Top Players

The most interesting aspect of chess photography is the sport context. Chess players are not the most expressive people, so when you want to tell a story from a chess game, the best moments are generally during the decisive part of the game and just after the game has finished.

As a photographer, I don't have a favorite player but some players are more interesting to capture, like Ivanchuk (the genius with beautiful eyes), Grischuk (the time trouble addict), Kramnik (the hippie), and Carlsen (the moody champ). But also, Wesley So deserves a mention, thanks to his religion, his Filipino roots and his playful character.

Because of David Llada's book, The Thinkers, I have thought about what a collection of my photos would look like. And contrary to David, I would present the photos with more storytelling – so probably to follow one player like Harry Benson did with Fischer. But if I had to select some photos like David did, I would pick the photos on this page.