Jan Timman is a Dutch chess grandmaster and one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and 1980s. Known as "The Best of the West," Timman was one of the few Western players to challenge the dominance of Soviet chess during that era. He has competed in numerous international tournaments and has authored several books on chess strategy and theory. Timman's contributions to chess, both as a player and as a writer, have made him a respected figure in the chess community and one of the most important chess players of his generation.