Andrew Soltis, a fellow chess columnist whom we vastly admire, found himself writing a biography of Mikhail Botvinnik (1911-95). His wife wondered why he would choose "such a cold personality." He ...

For many years, chess players associated winning with the Soviet Union and afterward, with Russia. The Soviets had created a hegemony on chess and world champions – except for Cuba’s Jose Raul ...

The world is enjoying a boom in chess playing following ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ TV series’ sweeping success. We’ve boiled down a list of Soviet chess legends who proved that chess is mental ...

Genius has its own logic. In 1963, at the age of 12, Anatoly Karpov made his debut at the famous Botvinnik chess school in Moscow — a landmark initiation for many future champions. But Mikhail ...