and WGM and a four-time Armenian Women’s CC. Her peak rating was 2503 in January 2010. Her rating is still 2393 after losing three rating points in July and entering August 2025.
You can find her on chess.com @Tekushka where she offers coaching services. She has played a double handful of online games in 2025.
IM, poker player, author, former #680 worldwide
Angus Dunnington (born 9 August 1967) is an English IM, poker player, and author. His peak rating was 2450 in January 1996. ChessMetrics places him similarly, at 2459 in June 1993. His peak world rank was #680 in August 1987. He effectively stopped playing between 2003 and June 2022. His return to semi-active play has seen his rating drop gradually to 2216 entering August 2025.
As an author Dunnington has focused on opening theory and the psychological aspects of both chess and poker. He has penned over a thousand articles and written more than twenty books.
PraggnanandhaaGM, World U8 CC, World U10 CC, current #4 worldwide
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 10 August 2005, is an Indian GM, World U8 CC, and World U10 CC. His peak rating was 2779 for July and August 2025, placing him fourth internationally. He received India’s Arjuna Award in 2022, the highest Indian honor for sports.
He and his sister, Vaishali Rameshbabu, are the first brother-sister duo to earn the GM title.
You can find him on chess.com @rpragchess where he sported blitz and bullet ratings of 3171 and 3101, respectively, as of 27 July 2025.
Ten questions he was asked after winning Tata Steel 2025.
Frank Marshall
US CC for 27 years, former #2 worldwide
Frank James Marshall (August 10, 1877 – November 9, 1944) was the U.S. CC from 1909 - 1936, a record length of time with an asterisk. The asterisk is that no tournaments or matches were held for that crown in those years. ChessMetrics estimates his peak rating at 2762 in December 1917 (#3 internationally) and his peak ranking was #2 in August 1913. He was in the top twenty worldwide for two decades, and in the top five from February 1913 until June 1920.
Marshall is perhaps best known for his brilliant tactics. Born in 1877, he won the 1904 Cambridge Springs International Chess Congress, placing ahead of Lasker. Three years later, he played a match for the World CC against Lasker, but his overwhelming defeat (0W-7D-8L) indicated that Marshall's tactical skills simply were not enough to overcome the more complete reigning champion. In 1909 he was similarly crushed by the young Capablanca.
In the 1930s, Marshall captained the US team to gold at four Olympiads.
A number of openings are named after him, perhaps the most famous being the Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez. There is also a Marshall Gambit in the Semi-Slav and the slightly inferior Marshall Defense to the Queen’s Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6).
Marshall also wrote a couple chess books.
You can read more about him in some wonderful blogs and websites:
Magesh Chandran Panchanathan, 10 August 1983, is an Indian GM and Asian Junior CC (2003). His peak rating was 2586 in September 2011. He is rated 2450 entering August 2025
You’ll occasionally find him online @thamizhan, though I found no games since April 2025.
From 2021, he presents some good material on Opposite Colored Bishop Endgames | U.S. Chess School 4.16.2021. It is a bit drawn out because he was conducting a group lesson and the students were interacting with him via chat. But, hey, you get to hear the actual GM in this one.
GM, one-time Asian U10 CC, one-time Indian Rapid CC
Diptayan Ghosh, 10 August 1998, is an Indian GM, one-time Asian U10 CC, and one-time Indian Rapid CC. His peak rating was 2581 in March 2017, but he is hovering in that same range having entered August 2025 at 2576. He did step away from chess for two years to work in a bank. Caissa called him back!
You can find him on chess.com @Wizard456 where he sports blitz and bullet ratings of 2909 and 2811 respectively, as of 13 July 2025.
GM, two-time Italian Junior CC, two-time Italian CC, advisor to an Italian publisher, former President of the Italian Chess Federation, former #86 worldwide
Sergio (“the Italian Fury”) Mariotti(10 August 1946) is an Italian GM, two-time Italian Junior CC, two-time Italian CC, chess advisor to an Italian publisher, and was President of the Italian Chess Federation 1994 – 1996. His peak rating was 2580 in January 1980, and his peak international rank was #86 five years earlier, in January 1975. His rating has gradually drifted down to 2238 as of April 2025. ChessMetrics lists his peak rating at 2589 in September 1979, placing him #104 globally.
He represented Italy in four Olympiads and earned an individual bronze medal on board one in 1974.
Interestingly, Ben Finegold did a video on Mariotti
WIM, three-time Argentine Women’s CC, chess teacher and leader
Edith Soppe (10 August 1961 – 22 November 2005) was an Argentine WIM and three-time Argentine Women’s CC. Her peak rating was 2105 in July 1987. She left active play to raise her children, but made time to serve as a chess teacher and leader, particularly at the Luz y Fuerza school. She also played an active role in the creation of the Chess Association of the Córdoba Province (AACC). Since 2012 an annual tournament has been held in honor of this woman who died too young.
GM
Li Shilong (simplified Chinese: 李师龙; traditional Chinese: 李師龍; pinyin: Lǐ Shīlóng; born August 10, 1977) is a Chinese GM with a peak rating of 2561 in November 2012. His rating stood at 2387 entering August 2025.
IM, WGM, Russian U20 Women’s CC, one-time Russian Women’s Cup CC, one-time Russian Women’s Fast CC, one-time Russian Women’s CC
Irina Iosifovna Turova (Russian: Ирина Иосифовна Турова; born 10 August 1979), née Irina Slavina (Russian: Ирина Иосифовна Славина, also Irina Slavina-Turova), is a Russian IM, WGM, Russian U20 Women’s CC, one-time Russian Women’s Cup CC, one-time Russian Women’s Fast CC, and one-time Russian Women’s CC. Her peak rating was 2442 in May 2011. She has not played a FIDE-rated standard time control game since August 2019 when her rating slipped slightly to 2381.
She can be found on chess.com @Irina_Turova, but plays rarely. Since 2020 the only games I found were a rapid game in 2024 and a blitz game in 2025. They were against very low-rated players…perhaps lessons?
IM Turova and GM TurovChess Power Couple
She is married to Russian GM Maxim Turov (7 December 1979). With his peak rating of 2667 this chess power couple has a combined peak rating of 3048.
Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami(Persian: احسان قائممقامی; born 11 August 1982) is an Iranian GM and 13-time Iranian CC. His peak rating was 2633 in April 2005, placing him #67 internationally. His rating stood at 2429 entering August 2025.
You can find him on chess.com @Ehsan_GhaemMaghami where he plays bullet and blitz regularly. As of 5 August 2025 his bullet rating was 2858 and his blitz rating was 3010.
Three-time Hungarian CC, author, former #36 worldwide
István Bilek (11 August 1932 – 20 March 2010) was a Hungarian GM, three-time Hungarian CC, and author. His peak rating was 2500 in July 1973, #75 globally. ChessMetrics placed his peaks at 2639 and #36 in April 1967.
He played on the Hungarian team in nine Olympiads, earning two individual silvers and one bronze.
His books have not been translated from Hungarian, but I did manage to find images of several book covers.
GM, Canadian U16 CC, author
Razvan Preotu, 11 August 1999, is a Canadian GM, Canadian U16 CC, and author. His peak rating was 2527 in March 2019. His rating was 2478 entering August 2025.
He has written articles for the Chess Canada magazine and published one book, as seen above.
You can find him on chess.com @attack2mateU. Interestingly, all his games in 2025 have been blitz 960 games. Well, as of 4 August.
Chess problemist, first-ever World Chess Solving Champion, International Solving GM, IA and FM of Chess Composition
Roland Baier, August 11, 1954, is a Swiss chess problemist, one-time World Chess Solving Champion, International Solving GM, IA of Chess Composition, and FM of Chess Composition. His world title was the first time that title was awarded!
Master, one of the Berlin Pleiades, former #6 worldwide
Carl (Karl) Mayet (11 August 1810, Berlin – 18 May 1868) was a German master. ChessMetrics places him as high as #6 internationally for four different months between January 1848 and October 1849, with a peak rating of 2483 in June 1851.
In his era, Mayet was deemed one of The Berlin Pleiades. [That’s an article by @batgirl and she talks about the entire constellation of players who formed the Pleiades.]
GM, one-time World Junior CC, three-time Iranian CC, former #12 worldwide
Parham Maghsoodloo (Persian: پرهام مقصودلو, born 12 August 2000) is an Iranian GM, one-time World Junior CC, and three-time Iranian CC. His peak rating was 2742 in December 2023, #12 globally. His rating entering August 2025 was 2695, #35 among active players.
