Jonas Neubauer (27 November 1981 - 5 January 2021), the only seven-time Tetris world champion, is generally accepted as the most successful and influential Tetris player in history. Dominating the Classic Tetris World Championship (CTWC) from 2010 to 2017, where he lost only once in the 2014 finals to friend and rival Harry Hong, he was known for his exceptional DAS technique, deep composure, and remarkable consistency. As of 2024, no other player has won the world championship more than twice.
Following a loss in the 2018 finals to relative newcomer and prodigious talent Joseph Saelee, and subsequent loss in a comparatively early round in the 2019 tournament, Jonas began pulling back from competitive play to instead focus on being a color commentator and ambassador for the sport he had dominated for nearly a decade. Jonas' instructional videos on the strategies and tactics of playing Tetris, published on his Youtube channel, have often been cited by subsequent players as their introduction to the game and sport.
Jonas died of cardiac arrhythmia of undetermined cause on 5 January 2021. Following his death, the shape of the Classic Tetris World Championship trophy was changed from its original "T-block" shape to that of a "J-block", recognizing him in a manner similar to the NFL's Super Bowl Vince Lombardi Trophy.