François-André Danican Philidor

François-André Danican Philidor (7 September 1726 – 31 August 1795), born François-André Danican and often referred to as André Danican Philidor during his lifetime, was a French composer and chess master. He contributed to the early development of the opéra comique. He is widely regarded as the best chess player of his age; his book Analyse du jeu des Échecs was considered a standard chess manual for at least a century. A chess opening, an endgame position, and a checkmate method are all named for him.

Read more about this composer on Wikipedia.