You can find him at chess.com @Parhamov where the sports blitz and bullet ratings of 3128 and 3175 respectively, as of 4 August 2025. He had already played a few blitz games on the fifth and his blitz rating had increased to 3147 when I glanced at his day.
Here’s an exciting 20-minute video of a game in which Parham gave Magnus fits, but Carlsen won on time (in the final position, Magnus was better). It was labeled the most exciting game of Grenke 2025.
Alexander KotovGM, one-time Soviet CC, author, former #3 worldwide
Alexander Alexandrovich Kotov (Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Ко́тов; (12 August [O.S. 30 July] 1913 – 8 January 1981) was a renowned Soviet GM, one-time Soviet CC, two-time world title Candidate, and chess author. He also earned team gold medals at the 1952 and 1954 Olympiads.
Because FIDE developed and unveiled their rating system so late in his career they offer a peak rating of 2510 in July 1971 when he was almost 68-years-old. ChessMetrics rides to the rescue! Again!! They offer a more meaningful depiction of his peak strength, listing him at 2753 in April 1950 and ranking him #3 globally in September of that year.
One of his most fantastic results was winning the 1952 Saltsjöbaden Interzonal, three points clear of the second-place finishers Tigran Petrosian and Mark Taimanov. His performance rating was 2832 according to ChessMetrics.
Though I’ve played through a number of Kotov’s games, I know him best from his classic book, Think Like a Grandmaster. Though his books reeked with Soviet propaganda, that was more than offset by his insightful and congenial writing style. His use of personal vignettes and even self-deprecating demonstrations of how he managed to blunder away a won game set his writing apart from many (thinking of you, Alexander Alexandrovitch!). Speaking of whom, Kotov wrote a two-volume biographical set of Alekhine’s career that was translated into four other languages! Kotov also contributed to the Yugoslav series Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) and Chess Informant.
You can read more about Kotov and Think Like a Grandmaster in GM #BryanSmith’s post "Think Like a Grandmaster" by Alexander Kotov - Chess.com. Like most thoughtful players, Bryan ascribes to the view that to a certain extent Kotov overemphasized a rigid, almost computer-like approach to the game, as though all in-game analysis could be reduced to a formulaic approach. That effectively discounts the value of pattern recognition which studies have found is a key difference between the talented amateur and the trained professional. The professional simply works with a bigger pattern database and that makes it easier for them to pick out plausible candidate moves. Despite those limitations, Kotov provides a lot of practical tournament advice.
Some of Kotov’s more notable quotes were:
There is no doubt that the reason for my awful oversight was over-confidence that sapped my sense of danger. So that is where to look for the cause of bad blunders - in the exulting feeling of self-congratulation. Chess Mistakes
If you can play the first ten or fifteen moves in just as many minutes, you can be in a state of bliss for the rest of the game. If, on the other hand, Bronstein thinks for forty minutes about his first move, then time trouble is inevitable. Chess Quotes - Time
It is better to follow out a plan consistently even if it isn't the best one than to play without a plan at all. The worst thing is to wander about aimlessly. Chess Quotes - Strategy
Once we have chosen the right formation in the centre we have created opportunities for our pieces and laid the foundation of subsequent victory. Chess Quotes - Strategy
Once there is the slightest suggestion of combinational possibilities on the board, look for unusual moves. Apart from making your play creative and interesting it will help you to get better results. Chess Quotes - Combinations
The proponents of Steinitz' theory - Tarrasch and his supporters - tried to express Steinitz' teaching in the form of laconic rules, and as often happens in such cases, they went too far. The laconic tended to become dogmatic, and chess began to lose its freshness, originality and charm.
If you study the classic examples of endgame play you will see how the king was brought up as soon as possible even though there seemed no particular hurry at the time. Chess Quotes - Endings
I can remember a case where Capablanca worked out an impressive combination but then chose to make a simple move in answer to which his opponent resigned at once!
Once upon a time supporters of the Steinitz-Tarrasch school had a very high opinion of a queen-side pawn majority. Modern strategy on the other hand categorically denies that such a majority is an independent factor of any importance. Chess Quotes - Pawns
William HartsonIM, two-time British CC, journalist, commentator, author, ABD in Mathematics, former #77 worldwide
William Roland Hartston (born 12 August 1947) is an English IM, two-time British CC, journalist, commentator, author, and ABD (All But Dissertation for a doctorate) in Mathematics. His peak rating was 2485 in January 1979, but he ceased active competitive play in 1987 to focus on other pursuits. He retired with a rating of 2430. ChessMetrics places his peak rating at 2593 in December 1978, and ranked him as high as #77 globally a bit over five years earlier, in September 1973.
Hartson won an individual gold medal on board three in the 1970 Olympiad.
Hartson provided commentary and analysis for a number of World CC matches, including Fischer-Spassky '72, Karpov-Korchnoi '78, Kasparov-Short '93 and Kasparov-Anand '95. He also appeared as a guest on the BBC2 broadcast Your Move. Later, he twice won the BBC’s The Master Game, then took over as the resident expert. He also made frequent guest appearances on BBC Radio 4.
If you want to visit a historian's take on this still contemporary individual, I'll point you towards William Hartston by Edward Winter.
There's much more than the below, probably some even better...but these will have to suffice!
Hartson had a few insightful and amusing things to say about chess and chess players.
Always look one move deeper than seems to be necessary. After any sequence of captures or checks, look for the sting in the tail. [Teach Yourself Better Chess, Hartson, p.6]
Weak players assess a position by counting the captured men; strong players consider only the men remaining on the board. [Ibid, p.10]
There is...one last, totally unimportant point to be made about pawns stacked vertically: a player with sextupled pawns on the a-file or h-file can never lose. Why? Because it takes 15 captures to get them there, so the opponent can have only his king left. [Ibid, p.42]
Combinations are much easier to find if you know they are there. If only those magic words “White to play and win” would light up below the board, we would all win so many more games. In real life most of the sacrifices are not correct; only the fantasy world of the chess columnist has flashy finishes to games. [Now!, 4 – 10 January, p.98]
You can tell a great deal about a chessplayer by the way he looks at the board when it is his turn to move. Spassky always wears the bored expression of a man in a bus queue, in no particular hurry. Korchnoi, on the other hand, looks as though he is in danger of missing his train, while Karpov has the confident pose of one who knows that the train will wait for him even if he is late. But this week, we shall be talking about Polugayevsky. He looks as though he is the only one with a timetable, cannot understand why the bus was not there ten minutes ago, and is about to panic and run for a taxi. [Now!, 17 July 1980, p.88]
Even when games are annotated by the players themselves, most fall victim to the temptation to justify their decisions rather than explain them. Chess is not a precise science or even a totally logical game. Only after the result is decided do the annotators feel obliged to present the decisions in black and white…All the more enjoyable therefore to come across the rare example of totally honest annotators of their own games. Of today’s great players I put complete trust in Larsen and Tal. [Now!, 8-14 August 1980, p.82]
A great deal has been written, at various times and in a variety of different cultures, about the character-forming aspects of chess, how it demands qualities such as patience and foresight that are useful in everyday life, and how the study and play of chess may help to develop those qualities; yet looking at the history of the game and its leading practitioners, one might be excused for reaching a different conclusion: that chess can bring out the worst in people. [Short v Kasparov: The Hi-jacking of The World Chess Championship, Hartson, p.4]
I own several of Hartson’s books, including his book on the Grunfeld (a 1st edition, mind you!); I enjoyed that one at the time, but it’s obviously a bit outdated. I don’t happen to own How to Cheat at Chess, but I do own Soft Pawn: The Uncensored Sequel to How to Cheat at Chess. I didn’t present the cover of the latter, as it might be considered titillating by some viewers, perhaps even inappropriate for younger viewers on chess.com.
Hopefully, you were intrigued by the cover of his book for the musical Chess.
He’s also written about math, puzzles, and useless information. Some of his best titles aren’t shown above, but I do happen to own Drunken Goldfish and Other Irrelevant Scientific Research and will be looking for a copy of Knock, knock! In pursuit of a grand unified theory of humour, (2023), Watkins Media, ISBN 978-1786-7873-54.
He has also written for The Independent and the Daily Express, including quirky columns such as "The Beachcomber".
GM, one-time Commonwealth CC, seven-time Indian CC, former #141 worldwide
Pravin Mahadeo Thipsay (born 12 August 1959) is an Indian GM, one-time Commonwealth CC, seven-time Indian CC, and played for India in seven Olympiads. FIDE lists his peak rating at 2515 in January 1995. ChessMetrics cites a peak of 2571 in August 1981, placing him 141st globally.
