Armenian International Arbiter (1993), Vice President of the Armenian Chess Federation. Educational background – economist, urban-engineer and sociologist. Author more than 20 scientific books, urban standards and memoir. Chief Arbiter at the World Championship Match Anand-Gelfand in 2012, World Cup in 2005, 2009 and 2011, World Youth in 1997, European Junior in 1998, World Junior

Soviet and Kazakh chess Master who played in the 1947 Soviet Championship and won several times the Kazakh championship. Economist. A teacher and an expert in chess opening theory, he is one of the founders of the Pirc defence  when in the late 1930’s he contributed to the theory and practice of the Pirc Classical Defence (B08).

Czech Master and judge. Champion of Czechoslovakia in 1907 and (shared) in 1921 . Member of the National Team in the Olympiads of 1930, 1933 and 1935. Shared sixth in Carlsbad 1923. Died during World War II, a victim of the Nazis.

German player, one of the world’s best players at the beginning of the twentieth century. He played chess while studying medicine in Berlin and Halle. At the Congress of the German Chess Federation in Nuremberg in 1883, he received the title of Master, but he began to show great success in playing only in 1883.

Italian chess player who received the title of Marquis. National Master since 1900, he was one of the strongest players of Italy between 1900 and 1930. Chess journalist and one of the founders of the magazine Italia Schaccistica between 1911 and 1943. He played mostly in the Italian tournaments and was the third in Venice

German-born US lawyer, law professor and industrialist who donated large sums to promote chess and in particular, to analyse his gambit invention (1161 in the KING’S GAMBIT, accepted, a grotesque monument to a rich man’s vanity) and gave prizes for other games in which it was used. At Brighton, in August 1903, Lasker played six

Canadian International Master (1954) born in Ukraine. Doctor in medicine. Among his best chess achievements are the victory in the championship of Kiev ahead of Efim Bogoljubov in 1910, the third place in  his first all-Russia in 1912,  third in the Soviet championship of 1923 and 1925 and received the title of Soviet Master. In 1927

Nicola Palladino, born in 1932 and former President of the Italian Chess Federation. Nicola devoted his life to chess and was very well known in FIDE circles as the Chairman of the Chess in Schools Committee for many years and as the Auditor, where he chaired the Verification Commission. Perhaps his most impressive achievement was

Yugoslavian chess player, National Master 1930. Judge and chess collector. Editor of a chess column inBorba (1968-84). Belgrade Champion in 1927 and 1929. Winner of the Zemun in 1932. A member of the national team in Munich 1936 Olympiad where he won an individual gold medal for the best achievement at board 6. Author of

British leading player. Born in Belfast, Ireland. A bachelor who held the post of Secretary of the West India Committee of Merchants. In the 1820s he took chess lessons from William Lewis and became one of the strongest players of his country. In 1834 he challenged the French champion Louis-Charles Mahé de la Bourdonnais in