Jan Timman, the Dutch chess grandmaster who was one of the world’s leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, died on February 18, 2026, at the age of 74.
Born in Amsterdam on December 14, 1951, he earned the grandmaster title in 1974 and was known as “The Best of the West” at the height of his career. Timman won the Dutch Chess Championship nine times, was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship several times, and lost the 1993 FIDE World Championship title match against Anatoly Karpov.
Jan Hendrik Timman (14 December 1951 – 18 February 2026) was a Dutch chess grandmaster who was one of the world’s leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career, he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as “The Best of the West”. He won the Dutch Chess Championship nine times and was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship several times. He lost the title match of the 1993 FIDE World Championship against Anatoly Karpov.