He received the Arjuna Award in 1984, India’s highest sporting honor.
You can find him on chess.com @Thipsay. He was playing a ton of bullet chess in the first five days of August 2025 when I looked him up.
GM Pravin and WIM Bhagyashree ThipsayChess couple
He is married to WIM Bhagyashree Sathe Thipsay (4 August 1961). With her ChessMetrics peak rating of 2384, this chess couple has a combined peak rating of 4955.
GM, one-time Dutch CC
Dimitri Reinderman, 12 August 1972, is a Dutch GM and one-time Dutch CC. He was 32 when he received his GM title. His peak rating was 2619 in May 2014. That slid a bit to 2566 as of August 2025.
@KingOfConvenience played a lot of blitz on chess.com in 2014 and 2015. Disappeared for five years, and has made a total of four game appearances since May 2020, the last being in September 2024. This is the latest and greatest information as of 6 August 2025. Coincidentally he was online at the time I was jotting these notes.
GM, trainer, coach, content creator, and writer
José González García (born August 12, 1973) is a Spanish-Mexican GM, trainer, coach, content creator, and writer. His peak rating was 2548 in January 2008. He still plays regularly though his rating has declined to 2447 as of June 2025, with no events in June or July…or if he did play, his rating remained the same.
He has participated in eight Olympiads, serving as the team coach on one of those occasions. He earned an individual bronze medal on board three in 2004 when the Olympiad was held in Calvià, Spain.
@JoseGonzalez_64 is another GM who visits chess.com more frequently than he plays chess there. When I checked on 6 August 2025, he had been online on the first of the month. However, he had not played a game since 30 December 2024.
Above is a YouTube video by Garcíaon the Italian Gambit. He uses an illustrative game played by Alekhine to demonstrate why this gambit can be so powerful. He provides five powerful ideas over the course of the video.
Garcia has produced numerous educational chess videos and contributed regularly to Peón de Rey, a Spanish-language chess magazine.
Above you’ll see a few of his book covers, including two chessable.com courses. Nope, I don’t own any of them.
GM, one-time Argentine U10/U12/U14/U18 CC, Pan American U16 CC, World U16 CC, former #85 worldwide
Alan Pichot (born 13 August 1998) is an Argentine GM now representing Spain, one-time Argentine U10/U12/U14/U18 CC, Pan American U16 CC, and World U16 CC. His peak rating was 2652 in May 2022, and he peaked at #85 internationally in November 2022. His rating stood at 2581 for July and August 2025.
You can find him on chess.com @platy3where he sported blitz and bullet ratings of 2992 and 3060, respectively, as of 30 July 2025.
GM, German U12 CC, former #69 worldwide
Dmitrij Kollars (born 13 August 1999) is a German GM and German U12 CC. His peak rating was 2659 in September 2024, down to 2643 as of August 2025. His world rank peaked at #69 in September 2024 and maintains his top 100 status at #85 as of 9 August 2025.
You can find him on chess.com @GM_dmitrij where he sports blitz and bullet ratings of 3100 and 3073, respectively, as of 7 August 9, 2025.
GM, two-time Dutch CC, former #92 worldwide
Sandipan Chanda (born 13 August 1983) is an Indian GM and two-time Dutch Open CC (the open event is different than the closed championship). His peak rating was 2656 in May 2011. In July of that year, he reached #92 globally. He is at 2482 Elo after losing three rating points in April 2025.
His 2007 win over Tiviakov at Ottawa made it into The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games, written by Burgess, Emms, and Nunn (2010).
IM, one-time British Junior CC, chess organizer, author, journalist, former #443 worldwide
Malcolm Bernard Pein (born 14 August 1960) is a British IM, one-time British Junior CC, chess organizer, author, and journalist. FIDE lists his peak Elo at 2450 in January 1992. ChessMetrics estimates his peak rating at 2512 in September 1991 and places him at #443 internationally in May 1994. He is a two-time recipient of the English Chess Federation’s President’s Award for Services to Chess.
You can find him on chess.com @MalcolmPein. In 2025, he appears to have focused on daily games (three days per move) against the much lower-rated @henrymiller. Pein did play some blitz and bullet games back in 2024.
Along with writing books, Pein worked as a chess correspondent for numerous newspapers, and published over 11K articles in a daily column for The Daily Telegraph. He is also the editor and executive editor of CHESS Magazine, a monthly publication. Additionally, he has consulted for numerous television and film productions.
Nikolai (Nikolay) Dmitrievich Grigoriev (Russian: Никола́й Дми́триевич Григо́рьев, 14 August 1895 - 1938) was a Russian chess player, four-time Moscow CC, and puzzle composer. ChessMetrics estimates his peak strength at 2610 in January 1922 and ranked him at #14 from November 1921 though July 1922.
Thr composer of over 300 endgame studies, Grigoriev had a particularly keen focus on king and pawn endgames. Enjoy the three puzzles below, with different solutions if Black changes their mind part way through.
Black promotes their a-pawn.
Black promotes their b-pawn.
Black promotes their h-pawn.
He’s one of the tragic casualties of the First World War during which he was wounded and returned severely ill. Combine his enfeebled condition, at some point he developed throat cancer, with brutal interrogations by the NKVD (the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) in 1937, and his subsequent “confinement to bed” saw his demise in 1938.
GM, World U16 CC, one-time Indian CC, former #38 worldwide
Adhiban (“the Beast”) Baskaran (born 15 August 1992) is an Indian GM, World U16 CC, and one-time Indian CC. His peak Elo was 2701 in April 2019, placing him #38 internationally. He first dropped below the 2600 waterline in March 2023 and resides at 2534 for July and August 2025.
Adhiban earned a team gold medal in the U16 Olympiad of 2007 – 08, and was part of the bronze medal team at the 2014 and 2022 Olympiads.
In 2020, Adhiban earned a bit of ill-deserved notoriety for wearing an analog watch during India’s National Team Open. That’s because the Indian Chess Federation bans all watches, not just digital watches. You can read more about that in @PeterDoggers article GM Adhiban Forfeited For Wearing Analog Watch. Talk about a miscarriage of justice…imo.
You can find him on chess.com @fireheart where he maintains blitz and bullet ratings just over 3000 as of 15 July, when checked on 9 August 2025.
GM, four-time Swedish CC, three-time Nordic CC, trainer, former #82 worldwide
Evgeny Agrest (born 15 August 1966) is a Soviet-born Swedish GM, four-time Swedish CC, three-time Nordic CC, and trainer for Nils Grandelius since 2013. His peak rating was 2616 in January 2004 and he spent some time in the Top 100, peaking at #82 in January 2000. I found no FIDE-rated games since April 2023 which saw his rating at 2543.
You can (occasionally) find him on chess.com @etserga. I found no games since June 2023, though he had been onsite on 22 June 2025.
WIM Svetlana and GM Evgeny AgrestChess couple
He is married to WIM Svetlana Agrest. With her peak rating of 2270 in January 2005 this chess couple has a combined peak rating of 4886.
GM, six-time Icelandic CC, one-time author, former #32 worldwide
Helgi Ólafsson (born 15 August 1956) is an Icelandic GM, six-time Icelandic CC, and one-time author. His peak Elo was 2595 in July 1990. His peak global rank was #32 in July 1986. Although he had a three-year break from FIDE-rated tournaments between 2019 and 2022, he has since played the occasional tournament. He fell below the 2500 GM waterline in July 2022 and as of March 2025. has downshifted to 2452. ChessMetrics suggests a peak rating of 2670 in September 1986, but placed him no higher than #38.
The single book he has written, to the best of my knowledge, is Bobby Fischer Comes Home: The Final Years in Iceland, a Saga of Friendship and Lost Illusions, shown above.
You might occasionally find him on chess.com @scrapnel, but when I checked on 10 August 2025 he had not been online in ten days and had not played a game since March.
Znosko-BorovskyGM, music and drama critic, teacher, author, former #17 worldwide
Eugene Znosko-Borovsky (Russian: Евге́ний Алекса́ндрович Зноско-Боро́вский, romanized: Yevgeny Alexandrovich Znosko-Borovsky; 16 August 1884 – 31 December 1954) was a Russian GM, music and drama critic, teacher and author. ChessMetrics establishes his peak rating at 2613 in December 1914 and ranked him #17 globally between May and July 1916. He was in the top fifty for most of the period from February 1904 until August 1926. He returned to the top fifty four years later. His time in the top twenty lasted eight years, from August 1914 until August 1922.
