CUE Research · Study 14

Chess Grandmasters

More than two thousand holders of chess’s highest title.

The question: Do the world’s strongest chess players share numbers, signs or birthdays?

What stands out

  • Clear difference · Birth month

    Born since 1950: Jan appears 211 times against about 161.8 expected (1.30×).

  • Clear difference · Birth month

    All grandmasters: Jan appears 228 times against about 178.2 expected (1.28×).

  • Clear difference · Chinese sign

    Born before 1950: Ox appears 31 times against about 16.2 expected (1.92×).

  • Clear difference · Chinese sign

    Born before 1950: Pig appears 31 times against about 16.2 expected (1.91×).

  • Clear difference · Birth quarter

    All grandmasters: Oct–Dec appears only 455 times against about 528.7 expected.

Worth watching, not enough to claim

  • Birth quarter

    Born since 1950: Oct–Dec appears only 414 times against about 480.1 expected.

  • Birth quarter

    All grandmasters: Jan–Mar appears 587 times against about 518.6 expected (1.13×).

  • Chinese sign

    Born before 1950: Cat appears only 3 times against about 15.7 expected.

  • Birth month

    All grandmasters: Dec appears only 137 times against about 178.2 expected.

  • Birth quarter

    Born since 1950: Jan–Mar appears 527 times against about 470.9 expected (1.12×).

  • Day energy + Life Path

    All grandmasters: 1 day · LP 9 appears 47 times against about 30.8 expected (1.52×).

All grandmasters: Oct–Dec appears 455 times against about 528.7 expected. That is a clear difference for a group of 2099.

