The Palace Journal
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.
A full portrait of Alexandra and Andrea Botez, the streaming sisters who made chess go viral on Twitch and YouTube: age, FIDE titles, Elo rating and key moments in their careers.
Born in Iran and naturalised French in 2021, Alireza Firouzja reached 2804 Elo points as early as 2022, a record for early achievement. A full portrait of the French-Iranian prodigy, from his beginnings in Babol to his place in the world’s top tier alongside Carlsen, Nakamura and the new guard.
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 […]
Kasparov and Carlsen never faced each other for the world title, but they crossed paths twice over the board. Figures, styles and a verdict on the kasparov vs carlsen debate.
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 a will of iron. 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 […]
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 considered by many to be the greatest chess player of all time. Nicknamed the king of chess, world champion from 2013 to 2023 and holder of the all-time Elo rating record at 2882, he has revolutionised modern chess through his versatility and his ability […]
Garry Kasparov, born in 1963 in Baku to a family of Armenian and Jewish heritage, reigned over world chess for 15 years and still holds the historic Elo rating record with 2851 points reached in 1999. His 1997 match against the Deep Blue computer marked a turning point in the history of artificial intelligence. Kasparov […]
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.
