A number of
Russian Chess players have gained international recognition. In Russia, Chess is considered to be a noble profession and the top players are regarded as national heroes or heroines. The government encouraged chess in the former Soviet Union and the players were given special recognition and aid.
The Soviet Union's Chess Federation in the year 1927 introduced the title of Grandmaster of the Soviet Union, for the players of their own country. But after awarding Boris Verlinsky, with the title of grandmaster this title was abolished in 1931, who won the Soviet Championship in 1929.
The title was again brought back in 1935, and Mikhail Botvinnik became the first "official" Grandmaster of the USSR. This was later used for the international chess competition.
There are many chess players in Russia, but the popular names are:
- Dmitry Gurevich
- Dmitry Jakovenko
- Victor Kahn
- Gregory Kaidanov
- Anatoly Karpov
- Garry Kasparov
- Boris Kogan
- Viktor Korchnoi
- Nadezhda Kosintseva
- Alexandra Kosteniuk
- Alexander Kotov
- Vladimir Kramnik
- Leonid Kubbel
- Alexander Morozevich
- Anatoly Lein
- Abram Model
- Leonid Shamkovich
- Alexander Motylev
- Jacob Murey
- Vladimir Nenarokov
- Alla Kushnir
- Olga Rubtsova
- Lyudmila Rudenko
- Valery Salov
- Grigory Sanakoev
- Andrei Sokolov
- Boris Spassky
- Alexey Suetin
- Alexey Selezniev
- Gregory Serper
- Vladimir Simagin
- Boris Verlinsky
- Tatiana Zatulovskaya
- Sergey Volkov
- Lora Yakovleva
- Vadim Zvjaginsev
- Kira Zvorykina
Some of these players have made a mark in the history of international chess and have been awarded the honor of grandmasters.