All grandmasters Expected, random birthdays 1865–2013 Clear difference Worth watching
See the first 300 of 2099 in “All grandmasters”
#NameBornDetailLife PathSunChinese
1A. Koushik Girish1997-08-3111VirgoOx
2Aarav Dengla2009-07-257LeoOx
3Aaron Summerscale1969-08-265VirgoRooster
4Aaryan Varshney2005-04-079AriesRooster
5Abdelrahman Hesham1992-12-028SagittariusMonkey
6Abdimalik Abdisalimov2002-03-031PiscesHorse
7Abdulla Gadimbayli2002-01-027CapricornSnake
8Abdullah Al-Rakib1980-12-025SagittariusMonkey
9Abhijeet Gupta1989-10-168LibraSnake
10Abhijit Kunte1977-03-033PiscesSnake
11Abhimanyu Mishra2009-02-059AquariusOx
12Abhimanyu Puranik2000-02-116AquariusDragon
13Ádám Horváth1981-07-144CancerRooster
14Ádám Kozák2002-06-157GeminiHorse
15Adam Kuligowski1955-12-2411CapricornGoat
16Adam Tukhaev1988-02-1433/6AquariusCat
17Adar Tarhan2007-10-258ScorpioPig
18Adham Fawzy2000-01-036CapricornCat
19Adham Kandil2001-12-197SagittariusSnake
20Adhiban Baskaran1992-08-158LeoMonkey
21Aditya Mittal2006-09-199VirgoDog
22Aditya Samant2006-09-098VirgoDog
23Adrian Mikhalchishin1954-11-183ScorpioHorse
24Adrien Demuth1991-04-1411AriesGoat
25Ahmad Ahmadzada2004-12-134SagittariusMonkey
26Ahmed Adly1987-02-191PiscesCat
27Aidyn Guseinov1955-11-307SagittariusGoat
28Aimen Rizouk1979-08-031LeoGoat
29Aivars Gipslis1937-02-083AquariusRat
30Akash G1996-10-019LibraRat
32Aksel Bu Kvaloy2008-08-123LeoRat
33Akshat Chandra1999-05-287GeminiCat
34Akshayraj Kore1988-09-019VirgoDragon
35Al Khatib Ahmad1995-04-2811TaurusPig
36Alan Pichot1998-08-133LeoTiger
37Albéric O'Kelly de Galway1911-05-177TaurusPig
38Alberto David1970-03-2628/1AriesDog
39Albin Planinc1944-04-184AriesMonkey
40Alder Escobar Forero1977-03-1111PiscesSnake
41Aldiyar Ansat2008-07-155CancerRat
42Alejandro Hoffman1966-10-264ScorpioHorse
43Alejandro Ramírez1988-06-218CancerDragon
44Aleksa Striković1961-05-127TaurusOx
45Aleksandar Čoloviḱ1976-01-063CapricornCat
46Aleksandar Inđić1995-08-2411VirgoPig
47Aleksandar Kovacevic1974-02-117AquariusTiger
48Aleksandar Matanović1930-05-235GeminiHorse
49Aleksander Delchev1971-07-154CancerPig
50Aleksander Miśta1983-01-0711CapricornDog
51Aleksander Wojtkiewicz1963-01-158CapricornTiger
52Aleksandr Ivanov1965-01-195CapricornDragon
53Aleksandr Karpatchev1967-05-258GeminiGoat
54Aleksandr Kharitonov1986-11-087ScorpioTiger
55Aleksandr Khasin1951-04-294TaurusCat
56Aleksandr Lenderman1989-09-235LibraSnake
57Aleksandr Poluljahov1965-06-0633GeminiSnake
58Aleksandr Rakhmanov1989-08-289VirgoSnake
60Aleksandr Volodin1990-12-105SagittariusHorse
61Aleksandr Yevdokimov1985-10-287ScorpioOx
62Aleksandr Zaytsev1985-06-283CancerOx
63Aleksandra Goryachkina1998-09-281LibraTiger
64Aleksei Lugovoi1975-03-053PiscesCat
65Aleksei Pridorozhni1981-08-279VirgoRooster
66Aleksej Aleksandrov1973-05-119TaurusOx
67Aleksey Gavrilov1960-10-201LibraRat
68Aleksey Goganov1991-07-268LeoGoat
69Aleksey Grebnev2006-07-265LeoDog
70Aleksey Sorokin2000-04-131AriesDragon
71Alessio Valsecchi1992-04-255TaurusMonkey
72Alex Sherzer1971-02-013AquariusPig
73Alex Yermolinsky1958-04-1111AriesDog
74Alexander Areshchenko1986-06-159GeminiTiger
75Alexander Baburin1967-02-198PiscesGoat
76Alexander Bagrationi1990-07-133CancerHorse
77Alexander Beliavsky1953-12-1711SagittariusSnake
78Alexander Berelovich1967-07-025CancerGoat
79Alexander Cherniaev1969-08-265VirgoRooster
80Alexander Chernin1960-03-067PiscesRat
81Alexander Donchenko1998-03-227AriesTiger
82Alexander Finkel1975-01-016CapricornTiger
83Alexander Fishbein1968-05-081TaurusMonkey
84Alexander Fominyh1959-06-159GeminiPig
85Alexander Galkin1979-02-0111AquariusGoat
86Alexander Goldin1964-02-274PiscesDragon
87Alexander Goloshchapov1978-01-2533/6AquariusSnake
88Alexander Graf1962-08-2533/6VirgoTiger
89Alexander Grischuk1983-10-318ScorpioPig
90Alexander Huzman1962-04-105AriesTiger
91Alexander Ipatov1993-07-169CancerRooster
92Alexander Ivanov1956-05-019TaurusMonkey
93Alexander Kalinin1968-05-261GeminiMonkey
94Alexander Khalifman1966-01-185CapricornSnake
95Alexander Kochyev1956-03-254AriesMonkey
96Alexander Kotov1913-08-127LeoOx
97Alexander Kovchan1983-10-217LibraPig
98Alexander Krapivin1987-07-231LeoCat
99Alexander Lastin1976-11-301SagittariusDragon
100Alexander Moiseenko1980-05-174TaurusMonkey
