The World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries (WCHOF) today announced the 2026 U.S. and World Chess Hall of Fame inductees. Members of both Halls of Fame are chosen for their impact on the sport and include players, authors, journalists, scholars, organizers and supporters of the game.

The WCHOF celebrates the accomplishments of the game’s greatest players from the United States and across the globe. The institution houses recognition of both the U.S. and World Chess Halls of Fame, which will include 78 and 61 members, respectively, following this year’s additions. New inductees will be honored throughout the month of October in Saint Louis, where they’ve been hosted since 2011.

“The World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries celebrates not only champions of the chessboard, but the individuals whose passion, creativity, and dedication have expanded the reach and meaning of the game,” said Emily Allred, Curator of the WCHOF. “This year’s inductees represent generations of excellence and remind us why chess continues to inspire people across cultures and communities. Their stories are an important part of chess history, and we are thrilled to recognize their enduring impact. We also extend our thanks to the U.S. Chess Trust, which opened the first U.S. Chess Hall of Fame in 1988 and the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2001, helping lay the foundation for preserving and celebrating the game’s rich legacy.”

U.S. CHESS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

In 2026, Montgomery Major and IM Jeremy Silman were selected by the U.S. Chess Trust after reviewing the recommendations of the US Chess Recognitions Committee, whose recommendations were also then endorsed by the US Chess Executive Board.

“These inductees represent two essential pillars of American chess. Montgomery Major helped strengthen and connect the U.S. chess community during a formative period in our history, while Jeremy Silman’s teaching and writing introduced countless players to the beauty and depth of the game. His use of the internet through his wildly popular writings at Chess.com helped bring chess journalism into the rapidly emerging new information age. US Chess is honored to celebrate their lasting contributions and the legacy they leave for future generations,” said John McCrary, chairman of the US Chess Recognitions Committee and former president of the US Chess Federation

The induction ceremony for the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame will take place on October 8, as part of the opening ceremony for the 2026 U.S. and U.S. Women’s Chess Championships—two elite, national tournaments featuring the strongest players in America.

Montgomery Major (1903-1963)

Montgomery Major of Chicago shares credit for the very survival of the fledgling US Chess Federation. A chess organizer, editor, and writer, he was the creator and first editor of Chess Life. Working chiefly single-handedly and without missing an issue, he reliably delivered two witty and well-edited issues every month for 11 years. In newspaper format, his issues offered a round-up of national chess action with reports, games, photos and the laborious-to-prepare diagrams. His efforts gave the 1,000 US Chess members a crucial sense of community—a feeling that there were others out there across this big post-war nation playing and loving chess, and that the nascent US Chess was here to stay.

Jeremy Silman (1954-2023)

International Master Jeremy Silman is one of chess’s best instructional writers. His innovative book How to Reassess Your Chess: Chess Mastery Through Chess Imbalances (now in its 4th edition) continues to influence chessplayers around the world. Enjoying both critical and commercial success, his books (over 30 titles) have sold close to 1,000,000 copies, including The Amateur’s Mind, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course, Silman’s Chess Odyssey, and the award-winning Pal Benko: My Life, Games and Compositions. Silman was also an early pioneer of online chess instruction and journalism, using the internet to help bring chess education and reporting into the rapidly emerging information age. He contributed countless online articles and wrote and appeared in How to Play Chess: Lessons from an International Master (Great Courses series). As a player, Silman finished first in the U.S. Open (1981), the National Open (1990), and the American Open (1992).

“Montgomery Major and Jeremy Silman each transformed American chess in their own way. Major helped build the foundation of organized chess through his leadership, writing and pioneering work with Chess Life, while Silman educated and inspired generations of players through his teaching and bestselling books. Their contributions continue to shape the game today, and the U.S. Chess Trust is proud to recognize them with this well-deserved induction into the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame,” said Steven Doyle, Chairman of the U.S. Chess Trust.

WORLD CHESS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

The World Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs, or FIDE) will induct five new members into the World Chess Hall of Fame this year. These honorees will be celebrated during the 2026 Saint Louis Chess Conference in Saint Louis.

Ulf Andersson

Few players have possessed a style as distinctive as Sweden’s Ulf Andersson, who is renowned for his positional understanding and endgame ability. Andersson became a grandmaster in 1972 and first gained worldwide attention in 1975 when he defeated World Championship Candidate Bent Larsen 5½–2½. He remained among the world’s top ten players throughout much of the 1980s, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 4 in 1983. While renowned for his over-the-board accomplishments, Andersson also excelled in correspondence chess, achieving a record correspondence rating of 2821 during the pre-computer era.

