FIDE MASTER, CHESS JOURNALIST & EDUCATOR
Leontxo García (Spain, 1956) works as a chess lecturer, journalist, writer, presenter and commentator since 1983. Before that he was a semi-professional player for some years, (title of FIDE Master and two International Master norms). Expert on chess as an educational tool, he has trained more than 30.000 teachers in 31 countries. He is Senior Adviser for chess in education at the International Chess Federation (FIDE). His book Chess and Science, mixed passions (in Spanish, 2013) is on its 7th edition. He produces a daily chess column, videos, a newsletter, a podcast and many stories for El Pais, the most influential Spanish-language newspaper and the one with the most chess content in the world. Leontxo has interviewed every world champion since Botvinik (except Petrosian). He worked for radio shows and presented more than 100 TV programmes since 1986. He produced, with Garry Kasparov, the series La Pasión del Ajedrez (1998-1999). Leontxo ran Jaque magazine (1991-2001). He has a huge experience on live commentary of top tournaments. He has been awarded with the Medal of Merit by the Spanish Government, by the Judit Polgar Foundation as “Ambassador of Chess” and the European Chess Union as “the best chess journalist” (2019), and included in the FIDE’s Golden Book “in appreciation of his excellent contributions to develop of chess in the world”. FIDE awarded him three further prizes in 2024, for his work as a journalist, his special contribution to educational chess and his contribution to the development of women in chess. He was a curator of the Spanish Pavilion at the Expo Dubai 2021.