His playing career was frequently interrupted by other activities. That included time as a critic, hanging out with Russian poets and writers, and military service in the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War and World War One.
You can read more about him at some of the following links:
Znosko-Borovsky published a number of books. I quite enjoyed his The Art of Chess Combination, but that was the only book of his I ever read. The book at the top left above provides Capablanca – Alekhine chess championship coverage, but only in Russian. The book with the French title on the bottom row is the French version of How Not to Play Chess. I found the cover so intriguing, given the artistic era Znosko-Borovsky inhabited, that I had to include it. If you care to read some book reviews, I offered a few links.
This critic took the time to write about the unknown, early works! Well worth a perusal purely from a historical perspective. Chess Book Chats: Early Znosko-Borovsky
Below I'll offer you a few sections of some of his quotes.
See the full quote below.
Some of Znosko-Borovsky’s most famous quotes were:
Inexperienced players have a fear of this piece, which seems to them enigmatic, mysterious, and astonishing in its power. We must admit that it has remarkable characteristics which compel respect and occasionally surprise the most wary players. Chess Quotes About Knights
The middlegame I repeat is chess itself, chess with all its possibilities, its attacks, defences, sacrifices, etc. Quotes about Chess Middlegames
Haste is never more dangerous than when you feel that victory is in your grasp. Chess Mistakes
It is not a move, even the best move that you must seek, but a realizable plan. Chess Quotes - Strategy
Avoidance of mistakes is the beginning, as it is the end, of mastery in chess. Chess Mistakes
To find the best moves great Masters, with years of experience, engage in laborious research, and the moves thus found are blindly repeated by amateurs without any attempt to fathom their real meaning and how and why they stand in their context. Chess Mistakes
The King plays a most important part in the endgame, and gains in power and activity as the number of pieces on the board diminishes. Acting in eight different directions, he becomes, instead of the weakest piece, one of the most formidable units.
Chess is a game of understanding and not of memory.
It would be idle, and presumptuous, to wish to imitate the achievements of a Morphy or an Alekhine; but their methods and their manner of expressing themselves are within the reach of all. Quotes About Learning Chess
We should praise, rather, the courage of the player who, relying only on his intuition, plunges into a brilliant combination of which the issue does not appear to him too clear. Chess Quotes - Combinations
The study of combinations should enrich the analytical spirit of studious amateurs. Thereafter the most gifted among them will be able to catch some sparks of the genius of masters, and in addition some rays of the glory that is the masters. Chess Quotes - Combinations
All chess players know what a combination is. Whether one makes it oneself, or is its victim, or reads of it, it stands out from the rest of the game and stirs one's admiration. Chess Quotes - Combinations
It is unjust, and sometimes very untrue, though it is a common theory, to hold that it is sacrifices which make the beauty of a combination, and that the combination is prettier by the magnitude of the sacrifices. Chess Quotes - Sacrifices
It has been stated that a characteristic mark of a combination is surprise; surprise for the defender, not for the assailant, since otherwise the combination will probably be unsound. Chess Quotes - Combinations
GM, six-time Armenian Women’s CC, one-time European Women’s CC
Elina Danielian (Armenian: Էլինա Դանիելյան; born 16 August 1978) is an Armenian GM, six-time Armenian Women’s CC, and one-time European Women’s CC. Her peak rating was 2521 in July 2011. She continues to play regularly and gained two rating points in July 2025 to enter August at 2405 Elo.
She represented Armenia in twelve Olympiads.
She plays frequently on chess.com @ClassyEl. When I looked on 10 August 2025, she was playing bullet…a lot of bullet, following some blitz games earlier in the day.
GM, former #60 worldwide
Ildar Ibragimov (Tatar: Илдар Ибраһимов; Russian: Ильдар Ибрагимов; born 16 August 1967) is a Russian GM. His peak rating was 2637 in April 2006 with a peak rank of #60 in July 1998. I only found two FIDE-rated events since June 2015, neither of which impacted his rating enough to matter. His current rating is 2533.
GM, coach
Roeland Pruijssers, 16 August 1989, is a Dutch GM and coach with a peak rating of 2572 in April 2022. It appears he may not have played a FIDE-rated game since April 2024, when his rating dipped ever so slightly to 2517.
You can find this coach on chess.com @RoelandPruijssers. Back in 2020, he posted a video My Best Game: GM Roeland Pruijssers. The fact that he posted something at all is what got him into this blog.
GM, one-time Senior World CC, author, trainer, former #20 worldwide
Vladimir Konstantinovich Bagirov(Russian: Влади́мир Константи́нович Баги́ров; Latvian: Vladimirs Bagirovs; August 16, 1936 – July 21, 2000) was a Soviet-Latvian GM, one-time Senior World CC, author, and trainer. FIDE lists his peak rating at 2545 in January 1979 (the year after he made GM) with a peak rank of #30 twelve months later. Given his birth year was 34 years prior to FIDE instituting a rating system, we’ll turn to ChessMetrics for a better estimate of his peaks. That site placed him at a peak rating of 2680 in May 1978, but lists him at #20 in January 1961.
His list of luminous super-students includes Tal, Kasparov, Shirov, and Shabalov!
A well-recognized openings theoretician, one of his specialties was Alekhine’s Defense. (Apparently he was quite knowledgeable about the English as well. Go figure how the vox populi determine what belongs in Wikipedia and other articles. Oh, wait...repetition and plagiarism are the "sincerest" forms of flattery.😉)
Anglican clergyman, chess master, columnist, author, former #5 worldwide
George Alcock MacDonnell(16 August 1830 – 3 June 1899) was an Anglican clergyman, chess master, columnist, and author. A very strong master, he walloped George Mackenzie in two matches and shared equal 1st with Wilhelm Steinitz at Dublin 1865. ChessMetrics estimated his peak rating at 2624 in January 1874, and #5 globally that month and the following month. His global ranking bobbled up and down around the ten spot for sixteen years, beginning in August 1862. There was a six-year gap from 1878 – 1884, after which his ranking ranged anywhere from #34 to #54 until his death in 1899.
As for my scribblings, below I'll offer you a selection of his quotes and two extremely terse, if humorous, reviews of his writing.
Not that I'm making excuses, mind you.
MacDonnell had some clever things to say about player's rationalizations after mistakes and losing!
The excuses made by chessplayers for making bad moves and losing games are of wonderful diversity. Sometimes they are ingenious and even rise to the height of considerable imaginative power. First let me notice the pre-prandial and post-prandial excuses. At one time it is, “I cannot play because I have not had my dinner”; and at another time, “I cannot play because I have had my dinner.” I have never yet had the good or the ill fortune to engage one of these gentlemen at the particular time when his chess powers were in real working order; and as all time must either precede or follow dinner, I am at a loss to conceive when such a player can conduct his game in a manner satisfactory to himself. (Chess Life – Pictures, p.191)
I am happy to say the old headache excuse has long since been worn to shreds; so much so that no player, in London at all events, has the shamelessness to put it forward. But I do sometimes hear a man say when losing, “I can’t play today. I didn’t get to bed last night until 12”; or, “No wonder I make such blunders; I was travelling by rail for two hours yesterday. (Ibid, p.193)
In my young days I sometimes played an old gentleman to whom I gave large odds and generally a beating. He never would resign until he was checkmated, nor would he accept your resignation until the final coup was administered. His excuse – his constant excuse was that he could not play because people would open the door so often, and creak its hinges. One day, I remember well, it thundered, and on that occasion only did he vary his excuse, charging the atmosphere with his misfortunes. (Ibid, p. 194-195)
I cannot play with the black men, and so no wonder I have lost.” Now this excuse in itself is childish, because a practical, not to say a good, player ought not to let his skill be affected by the colour of the pieces he manipulates. (Ibid, p. 196)
A funny, but by no means stupid, excuse for playing badly was lately made by a young provincial friend of mine. He visited a club where I happened to be present, and sat down to encounter a fifth-class player. After the fight had lasted some time, I sauntered up to the board and asked my young friend how he was getting on. “Oh”, said he, “very badly. I cannot play with these pieces, they are so unlike those to which I am accustomed; they are horrible.” “What”, enquired I, “is the matter with them?” “Well”, replied he, “several of the pieces, especially the kings and queens, are too like one another; they are not sufficiently distinguished.” “True”, I rejoined, “but they are quite as distinguished as the players. (Ibid, p. 197-198)
MacDonnell was a regular columnist for the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News , and wrote two books that might still be worth reading as amusing chess character studies! You can see a few quotes from Chess Life-Pictures above. But be forewarned, here's what a few noteworthies had to say about him.
