With a peak rating of 2652 and peak ranking of world #85, Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson's strength was never in doubt.
But what truly sets Jan apart from other top GMs is his rare ability to turn his superior playing skills into a fantastic teaching tool.
The Hamburg-born grandmaster is the co-founder and face of leading online chess server, Chess24.
Whenever Jan graces the screen — to play blitz with viewers...run an opening clinic...or cover top games from the latest tournaments — he brings the perfect balance of laser-accurate analysis, insider knowledge, and club-player-friendly instruction.
An instructive moment or two is just around the corner with Jan close by, and we can all thank his storied career for that.
Jan was already a strong player before he was a full-fledged teenager, and his progress was rapid. He won the Under-13 German Team Championships in 1992...then, he took home the Under-15 and Under-17 German Chess Championships in quick succession.
As a full-time professional, Jan's resume has a long list of national and international tournament victories:
He won the German Blitz Champion in 2001...scored second in the 2004 and 2005 German Chess Championships...tied for first place at the Gibraltar Masters 2010 with a 2769 performance...took gold at the 2011 European Team Chess Championship...and finished first in the Thailand Open 2011 and 2019.
Jan also finished joint second in Dortmund 2008 — a FULL point ahead of 14th World Champion Vladimir Kramnik. Soon after, Jan began working as a second for World Championship Challenger and former world #4 Peter Leko...and coached the Danish national team for the 2010 Chess Olympiad.
A massive opening expert, Jan also worked with Magnus Carlsen as a second for the World Championship matches against Sergey Karjakin (2016) and Fabiano Caruana (2018).
Jan's experience playing top-level chess and teaching his craft to students made him into the highly sought-after commentator and teacher he is today.
And if you want to experience yourself the five-star instruction he's been famous for, then sign up for Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson's course below.
