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 1 
Bobby Fischer
(American Chess Grandmaster and the Eleventh World Chess Champion)
Bobby Fischer
17
Birthdate: March 9, 1943
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: January 17, 2008

Bobby Fischer began as a chess prodigy in his teens and went on to become the youngest "grandmaster," at 15. His participation in a politically controversial match in Yugoslavia led to the revocation of his U.S. passport and his arrest. He spent the final years of his life in Iceland.

 2 
Magnus Carlsen
(One of the Best Chess Players of All Time)
Magnus Carlsen
11
Birthdate: November 30, 1990
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tønsberg Municipality, Norway

At 13, chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen became the youngest grandmaster. His rating of 2,872 was the highest ever in history. He also recorded the longest unbeaten run in chess. Named one of Cosmopolitan’s “sexiest men of 2013,”he  has also modeled for G-Star Raw, owns a chess-app company, and loves football.

 3 
Judit Polgár
(One of the Strongest Female Chess Players of All Time)
Judit Polgár
10
Birthdate: July 23, 1976
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
 4 
Boris Spassky
(Russian Chess Grandmaster)
Boris Spassky
9
Birthdate: January 30, 1937
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Boris Spassky is a Russian chess player who held the World Chess Championship title from 1969 to 1972. He was part of the famous World Chess Championship match in 1972 where he lost his championship title to Bobby Fischer of the United States. In Bobby Fischer's 2014 biopic Pawn Sacrifice, Boris Spassky is portrayed by American actor Isaac Liev Schreiber.

 5 
José Raúl Capablanca
(Cuban Chess Player)
José Raúl Capablanca
6
Birthdate: November 19, 1888
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Havana, Cuba
Died: March 8, 1942
 6 
Viswanathan Anand
(First Indian Chess Grandmaster and Former Five-Time World Chess Champion)
Viswanathan Anand
7
Birthdate: December 11, 1969
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Madras, Tamil Nadu, India

Viswanathan Anand is an Indian chess player and former world champion. The first grandmaster from India, Anand is also one of the few chess players to have gone past an Elo rating of 2800, only the fourth player in history to do so. Renowned for his quick moves, Anand is widely regarded as the greatest rapid player of our time.

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 7 
Ian Nepomniachtchi
(Russian Chess Grandmaster)
Ian Nepomniachtchi
10
Birthdate: July 14, 1990
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bryansk, Russia

Russian super grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi is known for winning titles such as the 2020/21 Candidates Tournament. He has a good record against world champions such as Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand, and Garry Kasparov. He is also a professional player of the online strategy game Dota and plays on chess.com as lachesisq.

 8 
Alexander Alekhine
(Russian-French Former Chess Champion)
Alexander Alekhine
12
Birthdate: October 31, 1892
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: March 24, 1946

Alexander Alekhine was a French and Russian chess player renowned for his imaginative and fierce attacking style. He also possessed great positional and endgame skill, which he used effectively to reign as the World Chess Champion from 1927 to 1935 and then from 1937 to 1946. Also a theoretician, Alexander Alekhine innovated several opening variations, including the Alekhine's Defence.

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 9 
Alireza Firouzja
(Iranian-French Chess Grandmaster)
Alireza Firouzja
2
Birthdate: June 18, 2003
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Babol, Iran

Born in Iran, chess Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja initially represented his country but later began representing France. In 2021, he became the only teenager ranked among the world’s top 15 chess players. A 2-time Iranian champion, he has been a chess prodigy and had started training in chess at age 8.

 10 
Vladimir Kramnik
(Former Classical World Chess Champion & World Chess Champion )
Vladimir Kramnik
6
Birthdate: June 25, 1975
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tuapse, Russia

Vladimir Kramnik is a Russian chess player who was honored with the prestigious Grandmaster title in 1992. From 2000 to 2006, Kramnik held the Classical World Chess Championship title. From 2006 to 2007, he held the undisputed World Chess Championship title. He has also won three individual medals and three team gold medals at Chess Olympiads.

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 11 
Ding Liren
(Chinese Chess Grandmaster)
Ding Liren
3
Birthdate: October 24, 1992
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

At 16, Ding Liren became the youngest Chinese Chess Champion. He was also the first player to reach the World Cup finals twice back-to-back. The Chinese chess grandmaster is also a law school graduate. He remains the highest-rated chess player from his country and has won the Chinese Championship thrice.

