Bart Michiels, born on December 31, 1983, is a Belgian chess grandmaster.
Having earned his initial chess training in his home country, Michiels later moved to France to further his skills. He gained his International Master title in 2005 and became a Grandmaster in 2012 after crossing the guideline threshold of a 2500 rating.
During his career, Michiels has gained a reputation as a solid and tenacious player, often opting for long, strategic games. Among his best achievements are three Belgian Chess Championships won in 2006, 2008 and 2012. He also represented Belgium in seven Chess Olympiads between 2004 and 2014.
Beyond competitive chess, Michiels holds a Master's degree in Business Engineering from Université Libre de Bruxelles. In July 2014, he became the youngest President of the Professional Chess Association.
Michiels believes that chess is an effective tool for cognitive development and has advocated integrating it into education systems. He was actively involved in promoting chess in schools in Brussels.