Chess-playing doctors
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on Sun, 11/08/2009 at 12:51pm.
Some people have compared that an International Grandmaster (GM or IGM) title is equivalent to a Ph.D. in Chess. But a chess player who wishes to become a Grandmaster does not enroll in an accredited university and take classes, get assigned a thesis instructor, take qualifying exams, and write a thesis or dissertation for their doctorate. The youngest modern day PhD is 20. The youngest modern day medical doctor is 17. The youngest grandmaster was 12 (Sergey Karjakin) with dozens of grandmasters under 17. To have a PhD or an M.D. degree and a grandmaster title is a major accomplishment. There have been about 30 people with a PhD or medical degree (M.D.) and was also a chess grandmaster.
Here is a list of doctor chess players who have PhDs or medical degrees.
Dr. James Aitken (1908-1983); 10 time Scottish champion; PhD in history. His dissertation was on the Lisbon Inquisition. During World War II he worked at Bletchley Park on solving the German Enigma machines.
Dr. Maria Albulet Pogorevici (1932-2005); Woman Grandmaster from Romania. Polish women's champion in 1984. Medical doctor.
Dr. Alexander Alekhine (1892-1946); former world champion. PhD in jurisprudence from Sorbonne in 1925, who did his dissertation on the prison system in China. Some sources say he failed to get his PhD. He completed two of the four stages required for the PhD degree.
Dr. Lim Kok An (1920-2003); Secretary-General of FIDE from 1982 to 1988. Medical doctor.
Dr. Miles Ardaman (1963- ); FIDE master who has won 11 state championships. Medical doctor and psychiatrist.
Dr. Bolat Asanov (1961- ); Kazakh Grandmaster. PhD in history.
Dr. Lajos Asztalos (1889-1956); Hungarian champion and International Master. PhD in philosophy.
Dr. Jill Barber; Ladies Correspondence Grandmaster. PhD in bio-organic chemistry from Cambridge University in 1980.
Dr. Gedeon Barcza (1911-1986); 8-time Hungarian chess champion. PhD in mathematics.
Dr. Johan Barendregt (1924- ). Dutch International Master. Medical doctor and clinical psychologist.
Dr. Friedrich Baumbach (1935- ); Former world correspondence champion. PhD in chemistry.
Dr. Jana Malypetrova Hartston Miles Bellin (1947- ); Woman Grandmaster. Medical doctor specializing in anesthesiology.
Dr. Miklos Bely (1913-1970); International Master from Hungary. Medical doctor.
Dr. Volf Bergasser (1904-1986); Correspondence Grandmaster and French champion; Medical doctor.
Dr. Hans Berliner (1929- ); Former world correspondence champion. PhD in computer science from Cargenie-Mellon University. His dissertation was entitled, "Chess Computers as Problem Solving."
Dr. Ossip Bernstein (1882-1962); Grandmaster. PhD in jurisprudence from Heidelberg University. Lawyer.
Dr. Ludwig Bledow (1795-1846); founder of the German Chess Association. PhD in mathematics.
Dr. Beniamin Blumenfeld (1884-1947); Russian chess master; PhD. His dissertation was on the nature of blunders in chess.
Dr. Feodor Bogatirchuk (1892-1984); International Master from Russia. Medical doctor and professor of radiological anatomy.
Dr. Viorel Bologan (1971- ); Grandmaster from Moldavia. PhD in pedagogy from the Sport Academy, Moscow, in 1996. His dissertation was entitled, "Structure of Special Preparation of High-Level Chess Players."
Dr. Mikhail Botvinnik (1911-1995); former world champion; PhD in electrical engineering in 1951.
Dr. Olena Boytsun (1983- ); Woman International Master from the Ukraine. PhD in economics. Her dissertation was entitled, "The influence of financial liberalization on economic growth."
Dr. Frank Brady (1934- ); biographer of Bobby Fischer and first editor of Chess Life magazine; PhD in communications from New York University.
Dr. Ian Brooks; US Correspondence Grandmaster. PhD in biochemistry.
Dr. Karl Burger (1933-2000); International Master with two GM norms. Medical doctor.
Dr. Stefan Busemann; Correspondence GM from Germany. PhD in computer science.
Dr. Donald Byrne (1930-1976); International Master from the USA. PhD in English and professor of English at Penn State University.
Dr. Ricardo Calvo (1943-2002); International Master from Spain; Medical doctor.
Dr. Vincenzio Castaldi (1916-1970); International master from Italy. 3-time Italian champion. Dentist.
Dr. George Dean. Founder of Chess Collections International and owner of the largest collection of chess sets in the world. Medical doctor.
