Mikhail Chigorin was born on 12 November 1850 in Gatchina, near St Petersburg. His parents died when he was ten years old and Chigorin grew up in an orphanage. He learnt the rules of chess at the age of 16, but did not take the game seriously until his twenties, when he had finished his studies and was working as a government official.
However, he then decided to concentrate on chess and became a chess professional. At his peak he was one of the best players in the world and in 1889 he played a world championship match against Wilhelm Steinitz which he lost 10½-6½. Three years later, in 1892, Chigorin played a second World Championship match against Steinitz, but lost again, this time 12½-10½.
Chigorin died on 25 January 1908 in Lublin, Poland, which was then part of the Russian Empire.
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