Jaan Ehlvest is an Estonian grandmaster of chess who has competed internationally for nearly four decades. Born on 14 October 1962 in Tallinn, Estonia, Ehlvest was awarded the title of International Master in 1982 and Grandmaster in 1987.
In 1984 Ehlvest was voted the Estonian Sportsman of the Year. The following year, in 1985, he won the World Junior Championship, defeating notable figures in the chess world including Alexey Dreev and Nigel Short. He continued with significant victories throughout the '80s and '90s, and by 1998 Ehlvest had become one of the world’s top 10 chess players.
As a prominent figure in chess, Ehlvest has played against some of the world’s greatest players, including Garry Kasparov and Rafael Vaganian. In 2003, he took part in an experiment dubbed Kasparov versus the World, where internet users could cast a vote on the moves of the grandmaster’s opponent.
Ehlvest now resides in the United States and has been a recognized FIDE Senior Trainer since 2013. In addition to his successful chess career, Ehlvest has written a book named "The Story of a Chess Player" about his journey in the chess world. Despite the many changes in his career, Ehlvest proves his standing in the global field, consistently ranking in the top 100 players in the world.