...one of my bitterest and most untruthful persecutors while I was defenseless and powerless to answer...has an unconquerable inclination to associate himself with any kind of deception or imposition practiced in the English chess press. – Steinitz (International Chess Magazine, May 1891, p. 146-147)
...a lively, entertaining but far from accurate writer on chess, and many of the unauthenticated and even groundless anecdotes about the great players of the nineteenth century stem from his inventive pen. – Golombek (Golombek's Encyclopedia of Chess)
BotvinnikGM, the sixth World CC, six-time Soviet CC, chess teacher/author, electrical engineer, computer scientist, computer chess pioneer, #1 for 131 months
Mikhail Moiseyevich (“the Patriarch”) Botvinnik (Russian: Михаи́л Моисе́евич Ботви́нник; IPA: [mʲɪxɐˈil məɪˈsʲejɪvʲɪdʑ‿bɐˈtvʲinʲːɪk]; August 17 1911 – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet and Russian GM, the sixth World CC, six-time Soviet CC, chess teacher/author, electrical engineer, computer scientist, and computer chess pioneer. That’s a lot, so we will only cover a few aspects and attempt to stray from well-known paths while pointing you towards some posts that discuss his history.
FIDE lists Botvinnik’s peak rating at 2630 in July 1971, good enough for #7 internationally. ChessMetrics offers a more useful measurement, placing him at 2885 in October 1945, and #1 globally for a total of 131 months between September 1936 and May 1958. The 1970s saw his from the Top Ten.
Because it’s been my standard practice to mention Olympiads, I’ll note that Botvinnik played in six and the Soviets took home the team gold in every instance. Yeah, I'll bet that comes as a real shocker. Individually, he scored two golds, one silver, and two bronzes. In two of the lesser-known European Team CCs, the team secured two gold medals and Botvinnik earned one individual gold medal.
Here’s @agadmator’s YouTube video of the only game ever played between Botvinnik and Fischer.
Ben provides great material every time out, imo. Enjoy!
There are far too many garbage posts on chess.com about Botvinnik. I’ve curated the list a bit so you can get some useful viewpoints:
GM @Gserper naturally had something to say about Botvinnik that you can find here Botvinnik's Legacy.
Of course we shouldn’t ignore the words of a renowned historian, Mikhail Botvinnik (1911-95) by Edward Winter. Particularly if you are looking for a treasure trove of quotes about other players!
From #GMValeduser we hear from a Russian GM who attended the Botvinnik – Kasparov school and Botvinnik’s stated impressions of this young player! What I Learned From The Chess Patriarch
I'm somewhat embarrassed because I own none of these
Botvinnik was intensely focused on the value of analysis of games. You'll discern that from his books and his quotes. If you do the research, as I have, you'll understand what drove that lifelong obsession. But I'm not going to spoil the story, because this is already a lengthy blog and I don't want to double it just talking about the forever details of this World CC.
The man who put his stamp on Soviet and Russian chess in the 20th century
Botvinnik had a few things to say about chess…one would hope so! After all, he certainly put his stamp on the game. Speaking for my Quotemaster series...none of his "better known" quotes struck me as visually inspiring, so an epic failure in that regard! Very sensible, just not particularly inspiring.😴
If you are weak in the endgame, you must spend more time analysing studies; in your training games you must aim at transposing to endgames, which will help you to acquire the requisite experience. Chess Quotes - Endings
It is peculiar but a fact nevertheless, that the gamblers in chess have enthusiastic followers. Chess Quote - Style
Chess, like any creative activity, can exist only through the combined efforts of those who have creative talent, and those who have the ability to organize their creative work. Chess Quotes - Success
I...have two vocations: chess and engineering. If I played chess only, I believe that my success would not have been significantly greater. I can play chess well only when I have fully convalesced from chess and when the 'hunger for chess' once more awakens within me. Chess Quotes - Success
You have to accustom yourself to practical study at home, you have to devote time to studies, to the history of chess, the development of chess, of chess culture. Chess Quotes - Success
If you are going to make your mark among masters, you have to work far harder and more intensively, or, to put it more exactly, the work is far more complex than that needed to gain the title of Master. Chess Quotes - Success
Every great master will find it useful to have his own theory on the openings, which only he himself knows, a theory which is closely linked with plans for the middle game. Chess Quotes - Theory
It must be clearly understood that Soviet players do not seek simple systems in the opening, but try to formulate opening systems in which everything is complicated, distinctive, or new. Chess Quotes - Theory
When my opponent's clock is going, I discuss general considerations in an internal dialogue with myself. When my own clock is going, I analyse concrete variations. Chess Quotes - Time
Above all else, before playing in competitions a player must have regard to his health, for if he is suffering from ill-health he cannot hope for success. In this connection the best of all tonics is 15 to 20 days in the fresh air, in the country. Chess Quotes - Training
GM, World U18 CC, European U18 CC, European CC, two-time Croatian CC, former #37 worldwide
Ivan Šarić(Croatian pronunciation: [ǐʋan ʃǎːritɕ]; born 17 August 1990) is a Croatian GM, World U18 CC, European U18 CC, European CC, and two-time Croatian CC. His peak rating was 2703 in March 2019, placing him in the unofficial super-GM category (briefly). His peak rank came five years later when he reached #37 in June 2024. As of August 2025 his rating is 2661, #62, still solidly in the Top 100.
You can find him on chess.com @dalmatinac101 where he sports a bullet rating of 3098 and a blitz rating of 2879 (as of 11 August 2025).
Dutch performance artist, athlete, founder of chess boxing, First Chess Boxing World CC
Iepe B. T. Rubingh (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈipə ˈrybɪŋ]; 17 August 1974 – 8 May 2020) was a Dutch performance artist, athlete, and the founder of chess boxing and World Chess Boxing Organisation. Guinness lists him as the First Chess Boxing World Champion!
IM and WGM, one-time Russian Women’s Rapid CC, one-time Moscow Women’s Blitz CC, one-time Russian Women’s Rapid CC, trainer, coach
Karina Ambartsumova (Russian: Карина Львовна Амбарцумова; born 17 August 1989) is a Russian IM and WGM, one-time Russian Women’s Rapid CC, one-time Moscow Women’s Blitz CC, one-time Russian Women’s Rapid CC, trainer, and coach. Her peak rating was 2418 in September 2023.
She can be found on chess.com @karinachess1 and offers coaching services. Below you can see the first of a series of videos she has produced on pawn structures.
Olaf Barda (17 August 1909 – 2 May 1971 in Oslo), born Olaf M. Olsen, was a Norwegian IM, ICCF GM, six-time Norwegian CC, two-time Norwegian Correspondence CC, and columnist. ChessMetrics places his peak rating at 2542 in January 1950, #94 internationally.
GM, two-time Polish U16 CC, coach, and author
Wojciech Moranda, 17 Aug 1988, is a Polish GM, two-time Polish U16 CC, coach, and author. His peak rating was 2636 in June 2022. His rating sits at 2543 for July and August 2025.
You can find him on chess.com @gmmoranda where his blitz and bullet ratings stood at 3004 and 2856 as of 7 August 2025. He also offers coaching services.
Moranda has written three books, including a chessable course on calculation (the middle image above).
If you’d like to see a half-hour example of his calculating process, feel free to listen to him talk through that as a guest in a Perpetual Chess Podcast episode. (Note: Moranda talks very quickly.) The second puzzle, near the very end, is quite fun but easier, imo.
Vadim Zvjaginsev (Russian: Вади́м Ви́кторович Звя́гинцев, romanized: Vadim Victorovich Zvyagintsev; born 18 August 1976) is a Russian GM with a peak rating of 2688 and peak rank of #23 almost a decade earlier, in October 2002. His rating is 2537 entering August 2025, having lost a few points in July. He’s a very original player and likes to break away from opening prep as soon as possible. For example, he defeated former World CCs Khalifman and Ponomariov with the white line 1.e4 c5 2.Na3!? Yowza!!
GM, one-time Moldovan CC, author
Dorian Rogozenko (also spelled Rogozenco; born 18 August 1973) is a Romanian GM, one-time Moldovan CC, and author. His peak rating was 2576 in July 1999. He lost ten Elo in February 2025 to fall to 2405, his lowest rating of the century.
The Fritz Trainer image shown above was an effort that included 33 classical games that Rogozenco believes any chess player should know. He produced multiple Fritz training sessions for ChessBase, including one with modern classics every player should know.
