Mikhail Botvinnik

Mikhail Botvinnik (1911–1995) was the sixth World Chess Champion and the patriarch of the Soviet chess school that produced Karpov, Kasparov, and multiple other world champions. He held the world title in three separate reigns from 1948 to 1963, losing it twice — to Smyslov and Tal — only to win it back each time in regulated return matches. Botvinnik was the first champion to approach chess with the rigour of a scientist, preparing deeply researched opening systems and conducting meticulous post-game analysis; his methods became the global standard for how elite chess was studied for the next four decades.