9 Iconic Chess Photos

What makes a photo "iconic" and not simply interesting or even outstanding? If you find that a difficult question to answer, you are not alone. The two leading dictionaries in the world can't exactly agree either. 

Merriam-Webster: iconic, adj., Widely recognized and well-established; widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence

Oxford English Dictionary: iconic, adj., Designating a person or thing regarded as representative of a culture or movement; important or influential in a particular cultural context

Here, we've taken nine photos that have had the time to become "widely recognized and well-established" in the chess world while also representing the "particular cultural context" of an era in chess. But with such a subjective word, one person's iconic photo may be another person's black-and-white nothingburger. Still, it would be hard to understand either the roots or present-day nature of chess without these images.

• The First Super Tournament, 1895
• The Five Grandmasters, 1914
• World's Top Prodigy, 1920
• Chess As Geopolitics, 1957
• Match of the Century, 1972
• Polgar Family, 1989
• Professional Chess, 1995
• World Diving Champion, 2013
• Conclusion

The First Super Tournament, 1895

Arguably, London 1851 was the first "super tournament" chock full of stars, but Hastings 1895 was the first one preserved for perpetuity in the form of a photograph. Here, in a single take, we find a stacked group of players that includes the first two world champions (Wilhelm Steinitz and Emanuel Lasker), five challengers (Mikhail Chigorin, Isidor Gunsberg, Siegbert Tarrasch, David Janowsky, and Carl Schlechter), and two unofficial world number-ones (Harry Pillsbury and Geza Maroczy). 

The 5 Grandmasters, 1914

What's more iconic than a photo with two champions? This album cover for the hottest mixtape of the 20th century:

Okay, the real answer is one with three champions (Lasker, Jose Capablanca, and Alexander Alekhine) and two challengers (Tarrasch and Frank Marshall) to boot. And while the official FIDE title of grandmaster was still 36 years away, these five players were decreed the "first" grandmasters by the czar himself, according to certain accounts—wrong accounts (see Edward Winter's note 5144), but it makes for a nice story, doesn't it?

World's Top Prodigy, 1920

Perhaps in 100 years, we will find photos of prodigies like GM Abhimanyu Mishra, GM-elect Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, and FM Faustino Oro to be iconic. But from 100 years ago, we have GM Samuel Reshevsky, whose simultaneous exhibitions as a child are legendary.

This photo almost seems staged, what with the multiple cold stares at the kid, even more folks staring at the camera, and that one guy with his hand on his head as if he just remembered that today was his wedding anniversary.

Chess As Geopolitics, 1957

Perhaps no photo better represents the ironclad grip on chess held by the Soviets during the Cold War. Each square on the demonstration board is as big as the players' heads! In fact, everything in this photo, even those giant Soviet flags, seems to dwarf the players. The hierarchy is clear: chess first, players (GMs Mikhail Botvinnik and Vasily Smyslov) second.

Match of the Century, 1972

We don't have very many photographs of the "Match of the Century" in progress because GM Bobby Fischer demanded all cameras be removed after the first game. And so every photo we do have of the most iconic chess match in history can be considered an iconic photo... especially in color.

Polgar Family, 1989

Taken 75 years after the St. Petersburg mixtape tournament photo, this shot helps us see the evolution of what a chess master can be. GM Nona Gaprindashvili and GM Maia Chiburdanidze were already grandmasters by 1989, but this picture of GM Judit Polgar, GM Susan Polgar, and IM Sofia Polgar is the one you show someone to really drive the point home. 

Professional Chess, 1995

GM Garry Kasparov started the Professional Chess Association to rival FIDE in 1993, and nothing says "professional chess" like a photo shoot on the observation deck of the old World Trade Center. That's exactly what Kasparov and GM Viswanathan Anand did before their 1995 World Championship match. Good luck finding a more "90s" chess photo than this.

World Diving Champion, 2013

GM Magnus Carlsen is a unique champion who certainly does things his way... even if that means getting soaked while fully clothed as the newly minted world chess champion in 2013. It was definitely the most memorable World Championship celebration and it will probably stay that way.

Conclusion

Chess is centuries older than photography. Maybe that's one reason why it isn't the most photogenic game out there. But as you can see, there have been plenty of terrific photos taken throughout the years.

What is the first thing that comes to YOUR mind when you think of an iconic chess photo? Share it in the comments!