Master, former #12 worldwide, died very young
Gersz (Georg, George, Gersh) Rotlewi (Rotlevi, Rotlevy) (18 August 1889 – 1 January 1920) was a Polish master who achieved some great successes at a very young age, until a nervous condition (reported as depression in one source) led him to give up chess sometime around December 1913. ChessMetrics places his peak rating at 2678 in February 1912, #12 internationally. His greatest success was Karlsbad 1911 where he finished 4th, ahead of such players as Marshall, Nimzowitsch, Vidmar, Tartakower, Alekhine, and Spielmann. Akiba Rubinstein recorded his Immortal Game against Rotlewi in 1912.
August 19 signals the arrival of the Leo - Virgo cusp, also known as the Cusp of Exposure. Players born between Aug 19th and 26th may exhibit traits of both signs.
GM, eight-time Algerian CC, Arab CC
Mohamed Haddouche, 19 August 1984, is an Algerian GM, eight-time Algerian CC, and Arab CC (2018). His peak rating was 2529 in March 2015. He hasn’t played many FIDE-rated events since November 2017. His rating is 2490 in August 2025.
You can find him on chess.com @Algerian022 where he plays blitz quite regularly. He had just finished four blitz games when I was writing this on 15 August 2025.
Master, one-time US Women's CC
Nellie Love Marshall Showalter (August 19, 1870 – March 25, 1946) was an American women's CC, and World Chess Hall of Fame inductee. ChessMetrics doesn’t list her, but there’s always Edo Ratings, Showalter, Ms. N.L.! They place her peak rating at 2312 in 1893 based on eleven games.
Don’t go to Wikipedia to read about her (it's a shallow entry). Instead, try:
Bosnian GM, four-time Yugoslav CC, one-time Bosnia and Herzegovina CC, former #58 worldwide
Milan Vukić, 19 August 1942, is a Bosnian GM, four-time Yugoslav CC, and one-time Bosnia and Herzegovina CC. Surprisingly, he has never represented his nation in an Olympiad. FIDE lists his peak rating at 2517 in January 2007. Now we’ll peek under the hood with ChessMetrics to see what inflation of ratings over time. At that site, Vukić’s peak rating is listed at 2638 in February 1977. The month priorn he reached #58 globally.
Olga RubtsovaIM, WGM, 4th Women’s World CC (1956 – 58), 1st Women’s World Correspondence CC (1972), four-time Soviet Women’s CC, ICCF Lady IM
Olga Nikolayevna Rubtsova (Russian: О́льга Никола́евна Рубцо́ва; 20 August 1909 – 13 December 1994) was a Soviet IM, WGM, 4th Women’s World CC (1956 – 58), 1st Women’s World Correspondence CC (1972), four-time Soviet Women’s CC, and ICCF Lady IM. FIDE offers a peak rating of 2065 in January 1990. Her ICCF rating peak was 2269 in July 1992. She is the only player in history to have won World CCs both OTB and in correspondence. She was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2015.
IM, WGM, two-time Indian Women’s CC, one-time Asian Women’s CC, three-time Commonwealth Women's CC, presenter, commentator
Tania Sachdev, 20 August 1986, is an Indian IM, WGM, two-time Indian Women’s CC, one-time Asian Women’s CC, three-time Commonwealth Women's CC, presenter, and commentator. Her peak rating was 2443 in September 2013.
She has played for the Indian Women’s team in every Olympiad since 2008. She won an individual bronze on board three in 2012, one team gold (2024), and four team silvers. She also participated in two Women’s World Team CCs.
You can find her on chess.com @Tania_S where she plays both blitz and bullet.
Master, writer, broadcaster, journalist, organizer, promoter, former #158 worldwide
Leonard William Barden(born 20 August 1929, in South Croydon, London) is an English chess master, writer, broadcaster, journalist, organizer, and promoter. ChessMetrics estimates his peak rating at 2497 in January 1958, placing 158th globally.
Barden teamed up with chess angel (and financier) Jim Slater to promote the advancement of English chess. One of the first two players to benefit from this directly was legendary Tony Miles. The next world-famous gladiator in the queue was Nigel Short. There were others, but you get the idea.
An author of books for the under-2000 rating crowd, Barden also wrote a daily chess column for the London Evening Standard beginning in June 1956 until July 2010, barring a one-week break in May 2009 when it was only available online. Since July 2010, the column could only be found online, until 31 January 2020 when the column finally ceased publication. [Source: Leonard Barden by Edward Winter]
IM, 9-time British CC, schoolmaster, former #6 worldwide
Henry Ernest Atkins(20 August 1872 – 31 January 1955) was a British IM, 9-time British CC, and schoolmaster teaching math. ChessMetrics suggests a peak rating of 2702 in January 1903 and ranked him #6 globally from November 1902 through February 1903. He was almost always listed in the Top Thirty from August 1896 until April 1923. His play was modeled on the games of Steinitz and he was known as “the little Steinitz” on the continent.
Atkins was a chess hobbyist, putting most of his energies into teaching mathematics. You can get a sense of that in IM Jeremy Silman’s post Who Was Henry Ernest Atkins?
At the following link you can enjoy a more leisurely look at the game. Both the video above (3m) and the post are about a game in which Atkins sacrificed everything except his knight…and won on move 21 when Black resigned one move before mate! The Game where White Sacrificed Everything.
GM representing Slovenia, one-time European CC, former #60 worldwide
Anton Demchenko, 20 August 1987, is a Russian GM representing Slovenia, one-time European CC, and one of 43 Russian elite players to protest the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. His peak rating was 2679 in April 2018, and the following month, he reached #60 globally. He still plays regularly, and his rating was 2620 entering August 2025.
You can find him on chess.com @Anton_Demchenko where his bullet rating was 3107 as of 16 August 2025, with a bullet rating of 2842. His home page states he is available for training games…that said, most of his games in August were against other blitz players rated over 3000.
GM, three-time Ukrainian CC, and three-time US CC, three-time US Open CC, FIDE Senior Trainer, coach, author, former #22 worldwide
Lev Osipovich Alburt (August 21, 1945) is a Russian-born American GM, three-time Ukrainian CC, and three-time US CC, three-time US Open CC, FIDE Senior Trainer, coach, and prolific author. He defected to the US in 1979. His peak rating of 2580 was reached in July 1981, and he is still rated 2539. I found no FIDE-rated games between October 2003 and June 2012, but then he lost eleven rating points in July to dip to 2539, where it has remained.
His highest world ranking was #22 in January 1981. ChessMetrics suggests his peak rating was 2667 in October 1975, but never places him higher in the world rankings than #28 (I write that so glibly, then pause to reflect that the difference between #22 and #28 is infinitesimal compared with the gap between my peak world ranking and his at almost any time.)
The Alburt Variation in Alekhine's Defense is named after him (it involves a fianchetto of Black's bishop after 4...g6.)
He is the author or co-author of multiple books. His book on the Carlsen – Karjakin World CC match won the 2018 Chess Journalists of America “Book of the Year Award.” As for me, I spent a lot of time in the first part of the 21st century soaking in every nuance possible of Pirc Alert! (2001), only to give up on the opening a decade later.
GM, eight-time Hungarian CC, former #16 worldwide
Gedeon (Gideon) Barcza (August 21, 1911 – February 27, 1986) was a Hungarian GM, eight-time Hungarian CC, and frequent employer of the Barcza System (1.Nf3 d5 2.g3), aka the King’s Indian Attack (KIA). FIDE lists his peak rating at 2490 in July 1971, sufficient to enter the Top 100 at #83. ChessMetrics proffers a peak rating of 2683 in December 1951 and placed him at #16 globally. That suggests a far more meaningful placement for an eight-time Hungarian CC.
IM, eleven-time Scottish CC, the first (unofficial) Commonwealth CC, bridge designer, former #52 worldwide
William Albert Fairhurst (21 August 1903 – 13 March 1982) was an English IM, eleven-time Scottish CC, the first (unofficial) Commonwealth CC, and bridge designer. ChessMetrics lists his peak rating at 2527 in July 1929 and placed him 52nd globally. Queen Elizabeth appointed him as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).
GM, World U14/U18 CC, Russian U10/U12/U14 CC, former #77 worldwide
Ildar Khairullin (born 22 August 1990) is a Russian GM, World U14/U18 CC, Russian U10/U12/U14 CC, and one of 43 to sign an open letter to Vladimir Putin protesting the invasion of Ukraine. His peak rating was 2662 in August 2015 when he also crested at #77 globally. Since October 2017 there is evidence of only one FIDE-rated event. That was in November 2020 and he lost three Elo to dip to 2615 where his rating remains.
