Svetozar Gligorić: the best Yugoslav player in history
- País
- 🇷🇸 Yugoslavia / Serbia
- Título
- Grandmaster (GM)
- Nacimiento
- 2 February 1923, Belgrade (Yugoslavia, today Serbia)
- Fallecimiento
- 14 August 2012
- Estado
- fallecido
- ELO máximo
- 2600 · 1971 (first FIDE ELO)
During the Cold War, when the USSR dominated chess almost absolutely, a Yugoslav earned everyone’s respect for his talent and, above all, his honesty at the board: Svetozar Gligorić. The best player in Yugoslav history, a world title candidate several times, summed up his philosophy in an immortal phrase: “I play against the pieces.”
Who was Gligorić
He was born on 2 February 1923 in Belgrade, into a humble family. His youth was marked by World War II, in which he fought as a partisan against the Nazi occupation. After the war, he devoted himself entirely to chess and quickly became the great figure of Yugoslav chess, a country that would become a genuine chess powerhouse.
”I play against the pieces”
The phrase that defines him — I play against the pieces — sums up his character. Gligorić wasn’t intimidated by his opponent’s fame nor did he try to read their psychology: he focused on the position and on finding the best objective move, whether facing a beginner or a world champion. That honesty and objectivity at the board was his trademark.
His style was solid, balanced, and deep, especially strong in the King’s Indian Defense and Nimzo-Indian structures, where he contributed ideas that bear his name (the “Gligorić System”).
The best in the West
During the 1950s and 60s, Gligorić was a world title candidate on several occasions and one of the few non-Soviet players able to rub shoulders with the USSR’s elite on equal terms. He won the Yugoslav Championship twelve times and triumphed in top-level tournaments around the world.
His prestige went beyond the board: he was a leading journalist, an arbiter of World Championship matches, and one of the most respected figures in international chess.
A life of passions
Gligorić was a man of endless curiosity. Already an octogenarian, he surprised the world by releasing a pop music album of his own composition. He lived chess as one of his many passions, with a vitality that made him enormously beloved. He died on 14 August 2012 in Belgrade, at 89, as a legend of the game.
His chess DNA
In our chess DNA system, Gligorić represents the solid, objective player profile: balance between soundness and attack, refined technique, and a consistency based on honesty toward every position. If your GM twin is Gligorić, your strength lies in balanced play and the search for the best move without letting psychology sway you; your virtue is objectivity.
Keep exploring
- Bobby Fischer, rival and friend of his generation
- Tigran Petrosian, one of the Soviet champions he faced
- Bent Larsen, the other great Westerner of his era
- All players
Preguntas frecuentes
What does Gligorić's famous phrase 'I play against the pieces' mean?
It's probably Gligorić's most celebrated quote and sums up his chess philosophy: 'I play against the pieces.' He meant that, at the board, he didn't care about his opponent's fame or reputation — nor did he try to read their psychology — but focused exclusively on the position and finding the best objective move. This honest, objective attitude at the board, never intimidated or emboldened by who sat across from him, defined his sporting character.
Why is Gligorić considered the best Yugoslav player in history?
Gligorić dominated Yugoslav chess for decades (he won the national championship twelve times) in a country that was a genuine chess powerhouse, second only to the USSR. He was a world title candidate on several occasions and, during the 1950s and 60s, one of the few non-Soviet players able to rub shoulders with the USSR's elite. His prestige went beyond the board: he was a journalist, an arbiter of World Championship matches, and a highly respected figure across the chess world.
Is it true Gligorić was also a musician?
Yes. Besides his chess and journalism career, Gligorić had a great passion for music. Late in life, at 80, he surprised the world by releasing a pop music album he had composed himself. He was a man of wide interests and endless curiosity, who lived chess as one of his many passions. That vitality and open-mindedness made him, besides a great player, one of the most beloved personalities in 20th-century chess.