Square Signatures?

Clever attention-seeking title I thought  but it is right to the point. A friend of mine had an idea (I suspect that many others have done similar things too) of having a chess board with a chess player signature on each square. This way the board would have 64 signatures by the end. Each signature would correspond in some significance to the square it is on. For the people whose signatures are not available (perhaps passed away already, or something), a professional calligrapher could be hired to replicate the desired signature.

This forum is kind of a fun game to name some chess players you think deserve to be on that board with in-depth explanation to the reasoning. The reasoning does not need to be chess related, but in some way connected to the square it sits on. 

For example, Bobby Fischer could be on e4 due to his famous "best by test"; perhaps Akiba Rubinstein could have his signature on h2 because of this famous quiet developing move in his game against Nimzovitsch (Berlin 1928, move 17. Kh2). However, they do not need to be on that square only because of some famous game; as long as you can reason the case for it, it is fine. If you believe that WGM Judit Polgar is a Queen of chess - she could have her signature on d1 (Where White's Queen begins the game).

This is simply a fun exercise to argue who should be on what squares, and why. If someone says e4 belongs to Bobby Fischer (earlier example), but you think that someone else deserves e4: mention it. If players are repeated, that is okay too - as long as you yourself do not repeat it. Obviously the logic behind the thought is the key to these as any square could could be for anyone (if justified). f3 could belong to Richard Reti because of the Reti opening (1.Nf3), or f3 could go to Mikhail Botvinnik because of his creativity in the Queen's Gambit where he started playing the f3-e4 pawn pushes. 

What squares do you think belong to anyone, and why? 

Very interesting idea! I'm not very familiar with chess players so I don't know that many names, but if I did I'd probably have ideas. But there are so many chess players and so many different variations that all belong to only one square, like e6 for example. Also when you think of just a square's name by itself, you think of pawn moves. If "b4" is said, you don't think of Nimzo-Indian Defense, you think of pawn to b4.

 exactly FunnyAnimatorJimTV, I thought it was a cool idea; I am curious to see what squares people assign to - and their justification for it.

That sounds interesting. Why does Bobby Fischer get f7? 

Mikhail Tal owns the e3 square

How about this. When a world chess champion first won the title, award him the square where he made his final checkmate. So if for example "X" won the title by moving his rook to f5, then give him f5 and put the year on it as well. If "Y" won the title by moving his knight to h7, then put his name and the year on h7. Would any expert know what squares would be covered if this occurred?

And give Judit Polgar a square as well!

I like this idea.

I agree with  Heather_Stephens and rishikeshwaran (post #14 & #15); this is a unique idea  The purpose of this forum/game is ultimately just a creative way to assign squares to players and the reasoning behind it; this fits that criterion with an especially creative way to assign squares. The only drawback I could foresee would be a lot of squares around the edges taken, but not near the center of the board (of course, many mates are delivered by luring the King "out for a walk" or trapping it in the center of the board somehow, but these are far less common than backrank mates or mates along the edges like epaulette or anastasia mates). 

I still like the creative idea though  and most importantly, I love the reasoning behind who gets which squares and why.

Morphy's most famous game is the Opera house game. There are two possible squares which Morphy could legitimately claim from this game, b5 or b8, but I prefer to give him b8. b5 is the square on which Morphy first sacrifices a knight for two pawns, giving him the initiative. b8 is the square on which he sacrifices his Queen, setting up checkmate on the very next move. I like to give Morphy because he is using his Queen as b8 (bait) to win the game. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFnY77FmSeU

Clever recommendation DavidEricAshby; like many other chess players, I have that famous game memorized. I like b8, the forced taking of the Queen is not only romantic but systematically effective too. 

Tal's Queen was so effective that his peer's joked that it was worth 12 points to Tal. So perhaps Tal could have the d1 square.

DavidEricAshby, a valued recommendation indeed - I really appreciate your reasoning behind your decision. I enjoy hearing "square" recommendations, but often people do not explain their thoughts. Thank you for your suggestion AND reasoning; I hope others will add to this forum too, in the same spirit that you displayed.

DavidEricAshby, also thanks for your abundant interest in this forum. I particularly found that Nigel Short "King Walk" game instructive. At the very least by idea and execution by Nigel Short as 31.Kh2 doesn't seem great to me. Of course, Nigel Short is a famous chess player and I am not - but I think I would have played Qf4 instead. However, by the time Short's King is on g5 it looks overwhelmingly good for White (engine says mate in 5). Of course, the King would of never reached g5 if a move like Kh2 were not played.

You've got to have Kasparov on there somewhere. Where do you think he belongs?