GM, eight-time Colombian CC, former #71 worldwide
Alonso Zapata Ramirez(born August 22, 1958) is a Colombian GM and eight-time Colombian CC. FIDE lists his peak rating at 2580 in January 1993. ChessMetrics rates him at 2645 in August 1986 and placed him at #71 globally in October 1986 and June 1987.
You can find him on chess.com @GMazapata, but he’s played no games since Jan 2024.
Chilean master, 11-time Chilean CC, civil engineer, former #58 worldwide
Rodrigo Flores Álvarez (23 August 1913 – 17 January 2007) was a Chilean master, 11-time Chilean CC, and civil engineer. ChessMetrics places his highest rating at 2584 in February 1952. He was ranked #58 internationally for July 1951. The site places him in the Top 100 for almost seventy individual months between June 1944 and November 1953.
Jordi Magem Badals (born August 24, 1967) is a Spanish GM, two-time Catalan Junior CC, one-time Spanish Junior CC, two-time Catalan CC, and one-time Spanish CC. His peak rating was 2593 in November 2010. He plays quite regularly, and his rating was 2489 in August 2025.
He can be found on chess.com @wyharga. Though I found no games since February 2024, he was online on 18 August 2025. Interestingly, a GM (@yaguigor) he played on 6 Feb 2024 had their account closed for Fair Play violations. Badals offers coaching services.
GM, four-time Serbian CC, 2024 European CC, #61 worldwide as of August 2025
Aleksandar Inđić (Indjic), 24 August 1995, is a Serbian GM, four-time Serbian CC, and 2024 European CC. His peak rating of 2665 was reached in June 2025, and he remains entrenched there for the moment, filling the #61 spot globally.
He can be found on chess.com @Beca95 where his blitz rating was 3000 as of 18 August 2025, with a bullet rating of 2886.
GM, two-time Yugoslav CC, one-time Federal Republic of Yugoslavia CC, politician, chess official, former #63 worldwide
Božidar Ivanović (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Божидар Ивановић; born 24 August 1946) is a Montenegrin GM, two-time Yugoslav CC, one-time Federal Republic of Yugoslavia CC, politician, and chess official. FIDE lists his peak Elo at 2550 in July 1981. ChessMetrics estimates his peak rating at 2628 in September 1982, placing him 63rd globally.
He participated in four Olympiads representing Yugoslavia, earning a board bold in the U26 Olympiad in 1972. He was a member of the Yugoslav Team at the 1989 World Team CC. That team won a silver medal.
NM, physics professor, created the ELO rating system, former President American Chess Federation
Arpad Emmerich Elo (né Élő Árpád Imre, August 25, 1903 – November 5, 1992) was a Hungarian-American master and physics professor who created the Elo rating system. He was the eight-time Wisconsin state CC, so a strong player in his own right, at least NM level. He served as President of the American Chess Federation for two years, the predecessor organization to the US Chess Federation.
GM, ten-time Greek CC, author, former #44 worldwide
Vasilios Kotronias (Greek: Βασίλειος Κοτρωνιάς; first name sometimes spelled Vassilios; born 25 August 1964) is a Greek GM, ten-time Greek CC, and author. His peak rating was 2628 in January 2008, with his peak rank over a decade earlier at #44 in July 1996. He participated in numerous Olympiads and European Team CCs.
I found eleven publications he authored listed on his Wikipedia page, but I found more than that. Fairly typical, in my experience.
GM, one-time Uzbekstani CC, one-time German CC, former #38 worldwide
Alexander Graf(né Nenashev, 25 August 1962) is an Uzbekistani-German GM, one-time Uzbekstani CC, and one-time German CC. His peak rating was 2661 in July 2004 and his peak ranking was #38 in April 2001. His rating is 2520 as of August 2025.
Alexander and Rena GrafChess power couple
He is married to WGM Rena Graf. With her peak rating of 2353 this chess power couple has a combined peak rating of 5014, crossing the mythical 5000 waterline..
August 26 This is the last day of the Cusp of Exposure, when players might exhibit the traits of both Zodiac signs.
IM, IA, writer, theoretician, journalist, Vice President Croatian Chess Federation, former #26 worldwide
Vladimir Vuković (26 August 1898, Zagreb – 18 November 1975, Zagreb) was a Croatian IM, IA, writer, theoretician, journalist, and Vice President of the Croatian Chess Federation. ChessMetrics estimates his peak rating at 2559 in August 1926, and ranked him #26 in July 1925.
Vuković's Mate is named after him. The mating pattern is shown above. You can test yourself with 15 puzzles at Secrets of Trapping Pieces: Vukovic's Mate. The puzzles get increasingly difficult. Good luck if you try your wits at them!
Vuković edited the monthly chess magazine of the Yugoslavian Chess Federation. As an author, his well-recognized chess classic is The Art of Attack in Chess, a book I highly recommend. He also wrote Razvoj šahovskih ideja [The development of chess ideas] and The Chess Sacrifice. Those I have not read.
I like this quote from his book:
Attack is an essential component of the game of chess; it is a spark which smolders in every corner and only the player who knows how to keep it alive and make it burst into flame at the right moment has reached the heights of true mastery. [Vladimir Vukovic, Art of Attack in Chess, Introduction, p. 13]
...a comprehensive guide to offensive strategy in chess. The book meticulously combines various attack methods, from classic king-side attacks to complex combinations, offering deep insights into aggressive play tactics.
...focused on the psychology and philosophy behind attacking chess. The author delves into the mindset of a chess attacker, offering unique perspectives and in-depth analysis, making it stand out in the realm of chess literature.
“The Art of Attack in Chess” is for anyone looking to enhance their offensive play. Its blend of practical advice, theoretical analysis, and psychological insight is invaluable, making it a must-read for aspiring chess tacticians.
It highlights essential conditions needed for launching successful attacks, providing valuable strategies.
The chapters logically build upon each other, gradually forming a cohesive understanding of attacking principles.
The book offers a detailed analysis of attacking strategies, especially focusing on attacking a castled king, a key element in chess tactics.
The book’s thorough and detailed approach might overwhelm readers who prefer a lighter, casual reading experience.
IM, three-time Brazilian CC, one-time Pan American CC, FIDE Trainer, coach of the New Zealand Women’s Team for the 43rd Olympiad, author, former #197 worldwide
Herman Claudius van Riemsdijk(born 26 August 1948) is a Brazilian IM, three-time Brazilian CC, one-time Pan American CC, FIDE Trainer, coach of the New Zealand Women’s Team for the 43rd Olympiad, and writer. FIDE lists his peak rating at 2460. ChessMetrics proposes a peak rating of 2567 in December 1985 and placed him at #197 globally in November 1973. FIDE lists his Elo at 2236 as of February 2025.
He played for Brazil in eleven Olympiads and the Pan Amerian CC three times.
Although he can be found on chess.com @hcvanriemsdijk, I found no games. He shows as having joined in 2020, and had not been online in August 2025 when I checked on 21 Aug.
He has written articles for various chess publications and one book, seen above.
GM, three-time Norwegian CC, author, former #120 worldwide
Jonathan D. Tisdall (born August 26, 1958) is an American-born Norwegian and Irish GM, three-time Norwegian CC, and author. His peak FIDE rating was 2515 in July 1996. ChessMetrics lists him more favorably at 2615 in January 1987, #120 globally. His Elo is 2366 as of April 2025. He can be found on chess.com @JonatahanTisdall but I found no games. On the other hand, there’s a video of his game versus Lee in 1981 where Tisdall’s 15h move earned plaudits as he left his queen hanging and the pawn exposed to capture in multiple ways! Best Chess Moves Ever - 15)e6!! Tisdall vs Lee 1981.
A freelance journalist, Tisdall has published in newspapers and magazines. He has authored or co-authored quite a number of chess books, none of which I own.
GM, former #65 worldwide
Georg Meier, August 26, 1987, is a German-Uruguayan GM. His peak rating was 2671 in January 2012, while he reached #65 globally in September 2009. His rating is 2596 as of August 2025.
He can be found on chess.com @GeorgMeier where his blitz rating was at 3021 as of 17 August 2025. He used to post videos on the site regularly, but the most recent was in 2020. But you might enjoy his last post, which shows his best game. My Best Game: GM Georg Meier. For Catalan fans, he has a number of videos on that subject.
GM, columnist, author, former #49 worldwide
Michael Rohde (August 26, 1959) is an American GM, columnist, and author. His peak rating was 2595 in January 1993, while he reached #49 worldwide in July 1987. ChessMetrics suggests a peak rating of 2623 in October 1988, but never placed him higher than #105 in the world. His rating is 2247 as of August 2025.
