Svetozar Gligorić was a Yugoslav and Serbian chess grandmaster. He was born on February 2, 1923, and passed away on August 14, 2012. Gligorić was the national champion of Yugoslavia a record twelve times and is considered to be the best player ever from Serbia. He gained world recognition as a grandmaster by the mid-20th century and was a Candidate for the World Chess Championship on two occasions (1953 and 1959).
Before he turned twenty, Gligorić had become one of the top ten players worldwide, which was an exceptional accomplishment considering he received no formal chess training and had only started playing the game at the age of eleven. He is noted for his extensive development and popularisation of the King's Indian Defence during the 1940s and 1950s, in addition to winning a series of major tournaments.
Later into his career in the 1960s, Gligorić claimed victories competing against every World Chess Champion from Max Euwe to Anatoly Karpov, a testament to his skill and longevity. He also built a reputation as a respected chess journalist and author, writing many books about the game over his lifetime. Besides the chess industry, Gligorić was a professional journalist and even composed music.
A major part of his life was impacted by World War II. Gligorić was part of the Serbian Resistance against Nazi occupation, being recognised for his heroism. After the war, he obtained his degree in law while also continuing his chess career.
The chess grandmaster received numerous international and national awards for his contributions, including the October Prize of Belgrade, the Golden Badge (as the Best Athlete of Belgrade), and he was inducted in the Chess Hall of Fame.