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Are there any celebrities, such as artists, politicians, etc, that also have a FIDE title? Also I don't want people whom had chess as a catapult to their job, because Karpov would be a great example of a politician who became so because of chess, or Carlsen whose modeling career is chess-based.

MikhailTal
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  • For example, great actors like John Wayne and George C. Scott were big chess fans. Allegedly, they used to play chess in pauses between shooting movie scenes. They didn't have a FIDE title though. According to the list, Pope John Paul II and Napoleon were also chess enthusiasts, for example. The only reason I am writing this as a comment (and not answer), is that most people on the list do not have a FIDE title, which is required in your question. The closest to a FIDE title among people on the list was Humphrey Bogart, I guess. – Zvonimir Sep 18 '14 at 15:18
  • I read somewhere that Lennox Lewis has a rating of +-1900, but I haven't verified whether this is "real" FIDE or converted ECF. Howard Stern as alleged to have played a few tournaments, performing at USCF +- 1650. These are all unverified and based on dubious sources, so I may well be spreading some crazy myths around :) – firtydank Sep 19 '14 at 08:30
  • Not titled, but Howard Stern! – shamp00 Sep 19 '14 at 17:10
  • Just thought about Rex Sinquefield. He hosted the Sinquefield Cup, and is a non-chess millionaire. – MikhailTal Sep 19 '14 at 18:05
  • Kenneth Rogoff is a famous Harvard University Economics Professor and a Grandmaster in chess. Do examples from Academia count? – Dag Oskar Madsen Sep 19 '14 at 22:14
  • Albert Einstein played chess once before, you can find the game easily online. But he rarely played chess as he doesn't want chess to distract him – Brass2010 Oct 26 '14 at 09:58
  • Enrique Setién, spanish international soccer player and ex Barcelona's coach, has a FIDE peak rating of 2050. – emdio Oct 29 '23 at 05:54

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here's a list of some famous chess players who were able gain fame in other areas.Just to mention ,none of them are actors or politicians.

Former world Champion Mikhail Botvinnik was a famous computer scientist and electrical engineer. He was one of earliest pioneers of AI.

Attacking player Extraordinaire Rashid Nezhmetdinov was also a checkers player,strong enough to participate in Soviet Checkers Championships.

Fred Reinfield was an author who wrote several books ranging from Philately,Numismatics to Physics,Geology and medicine.

Milan Vidmar was a very well known academic and electrical engineer who actually became an university's Chancellor(Equivalent to Dean) and went on to build a Institute which now bears his name.

Former world champion Max Euwe- Mathematician

Mark Taimanov- Concert Pianist

Robert Hübner is a papyrologist and was recognised as a leading player of Xiangqi(a chinese board game) who was not from China.

Here are some players who does not fit "famous in other areas" bill, but still were able to build their own career in other fields.

Lajos Portisch- Opera Singer

John Nunn- Mathematician

Sarrus1811
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    Lasker wrote important mathematical works while he was Chess World Champion, and has a bigger name than Euwe in the world of mathematics. Euwe had a longer academic career, though. – Dag Oskar Madsen Oct 26 '14 at 17:31
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Jose Raul Capablanca was a Cuban diplomat, in addition be being World Champion, in 1921-1927,

Tom Au
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