He can be found on chess.com @boo786. He plays infrequently. When I wrote this on 22 August 2025 he had only played eight games this year.
He has published in Chess Life, American Chess, and authored several books and a few other chess items. (Judge for yourselves from the images.)
WGM, one-time Pan American Women’s CC, five-time Argentine Women’s CC, five-time South American Women’s CC, columnist
Claudia Noemí Amura (born 26 August 1970) is an Argentinian WGM, one-time Pan American Women’s CC, five-time Argentine Women’s CC, five-time South American Women’s CC, and columnist.Her peak rating was 2405 in January 1991. Her rating has dropped to 2105 as of August 2025.
She played for the women’s team in eight Olympiads, winning individual silver on first board in 1990.
She can be found on chess.com @ClauSanLuis where she plays several times a month.
GM and WGM AmuraChess couple at 2008 Olympiad
Her husband is GM Gilberto Hernández. With his peak rating of 2574 this chess couple has a combined peak rating of 4979. Their picture is formed from single images taken at the 2008 Olympiad.
IM, honorary GM, five-time Azerbaijan CC, coach, former #5 worldwide
Vladimir Andreevich Makogonov (Russian: Влади́мир Андре́евич Макого́нов, August 27, 1904 – January 2, 1993) was a Soviet IM and honorary GM, five-time Azerbaijan CC, and coach. ChessMetrics estimated his peak rating at 2735 in October 1945, with a peak rank of #5 in July of that year. He was in the top twenty for approximately nine years and the top ten for three years.
Makogonov coached Smyslov in preparation for the 1957 World CC versus Botvinnik and was one of Kasparov’s first teachers.
There are Makogonov Variations in the KID, Grünfeld, and QGD.
I’ve curated some links you might try if you’re curious to explore further:
GM, two-time Georgian CC, FIDE Senior Trainer, former #48 worldwide
Elizbar Ubilava (born August 27, 1950) is a Spanish GM, two-time Georgian CC, and FIDE Senior Trainer. His peak rating was 2561 in January 1999. ChessMetrics lists his peaks at 2660 in October 1989 and #48 internationally in January 1980. He supported Anand from 1994 – 2005.
IM and Quote Master Jeremy SilmanIM, columnist, chess consultant, author, former #413 worldwide
Jeremy Silman (August 28, 1954 – September 21, 2023) was an American IM, columnist, chess consultant, and author. His peak rating was 2420 in January 1996. ChessMetrics placed him at 2486 in September 1992 and at #413 globally in May 1978. All these facts point out is that rating and ranking don’t always coincide. This is also known as, it’s easier to be a shark in a small pool.
Silman’s students realized quickly that he was a proponent of understanding the imbalances of a position. In an article from Chess Life, May 2008, and available online only to USCF members (sorry about that), NM Dana Mackenzie pointed out that Silman focused, in roughly descending order, on: the superior minor piece; pawn structure; space, material (duh…but he means more than the obvious!); control of lines and squares; development; and the initiative. I’ve modified and added to that in my analytic approach, KIMPLODES! Cogito ergo sum: An Explosive Analysis Approach. However, the underlying concepts would be familiar to any Silman fan. (That said, I put king safety as the most important element. Sure, it should be obvious. But it doesn’t seem to be when you look at tens of thousands of games.)
Silman didn’t just write over 35 books, he also posted blogs on chess.com, contributed articles to Chess Life and New in Chess, played the professor in a video chess course by The Teaching Company, and served as a chess consultant for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Monk, and Malcolm in the Middle. In addition to his chess books, he also wrote about casino gambling.
You can read about his books that have been converted to chessable.com’s format atJeremy Silman: America’s Chess Teacher - Chess.com. If you go to chessable, you can learn that IM Andrew Toth, IM Alex Banzea, and GM Maurice Ashley provide the video that serves as companion instruction for the volumes available on chessable.
You can find his chess.com articles atSilman's Articles with the last one posted on June 10, 2020.
His description of nis novel AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A GOAT is quite amusing and can be found atJeremy Silman's First Novel.
GM, writer, coach, journalist, broadcaster, former #65 worldwide
Daniel John King (born 28 August 1963) is an English GM, writer, coach, journalist, and broadcaster. His peak rating was 2560 in July 1990, placing him at #65. ChessMetrics estimated his peak rating at 2634 in May 1990, but only placed him as high as #95.
He can be found on chess.com @DanielKing. He managed to achieve a lower blitz rating than mine! But mine was the result of tilting over 400 rating points. He just didn’t play many games. I found no games since July 2023.
A regular columnist for CHESS Magazine and Schach 64 and co-hosted a regular column in The Guardian for six years. The author of over 15 books, he provided color commentary for four World CC matches (the first in 1993), as well as the Kasparov versus Deep Blue match.
GM, former #69 worldwide
Aleksandr Rakhmanov (Russian: Александр Рахманов; born 28 August 1989) is a Russian GM. His peak rating was 2676 in May 2017, and the next month he reached #69 globally.
He plays regularly on chess.com @Rakhmanov_Aleksandr.
GM, nine-time Hungarian CC, one-time European Rapid CC, former #18 worldwide
Zoltán Almási (born August 29, 1976) is a Hungarian GM, nine-time Hungarian CC, and one-time European Rapid CC. His peak rating was 2726 in July 2011, but his peak ranking occurred almost twenty years earlier. He was the #18 player globally in July 1995.
Anna UsheninaGM, former Women’s World CC, Ukrainian Girls U20 CC, Ukrainian Women’s CC, one-time European Women’s CC
Anna Yuriyivna Ushenina (Ukrainian: Анна Юріївна Ушеніна; born 30 August 1985) is a Ukrainian GM, former Women’s World CC, Ukrainian Girls U20 CC, Ukrainian Women’s CC, and one-time European Women’s CC. Her peak rating was 2602 in July 2007. She is rated 2409 entering August 2025.
She has medaled at both Olympiads and Women’s European Team CCs. The team earned team gold at the 2006 Olympiad, silver in 2008, and gold in 2022. In the 2007 Women’s World Team CC she earned a team and individual bronze.
She has a profile on chess.com @Enki007 (a James Bond fan, perhaps?), but has no games since 2021 and had not been online since January 2025.
Petar (“Typhoonovic”) Trifunović(31 August 1910 – 8 December 1980) was a Yugoslav and Serbian GM and five-time Yugoslav CC. ChessMetrics estimated his peak rating at 2700 in November 1947 and placed him as high as #12 globally for three different months that year. He first reached the Top Twenty in July 1946 and stayed there for about four years.
Originally renowned for his attacking style, he later focused on positional play and became a drawing master who very rarely lost. For example, he played a 12-game match against Najdorf in 1949 and the result was 1W-10D-1L.
He played for the Yogoslavian team in seven Olympiads, earning an individual gold on board 3 in 1950. In total he won 8 team and board medals at the Olympiads.
No, this is not a reference to "The Lady and the Lion" of the Brother's Grimm fairy tale. On your left, Leo. On your right, Virgo.
Let's Wrap it Up!
I hope you enjoyed this blog. It continued to scratch my interest in historical and contemporary chess figures. To the extent time and my lack of diligence allowed, there are links to personal websites, chess.com usernames, and individual home pages. There are even references to some of their feeds on X or YouTube. Along this journey, I also found some interesting games. Given all the material, I was only able to include a smattering of games, book images, and YouTube clips. I hope you find some of interest.
If there were any errors, please advise me and I'll correct those. And if there is some other information you would like included in every future chess player bio, I'll do what I can to oblige.
If you did enjoy this post, please let me know as there is a bit of labor involved in putting this together and "me" as an audience of one would be either a testimony to rampant narcissism or perhaps to a masochistic bent.
Only one more month to go to complete the full Zodiac cycle!!
Secrets of Trapping Pieces: Anastasia's Mate First in a series of 2024 blogs on the secrets of trapping pieces with an emphasis on puzzles to test your skill at solving various mating configurations such as a Suffocation Mate, Arabian Mate, etc.
@tartajubow’s site Tartajubow On Chess II: Play the Urusov Gambit! and Tartajubow On Chess II: Is Opening Theory Wrong About the Urusov Gambit?. Below is a King’s Gambit that Urusov won in Moscow in 1851. " style="display: block; margin: 0 auto;" class="imageUploaderImg" alt="" />
IM, WGM, Russian U20 Women’s CC, one-time Russian Women’s Cup CC, one-time Russian Women’s Fast CC, one-time Russian Women’s CC
