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Dutch Chess Great Jan Timman Dies at 74

He challenged Anatoly Karpov for the 1993 world title after peaking as the world's No. 2.

Overview

  • Dutch outlets citing NOS reported his death after a period of illness, confirming the passing of one of the Netherlands' foremost players.
  • Timman reached No. 2 in the world rankings in 1982 and was dubbed “the best of the West” during an era dominated by Soviet grandmasters.
  • He faced Karpov in the 1993 FIDE world championship match created by the Kasparov–Short split, losing 12.5–8.5.
  • He won nine Dutch national titles between 1974 and 1996 and took first at Wijk aan Zee in 1981 and 1985.
  • He wrote extensively for New In Chess and on endgames, made a surprise return to the Dutch Championship in 2024, and stepped away quietly in 2025 due to the physical demands of play.