 12 
Hou Yifan
(Chinese Chess Grandmaster and Second Highest Rated Female Player of All Time)
Hou Yifan
4
Birthdate: February 27, 1994
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Xinghua, China

Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess player who won two gold medals at the 2010 Asian Games. Hou, who achieved the grandmaster title in 2008, is the second-highest-rated female chess player ever. Hou is also the youngest ever player to win the Women's World Chess Championship title. She is also regarded as the greatest female chess player of her generation.

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 13 
Garry Kasparov
(Russian Chess Grandmaster and One of the Best Chess Players in History)
Garry Kasparov
11
Birthdate: April 13, 1963
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Baku, Azerbaijan

Garry Kasparov is a Russian chess player. A grandmaster, Kasparov is a former World Chess Champion who was ranked No. 1 for 255 months during his career that spanned 21 years. After his retirement, Garry Kasparov focused on writing and politics; he founded a social movement called the United Civil Front, which is part of an opposition coalition in Moscow.

 14 
Anatoly Karpov
(One of the Greatest Chess Players of All Time)
Anatoly Karpov
3
Birthdate: May 23, 1951
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Zlatoust, Russia

Russian chess grandmaster, Anatoly Karpov, was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985, before finally being defeated by Garry Kasparov. With over 160 first-place finishes, Karpov is widely considered one of the greatest players in history. Since his retirement, he has involved himself in several humanitarian causes. He has an extensive stamp collection.

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 15 
Hikaru Nakamura
(American Chess Grandmaster and Five-Time U.S. Chess Champion)
Hikaru Nakamura
10
Birthdate: December 9, 1987
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
 16 
Tigran Petrosian
(One of the Best Chess Players in Armenia During his Generation)
Tigran Petrosian
5
Birthdate: June 17, 1929
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Tbilisi, Georgia
Died: August 13, 1984

Tigran Petrosian was a Soviet-Armenian chess player who achieved the grandmaster title in 1952. Nicknamed Iron Tigran, Petrosian was the World Chess Champion between 1963 and 1969. Regarded as one of the best chess players in Armenia during his generation, Tigran Petrosian is credited with popularizing the game in Armenia. He also won the USSR Chess Championship on four occasions.

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 17 
Veselin Topalov
(Bulgarian Chess Grandmaster and Former FIDE World Chess Champion)
Veselin Topalov
4
Birthdate: March 15, 1975
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ruse, Bulgaria

Bulgarian chess Grandmaster Veselin Topalov is a former world number 1 and a FIDE World Chess Champion. Starting to play chess at age 8, he became a prodigy soon after. He has been part of 9 Chess Olympiads and also bagged the Chess Oscar in 2005.

 18 
Anna Rudolf
(Hungarian Chess Player and Chess Commentator)
Anna Rudolf
4
Birthdate: November 12, 1987
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Miskolc, Hungary
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 19 
Susan Polgar
(Hungarian-American Chess Grandmaster)
Susan Polgar
2
Birthdate: April 19, 1969
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
 20 
Teimour Radjabov
(Azerbaijani Chess Grandmaster)
Teimour Radjabov
3
Birthdate: March 12, 1987
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Baku, Azerbaijan
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 21 
Wilhelm Steinitz
(American Chess Player and the First World Chess Champion)
Wilhelm Steinitz
5
Birthdate: May 14, 1836
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Prague, Czechia
Died: August 12, 1900

Wilhelm Steinitz was an Austrian-born American chess player. He is recognized as the first World Chess Champion, having reigned from 1886 to 1894. A multi-talented personality, Wilhelm Steinitz was also an influential chess theoretician and writer. Steinitz is also remembered for having a huge impact on the game and was a well-known player during his time.

 22 
Gukesh D
(Indian Chess Grandmaster)
Gukesh D
2
Birthdate: May 29, 2006
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Gukesh D is an Indian chess player who became the third-youngest player in history to qualify for the Grandmaster title, which was awarded to him by FIDE in March 2019. At the Asian Youth Chess Championships in 2018, Gukesh won five gold medals in different formats.

