R
- Braslav Rabar (Croatia, 1919–1973)
- Abram Rabinovich (Lithuania, Russia, 1878–1943)
- Ilya Rabinovich (Russia, 1891–1942)
- Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan, born 1987)
- Ivan Radulov (Bulgaria, born 1939)
- Markus Ragger (Austria, born 1988)
- Viacheslav Ragozin (Russia, 1908–1962)
- Ziaur Rahman (Bangladesh, born 1974)
- Maurice Raizman (Moldova/Russia, France 1905–1974)
- Iweta Rajlich (Poland, born 1981)
- Ramachandran Ramesh (India, born 1976)
- Alejandro Ramírez (Costa Rica, born 1988)
- Richárd Rapport (Hungary, born 1996)
- Nukhim Rashkovsky (Russia, born 1946)
- Ilmar Raud (Estonia, Argentina, 1913–1941)
- Vsevolod Rauzer (Ukraine, 1908–1941)
- Yuri Razuvayev (Russia, born 1945)
- Damian Reca (Argentina, 1894–1937)
- Hans Ree (Netherlands, born 1944)
- Brian Reilly (France, England, Ireland, 1901–1991 )
- Dimitri Reinderman (Netherlands, born 1972)
- Fred Reinfeld (USA, 1910–1964)
- Heinrich Reinhardt (Germany, Argentina, 1903–1990)
- Salome Reischer (Austria, Palestine, USA, 1899–1980)
- Teodor Regedziński (Poland, 1894–1954)
- Arturo Reggio (Italy, 1863–1917)
- Josef Rejfir (Czechoslovakia, 1909–1962)
- Ludwig Rellstab (Germany, 1904–1983)
- Georges Renaud (France, 1893–1975)
- Samuel Reshevsky (Poland, USA, 1911–1992)
- Pál Réthy (Hungary, 1905–1962)
- Richard Réti (Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia, 1889–1929)
- Ramón Rey Ardid (Spain, 1903–1988)
- Alexander Riazantsev (Russia, born 1985)
- Zoltán Ribli (Hungary, born 1951)
- Pablo Ricardi (Argentina, born 1962)
- Isaac Rice (USA, 1850–1915)
- Kurt Richter (Germany, 1900–1969)
- Antonio Rico (Spain, 1908–1988)
- Alessandra Riegler (Italy, born 1961)
- Fritz Riemann (Germany, 1859–1932)
- Herman Van Riemsdijk (Netherlands, Brazil, born 1948)
- Friedl Rinder (Germany, 1905–2001)
- Horst Rittner (Germany, born 1930)
- Nikolai Riumin (Russia, 1908–1942)
- Jules Arnous de Rivière (France, 1830–1905)
- Karl Robatsch (Austria, 1928–2000)
- Walter Robinow (Germany, 1867–1938)
- Ray Robson (USA, born 1994)
- Ludwig Rödl (Germany, 1907–1970)
- Maxim Rodshtein (Israel, born 1989)
- H. Roepstorff (Germany, 1910–?)
- Ian Rogers (Australia, born 1960)
- Gustav Rogmann (Germany, 1909–1947)
- Kenneth Rogoff (USA, born 1953)
- Dorian Rogozenko (Romania, born 1973)
- Ivan Vladimir Rohaček (Slovakia, 1909–1977)
- Michael Rohde (USA, born 1959)
- Michael Roiz (Russia, Israel born 1983)
- Oleg Romanishin (Ukraine, born 1952)
- Alexander Romanovsky (Lithuania, Russia, 1880–1943)
- Peter Romanovsky (Russia, 1892–1964)
- Max Romih (Croatia, Italy, 1893–1979)
- Chris de Ronde (Netherlands, Argentina, 1912–1996)
- Catharina Roodzant (Netherlands, 1896–1999)
- Salme Rootare (Estonia, 1913–1987)
- Vidrik Rootare (Estonia, c. 1900 – 1985)
- Jakob Rosanes (Ukraine/Austria-Hungary, Germany, 1842–1922)
- Bernardo Roselli (Uruguay, born 1965)
- Leon Rosen (Poland, USA, 1869–1942)
- Andreas Rosendahl (Denmark, 1864–1909)
- Karl Wilhelm Rosenkrantz (Latvia, Russia, 1876–after 1928)
- Jacob Rosenthal (USA, 1881–1954)
- Samuel Rosenthal (Poland, France 1837–1902)
- Laura Ross (USA, born 1988)
- Stefano Rosselli del Turco (Italy, 1877–1947)
- Héctor Rossetto (Argentina, born 1922)
- Nicolas Rossolimo (Ukraine, France, USA, 1910–1975)
- Gersz Rotlewi (Poland, 1889–1920)
- Eugéne Rousseau (France, c. 1810 – c. 1870)
- Jonathan Rowson (Scotland, born 1977)
- Solomon Rozental (Lithuania, Belarus, 1890–1955)
- Eduardas Rozentalis (Lithuania, born 1963)
- Ruan Lufei (China, born 1987)
- Serge Rubanraut (China, Australia, 1948–2008)
- Karl Ruben (Denmark, born 1903)
- Jorge Rubinetti (Argentina, born 1945)
- Akiba Rubinstein (Poland, Germany, Belgium, 1882–1961)
- Emanuel Rubinstein (Poland, 1897–?)
- José Rubinstein (Argentina, born 1940)
- Simon Rubinstein (Austria, South Africa, born c. 1910)
- Solomon Rubinstein (Poland, USA, 1868–1931)
- Sergei Rublevsky (Russia, born 1974)
- Olga Rubtsova (Russia, 1909–1994)
- Iosif Rudakovsky (Ukraine, 1914–1947)
- Lyudmila Rudenko (Ukraine, Russia, 1904–1986)
- Mary Rudge (England, 1842–1919)
- Nikoly Rudnev (Ukraine, Uzbekistan, 1895–1944)
- Anna Rudolf (Hungary, born 1987)
- Alexander Rueb (Netherlands, 1882–1959)
- Mikhail Rytshagov (Estonia, born 1967)
Read more about this topic: List Of Chess Players