Jan Timman, the chess grandmaster who has died aged 74, was one of the world’s finest players from the 1970s through to the 1990s; in an era of Soviet dominance he was known as “the Best of the West”.

A Dutchman, he was considered the best player outside the Soviet Union for two decades, although he described himself as “lazy” and was open about using alcohol and drugs early on. By Dylan Loeb ...