101Alexander Moroz1961-01-189CapricornRat
102Alexander Morozevich1977-07-184CancerSnake
103Alexander Moskalenko1988-06-084GeminiDragon
104Alexander Motylev1979-06-174GeminiGoat
105Alexander Naumann1979-02-179AquariusGoat
106Alexander Nosenko1968-01-1311CapricornGoat
107Alexander Obukhov1969-04-171AriesRooster
108Alexander Onischuk1975-09-037VirgoCat
109Alexander Panchenko1953-10-056LibraSnake
110Alexander Potapov1969-01-054CapricornMonkey
111Alexander Raetsky1961-10-178LibraOx
112Alexander Riazantsev1985-09-128VirgoOx
113Alexander Rustemov1973-07-0633CancerOx
114Alexander Schneider1962-05-229GeminiTiger
115Alexander Shabalov1967-09-128VirgoGoat
116Alexander Stripunsky1970-08-187LeoDog
117Alexander Tolush1910-05-018TaurusDog
118Alexander Vaulin1957-03-187PiscesRooster
119Alexander Volzhin1971-02-0222AquariusPig
120Alexander Zaitsev1935-06-153GeminiPig
121Alexander Zlochevskij1963-06-255CancerCat
122Alexander Zubarev1979-12-171SagittariusGoat
123Alexander Zubov1983-04-0411AriesPig
124Alexandr Fier1988-03-114PiscesDragon
125Alexandr Predke1994-01-0511CapricornRooster
126Alexandra Kosteniuk1984-04-234TaurusRat
127Alexandre Danin1986-03-145PiscesTiger
128Alexandre Dgebuadze1971-05-218GeminiPig
129Alexandre Lesiège1975-08-183LeoCat
130Alexandre Qashashvili1975-09-0233VirgoCat
131Alexei Barsov1966-04-0311AriesHorse
132Alexei Bezgodov1969-06-307CancerRooster
133Alexei Fedorov1972-08-055LeoRat
134Alexei Iljushin1980-07-299LeoMonkey
135Alexei Kornev1976-12-2028/1SagittariusDragon
136Alexei Shirov1972-07-043CancerRat
137Alexey Dreev1969-01-3011AquariusMonkey
138Alexey Khruschiov1982-03-128PiscesDog
139Alexey Kim1986-04-0533AriesTiger
140Alexey Kislinsky1984-06-1011GeminiRat
141Alexey Korotylev1977-03-0128/1PiscesSnake
142Alexey Kuzmin1963-03-083PiscesCat
143Alexey Sarana2000-01-2611AquariusCat
144Alexey Suetin1926-11-169ScorpioTiger
145Alexey Vyzmanavin1960-12-045SagittariusRat
146Alexis Cabrera1976-12-2533/6CapricornDragon
147Alfonso Romero Holmes1965-05-289GeminiSnake
148Alfredo Giaccio1970-07-153CancerDog
149Algimantas Butnorius1946-02-206PiscesDog
150Aliaksei Charnushevich1978-12-181SagittariusHorse
151Alibek Ibragimov1968-08-128LeoMonkey
152Alija Muratovic1962-01-056CapricornOx
153Alik Gershon1980-06-039GeminiMonkey
154Alin Berescu1980-04-149AriesMonkey
155Alireza Firouzja2003-06-1811GeminiGoat
156Alisher Suleymenov2000-08-056LeoDragon
157Allan Stig Rasmussen1983-11-207ScorpioPig
158Alojzije Janković1983-04-029AriesPig
159Alon Greenfeld1964-04-175AriesDragon
160Alonso Zapata1958-08-228LeoDog
161Aloyzas Kveinys1962-07-097CancerTiger
162Alvar Alonso Rosell1992-09-137VirgoMonkey
163Amador Rodríguez Céspedes1956-09-0811VirgoMonkey
164Aman Hambleton1992-12-309CapricornMonkey
165Ameet Ghasi1987-02-044AquariusCat
166Amin Tabatabaei2001-02-051AquariusSnake
167Amir Bagheri1978-10-199LibraHorse
168Amir Zaibi1988-05-228GeminiDragon
169Amirreza Pourramezanali1992-09-238LibraMonkey
170Amon Simutowe1982-01-069CapricornRooster
171Anatoly Bykhovsky1988-11-1911ScorpioDragon
172Anatoly Karpov1951-05-238GeminiCat
173Anatoly Lein1931-03-289AriesGoat
174Anatoly Lutikov1933-02-055AquariusRooster
175Anatoly Machulsky1956-09-249LibraMonkey
176Anatoly Vaisser1949-03-054PiscesOx
177Andor Lilienthal1911-05-0522TaurusPig
178András Adorján1950-03-3122/4AriesTiger
179András Flumbort1984-08-1711LeoRat
180André Diamant1990-02-093AquariusHorse
181Andrea Stella1993-08-148LeoRooster
182Andreas Diermair1986-09-298LibraTiger
183Andreas Heimann1992-01-105CapricornGoat
184Andreas Kelires1999-07-019CancerCat
185Andrei Belozerov1977-06-1711GeminiSnake
186Andrei Deviatkin1980-10-078LibraMonkey
187Andrei Istrățescu1975-12-0328/1SagittariusCat
188Andrei Kharitonov1959-04-045AriesPig
189Andrei Kharlov1968-11-201ScorpioMonkey
190Andrei Murariu1986-02-177AquariusTiger
191Andrei Shchekachev1972-10-2711ScorpioRat
192Andrei Sokolov1963-03-206PiscesCat
193Andrei Volokitin1986-06-183GeminiTiger
194Andres Carlos Obregon1986-10-2211LibraTiger
195Andres Felipe Gallego Alcaraz1989-12-104SagittariusSnake
196Andrés Rodríguez Vila1973-12-1933/6SagittariusOx
197Andrew Hong2004-11-2322/4SagittariusMonkey
198Andrew Soltis1947-05-289GeminiPig
199Andrew Tang1999-11-295SagittariusCat