Dr. Nathan Divinsky (1925- ). Canadian chess master and author. PhD in mathematics from the University of Chicago in 1950 at the age of 24.
Dr. Leroy Dubeck (1939- ); former USCF President. PhD in physics.
Dr. Noam Elkies (1966- ); world chess solving champion; PhD in mathematics from Harvard at age 20.
Dr. Arpad Elo (1903-1992); Created the Elo rating system. 7-time Wisconsin champion. PhD in physics.
Dr. Thomas Ernst (1960- ); GM from Sweden. PhD in mathematics.
Dr. Max Euwe (1901-1981); former world champion; PhD in mathematics from Amsterdam University in 1926.
Dr. William Fairhurst (1903-1982); 11 time Scottish champion; PhD in civil engineering.
Dr. Miroslav Filip (1928- ); Grandmaster from Czechoslovakia. PhD in jusrisprudence and lawyer.
Dr. Reuben Fine (1914-1993); US Grandmaster. PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Ed Formanek; International Master. PhD in mathematics from Rice University, 1970.
Dr. Joseph Ganem; Correspondence chess master and editor of The Chess Correspondence; PhD in mathematics from Washington Univeristy in Saint Louis.
Dr. Mark Ginsburg; Internatonal Master from the USA; PhD in Information Systems from New York University.
Dr. Timothy Harding; Correspondence chess master; PhD in history from Trinity College, Dublin, in 2009. His dissertation was on correspondence chess in Britain and Ireland, 1824-1914.
Dr. Eliot Hearst (1932- ); Former New York State Champion. PhD in psychology from Columbia University in 1956.
Dr. Robert Huebner (1948- ); GM from Germany. PhD in papyrology. World leading expert on Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Dr. Harriet Hunt (1978- ); International Master and woman GM; PhD in archeology from Cambridge University.
Dr. Stephen Jones (1942- ); FIDE master and correspondence International Master; PhD in mathematics and a law degree.
Dr. Charles Kalme (1939-2002); Former US Junior Champion and US Intercollegiate Champion. PhD in mathematics from New York University, 1967.
Dr. Anatoly Karpov (1951- ); former world champion; PhD in economics.
Dr. Danny Kopec (1954- ); International Master from the USA. PhD in Computer Science.
Dr. Yona Kosashvili (1970- ); Grandmaster from Israel and husband of Sofia Polgar. Medical doctor.
Dr. Jesse Kraai; Grandmaster from the USA; PhD in philosophy from the University of Heidelberg.
Dr. Martin Kreuzer (1962- ); Correspondence Grandmaster. PhD in mathematics with a specialty in computational commutative algebra and applications.
Dr. Nikolai Krogius (1930- ); Russian GM. PhD in psychology, specializing in sports ppsychology.
Dr. Berthold Lasker (1860-1928); Older brother of Dr. Emanuel Lasker and chess master. Medical doctor.
Dr. Edward Lasker (1885-1981); International Master and expert in computer chess; PhD in mechanical and electrical engineering (although some sources say he did not earn his PhD).
Dr. Emanuel Lasker (1868-1941); former world champion; PhD in mathematics from Erlangen University in 1902. His dissertation was on geometrical calculus and ideal numbers.
Dr. David Levy (1945- ); Scottish international master. PhD in artificial intelligence from Maastrich University in 2007. His dissertation was entitled, "Intimate Relationships with Artifical Partners" (sex with robots).
Dr. Alisa Maric (1970- ); Woman Grandmaster. PhD in economics.
Dr. Neil McKelvie (1930- ); former Connecticut State Champion and Manhattan Chess Club Champion. PhD in chemistry.
Dr. Ariel Mengarini (1919-1998); American chess master. Medical doctor and psychiatrist for the Veterans Administration.
Dr. Jonathan Mestel (1957- ); GM from the UK. PhD in mathematics from Cambridge University, specializing in magnetohydrodynamics and biological fluid mechanics. His dissertation was entitled, "Magnetic Levitation of Liquid Metals."
Doctor Eric Moscow; US chess master and chess patron; Medical doctor.
Dr. Karsten Mueller (1970- ); Grandmaster from Germany. PhD in mathematics from the Univeristy of Hamburg in 2002.
Dr. John Nunn (1955- ); Grandmaster from the UK. PhD in mathematics at age 23 from Oxford in 1978. His dissertation was on Algebraic Topology and Finite H-Spaces.
Dr. Adolf Olland (1867-1933); first Dutch chess champion. Medical doctor.
Dr. Victor Palciuskas (1941- ); former world correspondence champion. PhD in theoretical physics and professor of geophysics.
