Akiba Rubinstein was a Polish chess Grandmaster at the beginning of the 20th century. He was described as one of the strongest players never to become World Chess Champion. Born on 1 December 1882 in Stawiski, Russia (now Poland), Rubinstein learned to play chess at the age of 16. He studied in Warsaw and then moved to Lodz, where he earned his international reputation as a chess player.
In his early twenties, Rubinstein established himself as one of the strongest chess players in the world. In 1907, he won five consecutive major tournaments, a feat matched only by two other grandmasters. He was widely considered a leading contender for the World Chess Championship, but did not play a match for the title due to the outbreak of World War I and subsequent mental health issues.
Rubinstein was well known for his exceptional skills in rook endings and his ability to handle pawn structure, and his games were regularly used for instructional purposes. He was lauded for his contributions to chess opening theory, including the Rubinstein System of the Nimzo-Indian Defence and the Meran Variation of the Semi-Slav Defence, among others.
Despite his mental health deteriorating later in life, Rubinstein remained active in chess and continued to play at a high level into the 1930s. He passed away on 14 March 1961 in Antwerp, Belgium. To this day, Rubinstein is considered one of the most unappreciated players in the history of chess, partly due to his introverted nature and lack of ambition for self-promotion.