FIDE and the entire chess community mourn the passing of Jan Timman, who died on February 18 at the age of 74. The nine-time Dutch champion, elite player from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, multiple-time Candidates participant, he will be remembered for his imaginative playing style, outstanding competitive achievements and rich literary legacy.
Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Timman learned chess around the age of eight and quickly showed exceptional talent. His first notable success came at the 1967 World Junior Championship in Jerusalem where, aged just 15, he won the bronze medal.
Timman earned the International Master title in 1971 and he was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1974, becoming only the third Dutch player to achieve this honor after Max Euwe and Jan Hein Donner. The same year he won his first Dutch championship title.
His rapid ascent continued with a string of excellent results in international tournaments. In Hastings 1973/74 he shared victory with Tal, Kuzmin, and Szabó; he then went on to win Sombor 1974 (jointly with Boris Gulko), Netanya 1975, Reykjavík 1976 (with Fridrik Olafsson), Amsterdam IBM 1978, Nikšić 1978 (with Gulko) and Vidmar Memorial 1979.
At the peak of his career, Timman stood out as the best non-Soviet player earning the moniker “the best of the West”. By 1982 he was ranked second in the world, behind only Anatoly Karpov. In the 1980s Timman won a number of very strong tournaments, including Amsterdam IBM in 1981, Wijk aan Zee in 1981 and 1985, Linares in 1988, Euwe Memorial 1987 (with Karpov) and 1989, and the 1989 World Cup tournament in Rotterdam. Other triumphs included Las Palmas 1981, Mar del Plata 1982, Bugojno 1984, and Sarajevo 1984 (shared with Korchnoi).
Timman’s quest for the chess crown began in 1972, but he first qualified for the Candidates in 1985 after winning the Interzonal in Taxco. His pursuit culminated in the title match of the 1993 FIDE World Championship against Anatoly Karpov (organized by FIDE following the Kasparov–Short split), which Timman lost.
Timman represented the Netherlands in 13 Chess Olympiads from 1972 to 2004, playing on the top board on 11 occasions. In 1976 he won the gold medal for the best individual performance on board one.
Beyond competition, Timman made significant contributions as a chess writer and editor, including long-term roles with New in Chess magazine and authoring several acclaimed books such as The Art of Chess Analysis (1980), The Art of Attacking Chess (2014) and Timman’s Titans (2016). He was also a distinguished endgame study composer – one of the strongest practical players to excel in chess compositions.
In October 2025, Jan Timman was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in recognition of his enduring contributions to chess.
FIDE and global chess family extend their deepest condolences to Jan Timman’s family, friends and loved ones.
Photo: Harry Gielen