200Andrey Baryshpolets1991-01-1628/1CapricornHorse
201Andrey Drygalov1999-05-197TaurusCat
202Andrey Esipenko2002-03-2211AriesHorse
203Andrey Gorovets1987-09-143VirgoCat
204Andrey Gutov1978-12-089SagittariusHorse
205Andrey Kavalyow1961-11-078ScorpioOx
206Andrey Kvon1989-04-1611AriesSnake
207Andrey Lunev1969-01-2111AquariusMonkey
208Andrey Nikitin1974-08-103LeoTiger
209Andrey Orlov1977-03-191PiscesSnake
210Andrey Rychagov1979-08-031LeoGoat
211Andrey Shariyazdanov1976-07-1233/6CancerDragon
212Andrey Stukopin1994-06-024GeminiDog
213Andrey Sumets1980-04-1528/1AriesMonkey
214Andrey Vovk1991-11-228SagittariusGoat
215Andrey Zhigalko1985-09-185VirgoOx
216Andrey Zontakh1970-11-045ScorpioDog
217Andrii Maksymenko1969-12-078SagittariusRooster
218Andy Woodward2010-05-021TaurusTiger
219Ángel Arribas López1993-11-276SagittariusRooster
220Anish Giri1994-06-283CancerDog
221Ankit Rajpara1994-08-274VirgoDog
222Anna Muzychuk1990-02-284PiscesHorse
223Anna Ushenina1985-08-307VirgoOx
224Anouar Ismagambetov1986-03-213AriesTiger
225Ante Brkić1988-03-3133/6AriesDragon
226Ante Šarić1984-04-065AriesRat
227Anthony Atanasov2008-01-305AquariusPig
228Anthony C. Kosten1958-07-249LeoDog
229Anthony Wirig1983-02-038AquariusDog
230Antoaneta Stefanova1979-04-194AriesGoat
231Anton Demchenko1987-08-208LeoCat
232Anton Filippov1986-12-0633SagittariusTiger
233Anton Korobov1985-06-259CancerOx
234Anton Kovalyov1992-03-0428/1PiscesMonkey
235Anton Shomoev1981-06-053GeminiRooster
236Anton Smirnov2001-01-285AquariusSnake
237António Antunes1962-02-068AquariusTiger
238António Fernandes1962-10-1828/1LibraTiger
239Antonios Pavlidis1993-04-019AriesRooster
240Anurag Mhamal1995-04-2811TaurusPig
241Ara Minasian1974-04-143AriesTiger
242Aram Gazarian1983-04-119AriesPig
243Aram Hakobyan2001-04-018AriesSnake
244Aramís Álvarez Pedraza1988-07-276LeoDragon
245Ardiansyah1951-12-056SagittariusCat
246Arian González Pérez1988-08-176LeoDragon
247Ariel Sorin1967-04-268TaurusGoat
248Arik Braun1988-02-089AquariusCat
249Arjun Erigaisi2003-09-038VirgoGoat
250Arjun Kalyan2002-06-179GeminiHorse
251Arkadi Rotstein1961-04-295TaurusOx
252Arkadi Vul1953-09-1111VirgoSnake
253Arkadij Naiditsch1985-10-254ScorpioOx
254Arkadiusz Leniart1991-06-2028/1GeminiGoat
255Arman Mikaelyan1996-11-257SagittariusRat
256Arman Pashikian1987-07-286LeoCat
257Arnaud Hauchard1971-11-158ScorpioPig
258Aronyak Ghosh2003-12-065SagittariusGoat
259Arsen Yegiazarian1970-06-185GeminiDog
260Arseniy Nesterov2003-01-208AquariusHorse
261Arseny Alavkin1969-01-177CapricornMonkey
262Arshak Petrosian1953-12-1628/1SagittariusSnake
263Artashes Minasian1967-01-219AquariusHorse
264Artem Chernobay1989-06-2311CancerSnake
265Artem Omelja1991-10-183LibraGoat
266Artem Uskov2010-03-2311AriesTiger
267Arthur Bisguier1929-10-083LibraSnake
268Arthur Guo2006-05-195TaurusDog
269Arthur Pijpers1994-05-1911TaurusDog
270Artur Chibukhchian1979-10-0633LibraGoat
271Artur Davtyan2002-08-273VirgoHorse
272Artur Gabrielian1982-12-264CapricornDog
273Artur Jakubiec1973-12-038SagittariusOx
274Artur Kogan1974-01-2933/6AquariusTiger
275Artur Yusupov1960-02-1322/4AquariusRat
276Arturo Pomar1931-09-016VirgoGoat
277Arturs Neikšāns1983-03-164PiscesPig
278Artyom Ilyin1987-01-043CapricornTiger
279Artyom Timofeev1985-01-063CapricornRat
280Aryam Abreu Delgado1978-07-095CancerHorse
281Aryan Chopra2001-12-107SagittariusSnake
282Aryan Gholami2001-07-269LeoSnake
283Aryan Tari1999-06-0411GeminiCat
284Asghar Golizadeh1990-07-291LeoHorse
285Ashot Anastasian1964-07-167CancerDragon
286Atanas Kolev1967-07-159CancerGoat
287Athanasios Mastrovasilis1979-04-183AriesGoat
288Attila Czebe1975-12-2633/6CapricornCat
289Attila Grószpéter1960-06-094GeminiRat
290Avetik Grigoryan1989-01-271AquariusDragon
291Avigdor Bykhovsky1955-03-0528/1PiscesGoat
292Avital Boruchovsky1997-03-158PiscesOx
293Awonder Liang2003-04-099AriesGoat
294Axel Bachmann1989-11-046ScorpioSnake
295Axel Delorme1990-05-085TaurusHorse
296Axel Rombaldoni1992-03-2311AriesMonkey
297Axel Smith1986-06-273CancerTiger
298Aydın Süleymanlı2005-03-225AriesRooster
299Azer Mirzoev1978-03-203PiscesHorse
300Baadur Jobava1983-11-264SagittariusPig
301Babakuli Annakov1972-05-298GeminiRat
302Bachar Kouatly1958-03-0311PiscesDog