Boris Gelfand

A six-time World Championship Candidate (1991, 1994-1995, 2002, 2007, 2011 and 2013), Boris Gelfand also won the 2009 World Cup and the 2011 Candidates Tournament. In the 2012 World Championship, Gelfand tied the reigning title holder Viswanathan Anand 6-6 in regulation but lost the tiebreaker. Gelfand, who was born in Belarus but has lived in Israel since 1998, led his adopted homeland to silver in the 2008 Chess Olympiad and bronze in 2010. He also won team gold playing for the Soviet Union in 1990. Gelfand is a renowned coach and trained the Indian national team, who later became the Olympiad champions. Gelfand has won dozens of top-level international tournaments, including Wijk aan Zee, Vienna, Alekhine Memorial, Cannes, and the Tal Memorial, among others. Gelfand is the author of several outstanding books, including Positional Decision Making in Chess (2015), which won the English Chess Federation Book of the Year Award.

Nana Ioseliani

Among the strongest female players of the late 20th century, Nana Ioseliani burst onto the international scene by winning the 1979 Women’s Interzonal in Rio de Janeiro with an extraordinary score of 14½/16. She later captured the 1988 Women’s Candidates Tournament to earn a Women’s World Championship match against Maya Chiburdanidze, narrowly losing by a single point. Representing both the Soviet Union and Georgia, Ioseliani earned an impressive 14 team and individual medals across eight Women’s Chess Olympiads.

Vasyl Ivanchuk

One of the most creative and universally admired grandmasters of the modern era, Ukraine’s Vasyl Ivanchuk has spent decades among the world’s elite. Ranked No. 2 in the world on three separate occasions, Ivanchuk came closest to the World Championship in 2002, reaching the championship match after winning the Candidates tournament. He has claimed victories in many of the world’s strongest tournaments and helped lead Ukraine to Chess Olympiad gold medals in 2004 and 2010.

Alexandra Kosteniuk

Alexandra Kosteniuk is one of the most accomplished female players of the 21st century. Women’s World Champion from 2008 to 2010, she emerged as a prodigy by winning the Russian Women’s Rapid Championship at age 12 and reaching the Women’s World Championship Final at just 17 years old. A multiple-time Russian Women’s Champion, European Women’s Champion and Women’s World Rapid Champion, Kosteniuk also helped lead a number of Russian teams to international success, including multiple Chess Olympiad gold medals.

“These inductees have defined excellence across continents and formats—players, mentors, authors, pioneers,” said Willy Iclicki, Chair of the FIDE Historical Committee. “Their legacies will inspire future generations.”

For more information on the inductees and ceremonies, please visit worldchesshof.org.

About the World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries

The World Chess Hall of Fame & Galleries (WCHOF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to building awareness of the cultural and artistic significance of chess. It opened on September 9, 2011, in the Central West End after moving from previous locations in New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami. Housed in a historic 15,900 square-foot residence-turned-business in Saint Louis’ Central West End neighborhood, the WCHOF features World Chess Hall of Fame inductees, United States Chess Hall of Fame inductees selected by the U.S. Chess Trust, artifacts from the permanent collection and exhibitions highlighting the great players, historic games and rich cultural history of chess. The WCHOF partners with the Saint Louis Chess Club to provide innovative programming and outreach to local, national and international audiences. For more information, visit worldchesshof.org and on social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube channels.

How Inductees Are Chosen

Each year, candidates for induction to the U.S. Chess Hall of Fame are nominated by the US Chess Recognitions Committee, which includes several leading chess historians, and begins the induction process by making the initial nominations for induction into the US Chess Hall of Fame. Those recommendations are then sent to the US Chess Executive Board for comment. The nominations made by the Recognitions Committee are sent to the US Chess Trust; and the Executive Board’s comments on the Recognition Committee’s report are also sent to the US Trust, which has the official authority to determine the inductees.

Representatives of the World Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs, or FIDE) nominate and select new candidates for induction into the World Chess Hall of Fame. Members of the World Chess Hall of Fame are chosen for their total contribution to the sport. Players, as well as others who have made an impact as authors, journalists, organizers, and in other ways, are eligible for induction.

About the U.S. Chess Trust

The U.S. Chess Trust is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Through the Trust, the Samford Fellowships have helped develop our nation’s top young chess players. Typically, nine of 12 players in the U.S. Championship are former or current Samford Fellows.

The Trust provides free chess sets to qualifying schools. It sponsors college scholarships and national events like the Intercollegiate and US Blind Championships. For more information, visit uschesstrust.org.

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