Miguel Najdorf (15 April 1910 – 4 July 1997) was a Polish-Argentine chess Grandmaster. Known for his aggressive style of play and his ability to create complex strategic situations, he was one of the world's top players in the 1950s. He won the Argentine Championship six times and represented Argentina in nine Chess Olympiads, gaining team gold on four occasions. He is best known for his record-breaking performance in a 1947 simultaneous exhibition, where he played 45 games simultaneously, winning 39, drawing five, and losing only one.
Born in Poland, Najdorf moved to Argentina before the Second World War and changed his nationality to Argentine in 1944. He was unable to return home because of the Holocaust and sought to make contact with his family by achieving prominence in international chess tournaments. Unfortunately, his wife, child, father, mother, four brothers and other family members were all killed in the Holocaust.
Najdorf's career accomplishments include winning the Mar del Plata tournament eight times; shared victory in two U.S. Open Chess Championships; and contributing to Argentina's four gold medal wins at the Chess Olympiad. The variations in the Sicilian Defence bear his name as he was a significant developer of this opening. His leadership influence extended beyond his playing career as he played a prominent role in successfully lobbying FIDE to change the rules on granting the Grandmaster title to reward success in strong international tournaments and Chess Olympiads. He was an influential writer and commentator and was inducted into the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2015. His prolific Friedman Memorial tournament performances continued until he was well into his seventies. He passed away in 1997 in Argentina.