Context What explains it

Junior chess events are often grouped by calendar-year age, so a small relative age effect is possible, as found in some studies of young players. The study looks for it in the birth-quarter view.

The Grandmaster title is awarded on results, so it means the same thing in every country.

Source The data

  • Chess grandmasters. Retrieved 2026-09-28. View source
  • Every person Wikidata records as holding FIDE’s Grandmaster title, the highest title in chess, awarded for results against strong opposition.
  • Verification: 2099 of 2128 included. A person is included when Wikidata records one birth date at day precision.
  • Expected values: every day of the years each group was born in, weighted by how many people were born in each year, run through CUE’s engine. Weighting matters for Chinese signs and Life Paths, which depend on the year.
  • A difference is called clear only in groups of 50 or more and at least three standard errors from expected. Because each study tests about a hundred values, a clear difference needs 3.5 standard errors; 2.5 to 3.5 is only “worth watching”.
Left out: 29 people whose exact birth date could not be confirmed
  • #31 Akiba Rubinstein: Sources give more than one date
  • #59 Aleksandr Shimanov: Sources give more than one date
  • #308 Bartłomiej Heberla: Sources give more than one date
  • #387 Chenxi Zhao: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #415 Dan Zoler: Sources give more than one date
  • #416 Daniel Abraham Yanofsky: Sources give more than one date
  • #696 Georgii Arzumanian: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #762 Hasan Abbasifar: Sources give more than one date
  • #916 Jean-Noël Riff: Sources give more than one date
  • #965 Jorge Roberto Elias Reyes: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #966 Jorge Viterbo Ferreira: Sources give more than one date
  • #1023 Karl Robatsch: Sources give more than one date
  • #1046 Kirk Ghazarian: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #1129 Liam Putnam: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #1135 Liuben Spassov: Sources give more than one date
  • #1218 Marius Deuer: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #1330 Milko Bobotsov: Sources give more than one date
  • #1367 Mukhammadzokhid Suyarov: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #1497 Pavel Šimáček: Sources give more than one date
  • #1503 Paweł Czarnota: Sources give more than one date
  • #1595 René Stern: Sources give more than one date
  • #1666 Salauat Izmukhambetov: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #1681 Santiago Avila Pavas: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #1757 Siddharth Jagadeesh: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #1799 Sumiya Bilguun: Sources give more than one date
  • #1868 Ulf Andersson: Sources give more than one date
  • #2038 Xiangrui Kong: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #2065 Yeshaayahu Tzidkiya: Only the year or month is recorded
  • #2113 Zhou Weiqi: Sources give more than one date

Reproduce it: the raw data snapshots and build scripts are in CUE’s code repository (scripts/data and scripts/build-*-study.mts).

Further reading

  • FIDE title regulations
  • Wikidata, chess title records