10 Greatest Chess Players in History: Chess Legends

There are many legends, world champions, contenders, world-class chess players, and grandmasters in the history of our favorite game. Their games delight, inspire and teach us the royal game. Often, amateurs debate the relative strength of the titans of chess, asking the central question: “Who is the greatest chess player of all time?” We would like to present to you the rating of the 10 greatest chess players in history.

10 Greatest Chess Players: Alexander Alekhine

Alexander Alekhine was the fourth world chess champion from 1927 to 1946. He was a brilliant, versatile chess player with a special ability to play combinational play in difficult positions. Alekhine won the world championship match against Jose Raul Capablanca in 1927. Although he had not won a single game before. Alekhine kept his throne of the world champion for a long period of time. But he successfully defended the title only twice, in matches against Efim Bogolyubov in 1929 and 1934. For many reasons, Capablanca and Alekhine never played a rematch. In 1935, Alekhine unexpectedly lost in the world championship match to Max Euwe. But two years later he won the rematch and regained the crown he had kept until his death.

Mikhail Tal: “The Chess Demon”

Mikhail Tal was the eighth official world champion. In 1960, he defeated Botvinnik, winning the title at 23 and becoming the youngest world champion. Although Kasparov and Carlsen would later surpass this achievement. Tal’s unique attacking style has inspired chess players for many decades. His statement is known: “You need to drag the enemy into a dark, dense forest, where 2 + 2 = 5, and the saving path is narrow enough that only you can walk along with it.” Tal’s collection of games In the Fire Attack is considered one of the greatest chess books of all time.

10 Greatest Chess Players: Emanuel Lasker

Emanuel Lasker was the second world chess champion. He held the title for 27 years, from 1894 to 1921, longer than anyone else. His playing career spanned fifty years. Lasker won the title against the first world champion Wilhelm Steinitz in 1894. He defended it five times against world-class challengers: Frank Marshall, Siegbert Tarrasch, David Janowski, and Karl Schlechter. Thus, in 1921, Lasker lost to Capablanca in the world championship match but continued to achieve the highest level of success. In 1935, at the age of 66, he finished third in a tournament in Moscow, half a point behind Botvinnik and Salo Flora, but ahead of Capablanca and 16 other participants.

Russian Chess Grandmaster: Vladimir Kramnik

Vladimir Kramnik, the world champion from 2000 to 2007, defeated the legendary Kasparov in 2000. And he defended his title in matches against Peter Leko in 2004 and Veselin Topalov in 2006. After defeating FIDE World Champion Topalov in a unification match, Kramnik became the first undisputed world champion since Kasparov’s split from FIDE in 1993.

According to online sportsbook news in Russia, in his best years, Kramnik could do anything in chess. He is especially known for his fantastic endgame skills and clean positional style. Kramnik is one of the most unapproachable defenders in the history of chess. For 25 years in a row, Kramnik was among the ten strongest grandmasters in the world, until in January 2019 he announced his retirement from professional chess.

Patriarch of Soviet Chess: Mikhail Botvinnik

The sixth world champion held the title from 1948 to 1963, remaining one of the strongest grandmasters in the world for over 30 years. Botvinnik’s style was characterized by a combination of iron logic and flexibility. He also had a special gift for methodical preparation and strategic planning. He could adapt to any opponent’s style of play.

So, Botvinnik became world champion in 1948 and defended his title in matches with David Bronstein and Vasily Smyslov. In 1957, Smyslov defeated Botvinnik, but he regained the title in a rematch the following year. In 1960 Botvinnik lost to Tal, but again learned from the defeat and won the rematch in 1961. His era on the chess throne ended with a match against Petrosyan in 1963. But Botvinnik continued to play at the highest level until the end of his tournament career in 1970.

10 Greatest Chess Players: Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Karpov, the 12th world champion, held the chess crown from 1975 to 1985, and from 1993 to 1999 was the FIDE world champion. Karpov was an extremely versatile chess player. Beside of this, the main features of his style are positional clamping, preventive play, and excellent endship technique. The world champion title went to Karpov when Fischer refused to defend his title in 1975 because FIDE did not agree to his terms. He defended the crown twice in matches with Viktor Korchnoi in 1978 and 1981. In 1984 Karpov faced Kasparov in a world championship match, and the world of chess changed forever.