 23 
Mikhail Tal
(Soviet-Latvian Chess Player Who Became the Youngest World Chess Champion at the age of 23)
Mikhail Tal
4
Birthdate: November 9, 1936
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Riga, Latvia
Died: June 28, 1992

Mikhail Tal was a Soviet Latvian chess player. Widely regarded as one of the best attacking players and a creative genius, Tal was renowned for his unpredictability and improvisation. He was also known as the magician from Riga for his daring, combinatorial playing style. Since 2006, the Mikhail Tal Memorial has been annually held in Moscow to honor Tal's memory.

 24 
Tania Sachdev
(Indian Chess Player)
Tania Sachdev
12
Birthdate: August 20, 1986
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Delhi, India

Tania Sachdev is an Indian chess player who has been honored with such FIDE titles as Woman Grandmaster (WGM) and International Master (IM). Since 2008, Sachdev has represented India at the Women's Chess Olympiads as part of the Indian national team. In 2009, she was honored with the prestigious Arjuna Award for her contribution to chess in India.

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 25 
Viktor Korchnoi
(Soviet-Swiss Chess Grandmaster)
Viktor Korchnoi
6
Birthdate: March 23, 1931
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: June 6, 2016

Viktor Korchnoi was a writer and chess grandmaster. He is widely regarded as one of the best players never to have achieved the World Chess Championship title. He played chess until old age and became the oldest player to be ranked in the top 100 players list when he won the World Senior Chess Championship in 2006 at age 75.

 26 
Nona Gaprindashvili
(Georgian Former Chess Player and the First Woman Ever to Be Awarded the FIDE Title Grandmaster)
Nona Gaprindashvili
4
Birthdate: May 3, 1941
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Zugdidi, Georgia
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 27 
Alexander Grischuk
(Russian Chess Grandmaster)
Alexander Grischuk
6
Birthdate: October 31, 1983
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Russian super grandmaster Alexander Grischuk is also a three-time World Blitz winner and one of two people to have earned multiple blitz world titles. He has also won four World Team Chess Championship gold medals, including an individual medal, and two Olympiad gold medals. He is married to grandmaster Kateryna Lagno.

 28 
Anna Muzychuk
(Ukrainian Chess Player)
Anna Muzychuk
3
Birthdate: February 28, 1990
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lviv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union

Anna Muzychuk is a Ukrainian chess player who became only the fourth woman in the history of chess to achieve a FIDE rating of 2600 or more. Muzychuk, who attained the Grandmaster title in 2012, is a three-time fast chess world champion. 

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 29 
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
(Azerbaijani Chess Grandmaster)
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov
2
Birthdate: April 12, 1985
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Sumqayit, Azerbaijan
 30 
Vasily Smyslov
(Russian Chess Grandmaster)
Vasily Smyslov
4
Birthdate: March 24, 1921
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Died: March 27, 2010

While he created a record with his 17 Chess Olympiad medals, Russian grandmaster Vasily Smyslov has also been a World Chess Champion. He had begun playing chess at age 6, inspired by his chess player father. Initially an opera singer, he stepped into professional chess after being rejected in an audition.

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 31 
Alexandra Kosteniuk
(Russian-Swiss Chess Grandmaster)
Alexandra Kosteniuk
5
Birthdate: April 23, 1984
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Perm, Russia

Alexandra Kosteniuk earned the grandmaster title at 20, thus becoming the 10th woman to achieve the feat. She has won several contests, such as the Russian and European women’s championship. She has also appeared in a film and promotes chess through streams and as a chess ambassador.

 32 
Samuel Reshevsky
(American Chess Grandmaster)
Samuel Reshevsky
4
Birthdate: November 26, 1911
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Ozorkow, Poland
Died: April 4, 1992
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 33 
Sergey Karjakin
(Russian Chess Grandmaster)
Sergey Karjakin
9
Birthdate: January 12, 1990
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Simferopol, Ukraine

Elite Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin was 5 years of age when he began playing chess and a little over 12 when he made history by becoming the world’s youngest grandmaster. His skills have also earned him the nickname Minister of Defense. He is best known for his defenses against Magnus Carlsen.

 34 
Wei Yi
(Chinese Chess Grandmaster)
Wei Yi
2
Birthdate: June 2, 1999
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Yancheng, Jiangsu, China
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 35 
Koneru Humpy
(Indian Chess Player and the Youngest Woman Ever to Achieve the Title of Grandmaster)
Koneru Humpy
2
Birthdate: March 31, 1987
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, India

Koneru Humpy is an Indian chess player and the current women's world rapid champion. At the age of 15, Humpy became the youngest female chess player to achieve the prestigious Grandmaster title. In 2003, she was honored with India's second-highest sporting honor, the Arjuna Award. In 2007, Koneru Humpy was honored with the Padma Shri Award. 

