Le Journal du Palais
Behind every famous opening lies a legendary player. This section traces the careers of the champions who have written chess history: the tormented genius of Bobby Fischer, the dominance of Garry Kasparov and his duel against Deep Blue, the reign of Magnus Carlsen or the rise of the French-Iranian Alireza Firouzja. For an overview, start with our ranking of the best chess players of all time, then discover how these champions have shaped chess culture.
In 1996 and again in 1997, Garry Kasparov faced IBM’s supercomputer Deep Blue. Revisit these two historic matches, the move that unsettled the champion, and the legacy of this duel for chess and artificial intelligence.
Alexandra and Andrea Botez are the sisters who revolutionised the way chess is communicated. Competitive players, successful streamers and ambassadors of a thousand-year-old game to millions of young people, the Botez sisters have made chess “cool” on Twitch and YouTube. A portrait of two women changing the perception of chess. Who are the Botez sisters? […]
Alireza Firouzja is the Franco-Iranian prodigy shaking up the world chess elite. A Grandmaster at 14, naturalised French in 2021, he is widely regarded as the future world number 1 and Magnus Carlsen’s natural successor. Portrait of an exceptional player. Profile Full nameAlireza Firouzja Born18 June 2003, Babol (Iran) NationalityFrench (naturalised 2021) Grandmaster2018, aged 14 […]
Bobby Fischer is the most fascinating and tragic chess player in history. World champion at 29 after defeating Boris Spassky in the “Match of the Century” at the height of the Cold War, a genius with an estimated IQ of 180, inventor of Chess960 — then a fugitive, a recluse and an exile. Here is […]
Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen are the two most dominant players in the history of chess. The Carlsen vs Kasparov debate has fascinated fans for years: who is the greatest player of all time? Let’s compare them on every criterion. Kasparov vs Carlsen in numbers Criterion Kasparov Carlsen Born 1963, Baku (USSR) 1990, Tonsberg (Norway) […]
The FIDE Grand Prix is one of the most demanding routes to the World Championship title. Behind every victory lie months of relentless preparation and nerves of steel. What is the FIDE Grand Prix? The FIDE Grand Prix is a series of tournaments organised by the International Chess Federation. It forms part of the qualification […]
What do champions do differently from ordinary players? The tricks of the greatest chess players rest on preparation, calculation and chess psychology. Their success is built on proven training methods, iron mental discipline and extraordinary strategic preparation. Opening preparation: a bespoke arsenal Champions devote a considerable amount of their time to preparing their openings. Unlike […]
Magnus Carlsen, born on 30 November 1990 in Tønsberg, Norway, is regarded by many as the greatest chess player of all time. Nicknamed the king of chess, world champion from 2013 to 2023 and holder of the all-time record Elo rating of 2882, he has revolutionised modern chess through his universality and his ability to […]
Garry Kasparov is considered by many to be the greatest chess player of all time. World champion for 15 years, holder of the highest Elo rating in history (2851), and protagonist of the most widely publicised match in history against the computer Deep Blue, Kasparov transcended chess to become an icon of human intelligence. Fact […]
Who is the best chess player in the world? Ask any chess enthusiast and you’ll get a passionate answer, with plenty of reasons behind it. Everyone has their own favourite when it comes to the greatest chess player.
