István Csom is a Hungarian chess grandmaster who was born in 1940 in Budapest, Hungary. He has been a significant figure in the world of chess for many years. As a young boy, he learned chess from his father and brother, and he quickly became a strong player. He won the Hungarian Junior Championship in 1956 at the age of 16 and continued to perform well in other chess competitions.
In 1962, Csom was awarded the title of International Master (IM) by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). He held the title until 1973, when he received the title of International Grandmaster (GM), the highest title a chess player can obtain.
Csom championed the Hungarian National Championship twice, once in 1972 and once in 1973. His appearances in international tournaments brought further success. He won or shared first place in a considerable number of international tournaments, including events in Kecskemet, Vinkovci, Olot, Berlin, Pula, and Copenhagen amongst others.
Besides individual performances, Csom also represented Hungary in team chess. He played for Hungary six times in Chess Olympiads from 1964 to 1982, collecting three team medals and three individual medals. He also appeared in several European Team Championships, securing two team bronze medals and one individual gold.
After retiring as a professional player, Csom made his mark as a chess author, contributing numerous articles to chess magazines and books focused on chess opening theory and strategy.