List of chess players
There have been a number of famous chess players; matches between some of these are famous even outside of the chess world. See also World chess champions.
Male players
- Adams, Michael
- Alekhine, Alexandre
- Anand, Viswanathan
- Adolf Anderssen
- As-Suli
- Ashley, Maurice
- Mikhail Botvinnik
- David Bronstein
- José Raúl Capablanca
- Max Euwe
- Bobby Fischer
- Yefim Geller
- Anatoly Karpov
- Gary Kasparov
- Viktor Korchnoi
- Vladimir Kramnik
- Emanuel Lasker
- Alexander Morozevich
- Paul Morphy
- Philidor
- Aaron Nimzowitsch
- Tigran Petrosian
- Vasja Pirc
- Seirawan, Yasser
- Alexei Shirov
- Nigel Short
- Vasili Smyslov
- Boris Spassky
- Mark Taimanov
- Mikhail Tal
- Jan Timman
- Milan Vidmar
Female players
Famous people who were/are avid chess players
The people in this list are famous in other areas of activity, but are known to have played chess or maintain a current interest in chess.
- Allen, Woody
- Bogart, Humphrey
- Cage, John
- Charles, Ray
- Duchamp, Marcel
- Catherine the Great
- Benjamin Franklin
- George Washington
- Thomas Jefferson
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Leo Tolstoy
- Smith, Will
- Sting
- Tito, Josip Broz
- Wayne, John
Also of note
In 1997, the IBM chess playing computer Deep Blue was victorious in a match against then-world champion Garry Kasparov.