Dr. Fred Payne (1931- ); youngest state chess champion in Kentucky and postal master; PhD in aeronatical engineering from Penn State in 1966, medical doctor, and US Air Force fighter pilot.
Dr. Jonathan Penrose (1933- ); International Master from the UK. PhD in psychology.
Dr. Tigran Petrosian (1929-1984); former world champion. PhD from Yerevan State University. His dissertation was entitled. "Chess Logic."
Dr. Helmut Pfleger (1943- ); GM from Germany. Medical doctor.
Dr. Joseph Platz (1905-1981); USCF Master Emeritus. Medical doctor.
Dr. Regina Wender Fischer Pustan (1913-1997); Bobby Fischer's mother. PhD in hematology and M.D.
Dr. Stuart Rachels (1969- ); In 1981, Rachels was the youngest American chess master and former US champion. PhD in philosophy from Syracuse.
Dr. Tim Redman; former President of the USCF twice and International Arbiter. PhD in comparitive studies in literature from the University of Chicago. World leading expert on poet Ezra Pound.
Dr. Kenneth Regan (1959- ); International Master. PhD in mathematics from Oxford.
Dr. Isaac Rice (1850-1915); chess patron and inventor of the Rice Gambit in the King's Gambit Accepted. Doctor of Law degree from Bates College in 1902. Attorney specializing in corporate law and patents.
Dr. Ira Lee Riddle (1946-2009); International Arbiter; PhD in mathematics.
Dr. Bruce Rind (1953- ); US International Master; PhD in psychology from Temple University and an independent researcher in the field of intergenerational sexualities.
Dr. Ken Rogoff (1953- ); winner of the US Junior Championship three times. PhD in economics from MIT.
Dr. Alexey W. Root (1965- ); former US women's champion; PhD in education from UCLA in 1999.
Dr. Christine Rosenfeld; First US correspondence international woman master. Medical doctor.
Dr. Sol Rubinow (1924-1981); former Massachusetts State Champion and US intercollegiate champion. PhD in methematics.
Dr. Anthony Saidy (1937- ); International master from USA. Medical doctor specializing in tuberculosis.
Alessandro Salvio (1570-1640); Unoffical world champion around 1600. Chess author. Medical doctor.
Dr. Eric Schiller (1955- ); chess author and USCF national master; PhD in linguistics from the University of Chicago in 1991, specializing in Khmer (Cambodian) languages. His dissertation was entitled, "An Autolexical Account of Subordinating Serial Verb Constructions."
Dr. Paul Schmidt (1916- ); International Master from Estonia. PhD in Science.
Dr. Claude Shannon (1916-2001); Founder of information theory and chess computer algorithms; PhD in mathematics from MIT. His dissertation was "An Algebra for Theoretical Genetics."
Dr. Jon Speelman (1956- ); English Grandmaster. PhD in mathematics from Oxford.
Dr. Louis Statham (1907-1983); US chess philanthropist. PhD in mathematics who pioneered the use of shock waves in oil exploration.
Dr. Leo Stefurak; Seattle chess master and instructor; PhD in dognitive neuro psychology.
Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934); One of the top players in the world. Medical doctor specializing in hypnosis.
Dr. Saviely Tartakower (1887-1956); Grandmaster from France. PhD in jurisprudence.
Dr. Alan Turing (1912-1954); computer scientist and amateur chess player. PhD in mathematics from Princeton in 1938. His dissertation was on the notion of relative computing.
Dr. Irina Mikhailova Umanskayal (1963- ); Woman Grandmaster from Russia. PhD in pedagogy. Her dissertation was "Developing of advanced junior chess-players with the help of chess software and Internet reources."
Dr. Stan Vaughan; chess master and organizer; PhD in accounting.
Dr. Milan Vidmar (1885-1962); Yugoslavia's first GM. PhD in electrical engineering.
Dr. Erwin Voellmy (1886-1951); Three-time Swiss champion. PhD in mathematics.
Dr. Milan Vukcevich (1937-2003); International Master from the USA. PhD in chemistry from MIT. He was once considered for the Nobel prize in chemistry.
Dr. Michael Wierzbicki; US chess master and winner of 10 state chess titles; PhD in psychology from Indiana University in 1980.
Dr. Johannes Zukertort (1842-1888). One of the leading world players in the 1870s and 1880s. Medical doctor (he enrolled in medical school but may not have graduated).
Honorary doctorates: Viswanathan Anand, Adolf Anderssen, Florencio Campomanes, Marcel Duchamp, Viktor Korhnoi, Susan Polgar.
Did I miss anyone with PhD or MD degrees that are well known chessplayers? How many here has a PhD or M.D. degree?
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