 36 
Pentala Harikrishna
(Indian Chess Player)
Pentala Harikrishna
3
Birthdate: May 10, 1986
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India

When he was named Grandmaster, Indian chess star Pendyala Harikrishna became the seventh-youngest in the world and the youngest from his country to achieve the feat. He had started playing chess at age 4 and represented India at the Chess Olympiad at 14. He also has an Asian Games gold in his kitty.

 37 
Paul Keres
(Chess grandmaster)
Paul Keres
4
Birthdate: January 7, 1916
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Narva, Estonia
Died: June 5, 1975
 38 
Mariya Muzychuk
(Ukrainian Chess Grandmaster)
Mariya Muzychuk
3
Birthdate: September 21, 1992
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Lviv, Ukraine
 39 
Max Euwe
(World Chess Champion from 1935 to 1937)
Max Euwe
4
Birthdate: May 20, 1901
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Died: November 26, 1981

Max Euwe scripted history when he became the first chess Grandmaster from the Netherlands. A PhD in math, he also taught both math and computer programming, apart from publishing a mathematical analysis of chess. A chess world champion, he also served as the president of FIDE.

 40 
Jan-Krzysztof Duda
(Polish Chess Grandmaster)
Jan-Krzysztof Duda
3
Birthdate: April 26, 1998
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kraków, Poland
 41 
Andrey Esipenko
(Russian Chess Grandmaster)
Andrey Esipenko
3
Birthdate: March 22, 2002
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Novocherkassk, Russia
 42 
Mikhail Botvinnik
(Russian Chess Player Known for Contribution to the Design of the World Chess Championship System)
Mikhail Botvinnik
5
Birthdate: August 17, 1911
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Repino, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Died: May 5, 1995

Soviet chess player Mikhail Botvinnik was a three-time World Champion. At 14, he defeated the reigning world champion José Raúl Capablanca in an exhibition match. He was also a skilled computer engineer. He adopted a scientific approach to chess and penned several books on chess, too.

 43 
Richard Rapport
(Hungarian Chess Grandmaster)
Richard Rapport
2
Birthdate: March 25, 1996
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Szombathely, Hungary
 44 
Boris Gelfand
(Israeli Chess Player)
Boris Gelfand
4
Birthdate: June 24, 1968
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Minsk, Belarus

Legendary Soviet chess player Boris Gelfand is known for being part of the world’s top 20 players for most of his life. His accomplishments include two Belarusian national titles and a Chess World Cup. An author, too, he has co-written books such as Positional Decision Making in Chess.

 45 
Emanuel Lasker
(German Chess Player, Mathematician, and Philosopher)
Emanuel Lasker
4
Birthdate: December 24, 1868
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Barlinek, Poland
Died: January 11, 1941
 46 
Fabiano Caruana
(American Chess Grandmaster)
Fabiano Caruana
3
Birthdate: July 30, 1992
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Miami, Florida, United States
 47 
Vidit Gujrathi
(Indian Chess Grandmaster)
Vidit Gujrathi
2
Birthdate: October 24, 1994
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India

At 27, Vidit Gujrathi was ranked second among Indian chess players, just behind legendary player Viswanathan Anand. After earning the tag of an International Master, following his win in the Under-14 World Youth Championships, he went on to become a Grandmaster, too. He is also quite popular on YouTube.

 48 
Levon Aronian
(Armenian Chess Player and Former World Rapid and Blitz Champion)
Levon Aronian
2
Birthdate: October 6, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Yerevan, Armenia

Levon Aronian is an Armenian chess player who achieved the grandmaster title in 2000. Aronian, who currently plays for the US Chess Federation, earned the grandmaster title at age 17. Counted among the most decorated players of his generation, Levon Aronian is credited with leading the Armenian national team in several Chess Olympiads, winning gold in 2006, 2008, and 2012.  

 49 
Gata Kamsky
(American Chess Grandmaster, and a Five-Time U.S. Champion)
Gata Kamsky
5
Birthdate: June 2, 1974
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Novokuznetsk, Russia
 50 
Paul Morphy
(American Chess Player)
Paul Morphy
0
Birthdate: June 22, 1837
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: July 10, 1884