Play Chess Against Mikhail Chigorin

Mikhail Chigorin (1850-1908), the father of the Russian chess school and twice a world championship challenger, sits across the board. Set the strength, clock, color and starting position, then press Start game.

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Portrait of Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin — Mikhail Ivanovich Chigorin, 1850-1908.

Black · Mikhail Chigorin10:00

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White · You10:00

Mikhail Chigorinhistorical player

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OpponentMikhail ChigorinStrength1500Clock10+5You playWhite

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Mikhail Chigorin1850-1908

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1500

1500Chigorin, 1500 Elo target2600

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About Mikhail Chigorin

Mikhail Chigorin playing Andrej Ašarin in Riga in 1892

Mikhail Chigorin (1850-1908) was the founder of the Russian chess school and the first Russian to challenge for the world championship. A romantic of the old school, he swore by the King's Gambit and attacked with a directness that produced two hard-fought title matches against Wilhelm Steinitz in Havana. He finished second at the great Hastings 1895 tournament, won the first All-Russian championship in 1899 and edited one of Russia's first chess magazines. Soviet champions from Botvinnik onward traced their chess ancestry back to him, and his defense to the Queen's Gambit is still played.

Two world title matchesChallenged Steinitz in Havana in 1889 and 1892, losing narrowly the second time

Second at Hastings 1895Finished half a point behind Pillsbury, ahead of Lasker, Tarrasch and Steinitz

First Russian championWon the first All-Russian tournament, played in Moscow in 1899

The Chigorin DefenseHis 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nc6 still appears in grandmaster practice

1850
Born in Gatchina
Mikhail Chigorin was born on 12 November 1850 in Gatchina, near St Petersburg.
1874
A late calling
Took up chess seriously in his twenties in St Petersburg and rose quickly past his teacher Emanuel Schiffers.
1889
First title match
Challenged Wilhelm Steinitz for the world championship in Havana, losing 10.5 to 6.5 in a fighting match.
1891
Telegraph revenge
Won a celebrated two-game cable match against Steinitz, played by telegraph between St Petersburg and Havana.
1892
Second title match
Pushed Steinitz all the way in Havana before losing 12.5 to 10.5, blundering into mate in two in the final game.
1895
Second at Hastings
Finished half a point behind Pillsbury at Hastings 1895, ahead of Lasker, Tarrasch and Steinitz.
1899
First Russian champion
Won the first All-Russian tournament in Moscow, the forerunner of the Soviet championship.
1908
Death in Lublin
Died on 25 January 1908 in Lublin. Soviet champions from Botvinnik onward named him the father of their school.