Family Business: The van Foreest chess legacy spanning three centuries

The Polgar sisters are the most obvious example of an illustrious chess family, thanks to the achievements of Judit, Susan and Sofia.

In the current generation, Indian siblings R. Praggnanandhaa and R. Vaishali have formed a formidable family duo. In 2024, the two had become the first brother-sister pair to play the Candidates.

Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest, too, hails from one such acclaimed chess family. But what sets the van Foreests apart is the multi-generational nature of their success.

Jorden’s great-great-grandfather, Arnold van Foreest, was a three-time Dutch chess champion (1889, 1893 and 1902), while his great-great-granduncle, Dirk van Foreest, had also won the title thrice (1885, 1886, and 1887).

After a hiatus of more than a century from top-level chess, the van Foreest family made a comeback, starting with Jorden, who claimed his first Dutch title in 2016. This meant the family has had a national champion in three different centuries.

He was soon followed by his younger brother, Grandmaster Lucas, who was the Dutch champion in 2019, and Woman International Master Machteld, the reigning Dutch women’s chess champion.

In 2021, Jorden claimed the most significant achievement of his career when he won the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, becoming the first Dutch player in 26 years to claim the title.

For all of their rich history, it is surprising to know that the current generation of van Foreests had close to no clue about their chess predecessors when they picked up the sport.

“When I started playing chess, I had no idea about them. So, it was basically a funny coincidence that my great-great-grandparents also played Chess. And somehow, maybe it’s a little bit in the family.

Of course, after so many generations, it’s hard to say, really. But I checked their games at some point, and they were not so bad. And they were playing like 130 years ago or so,” said Jorden, who is here in the city, playing in the Chennai Grand Masters 2025.

Despite having the luxury of finding a competent-enough chess opponent within the family, the van Foreest siblings rarely play against each other.

“We didn’t really want to compete with each other that much. We would sometimes train together, but we were also quite individual. I sometimes help my sister when she needs something, but we don’t play against each other that much,” says Jorden.

Faced with the complex task of dealing with multiple chess talents in their family, the van Foreests took inspiration from the expert in the subject – Laszlo Polgar, the father of the Polgar sisters.

“When we were growing up, I think my parents took some inspiration from Laszlo Polgar. I, too, read some Polgar books. And of course, I look up to Judit Polgar. I studied her games and all. She was truly a special player,” adds Jorden.

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Earlier this year, Jorden and the 17-year-old Machteld achieved a rare brother-sister double when they were simultaneously crowned Dutch national champions, prompting a rare family get-together.

“We were actually really happy, but we were also really tired after the tournament. So we just went home and had a nice family dinner. And somehow, because I’m not home that much these days, I spent a few nights at my parents’ place. It was really good being back with the whole family,” said Jorden.

The van Foreest legacy, though, isn’t limited to chess. They are an aristocratic family that had deep ties with the Dutch nobility. The most historically significant individual from their rank would be Pieter van Foreest, from the 16th century, who is considered the Hippocrates of the Netherlands.

“It’s [nobility] something which was relevant a long time ago. So, my title in English would be squire. But it just means our family has a long history. I think there are records dating from the 13th century or so. And I think back in those days, our family was also quite wealthy, but now those days are long past,” explained Jorden.

The van Foreest siblings are just two national titles away from matching their great-great-grandfather and uncle’s tally. With age on their side, it is only likely that they will overcome that and become a reference point for great chess families, like the Polgars.