#21st Century

The Dutch-Russian grandmaster who reached the world top-ten before twenty, and whose wit on social media made him the public face of elite chess for a generation.

The American grandmaster who became one of the most-watched chess content creators of his generation — endgame virtuoso, speed-chess specialist, and the public face of the post-pandemic chess boom. He died on 19 October 2025 at age 29.

The four-time women's world champion and the strongest active female player of her generation — the prodigy who reached grandmaster at fourteen and chose academia at twenty-three.

The strongest female chess player in history — the only woman ever to break the world top-ten, and the player who refused to compete in women-only events her entire career.

The Armenian-American grandmaster who held world top-five status for fifteen years — twice World Cup winner, twice the closest non-champion to the crown.

The French grandmaster — Najdorf Sicilian specialist, blitz world champion, and the player who tied for first place in the 2020 Candidates Tournament.

The Uzbek grandmaster — youngest World Rapid Chess Champion in history at seventeen, and the player who beat Carlsen, Caruana, and Nepomniachtchi en route to that title.