In total, from 1984 to 1990, they played five matches: 19 games were won by Karpov, 21 by Kasparov, and 104 ended in a draw! When Kasparov broke with FIDE in 1993, Karpov won a match under the auspices of this organization, Jan Timman, in 1996 he defended his title in a match with Gata Kamsky, and in 1998 with Anand. In 1999, FIDE decided to play the title of champion in a knockout tournament, but Karpov refused to play under such conditions. Karpov’s work today remains a source of inspiration for all positional chess players. The collection of his best games is one of the greatest books in the history of chess.

Chess Machine: Jose Raul Capablanca

Jose-Raul Capablanca is the third world chess champion and one of the most gifted chess players in history. From 1916 to 1924, his series of games continued with 40 victories and 23 draws without defeat – an unprecedented historical achievement. During these years, Capablanca’s talent and skill were unmatched. Capablanca became world champion after defeating the legendary Lasker in 1921.

Many believe that he became stronger than Lasker much earlier and could have won the rematch of Alekhine. However,  Capablanca’s championship term was shortened by the First World War and disputes over the holding of matches for the world championship. Every world champion was fluent in all stages of a chess game, but Capablanca was especially good at endings. Even now, with engines, it is difficult to find mistakes in his classic games. And if you want to make money out of your hobby, check out our article about Chess and Gambling. Play online your favorite hobby and bet on 1xBET Sportsbook.

Chess Rock Star: Robert Fischer

Robert Fischer is the 11th World Chess Champion and the only American to win the title. For many, he is the most famous chess player in history. Between 1970 and 1971, Fischer won 20 games in a row against world-class opponents, something that no one had ever achieved before or after him. This achievement is considered one of the seven most amazing chess records. In 1972, Fischer defeated Spassky and won the World Championship.

His success in the confrontation with the Soviet chess school became one of the landmark events of the Cold War. His style was original and creative. He attacked and defended equally well, displaying intimidating positional awareness. So, Fischer has inspired generations of chess players in the United States and around the world. His “My 60 Memorable Games” book is one of the best in the history of chess.

10 Greatest Chess Players: Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen is the reigning world champion in all three standard controls (classical, rapid, and blitz). In 2009, he became the youngest eight-hundredth player in the history of chess. Also,  in 2014, he reached the historically highest rating of 2889 Elo points. Since 2011, Carlsen has been at the top of the classical chess rating list, dominating other chess players of our time. He has done enough to rank second on the list of the greatest chess players of all time. But he is only 29 years old and has not yet reached his maximum strength!

Carlsen became world champion in 2013 on the eve of his 23rd birthday (only Kasparov became champion at a younger age). So, he successfully defended his title three times: in a new match against Anand in 2014, in a match with Sergey Karjakin in 2016, and with Fabiano Caruana in 2018.

Carlsen himself does not yet believe that he deserves a place number 1 in the list of the greatest chess players in history. In January 2020, he said in an interview: “Kasparov has been the strongest in the world for 20 years without a break … He should be considered the No. 1 chess player in history. But I feel that time is in my favor … I am not yet 30 years old. If we consider who achieved what by the age of 30, then here I am ahead. ” If you want be ware of the lastest games of Magnus just click here: online sportsbook news in Russia.

Chess King: Garry Kasparov

Garry Kasparov, the 13th world chess champion, held the title from 1985 to 2000.  He has dominated chess for over 20 years. On March 3, 2000, Kasparov reached his record rating of 2856 points, a record surpassed only by Carlsen.

In 1985, Kasparov defeated Karpov in a world championship match, becoming the youngest champion in chess history at the age of 22 and a half. He defended his title three times in matches with Karpov in 1986, 1987, and 1990. In 1993, he broke off relations with FIDE. Thus, from that moment there were two world chess champions in the world. Kasparov defended his title in matches with Short in 1993 and Anand in 1995. Kasparov and Lasker are the only champions in the history of chess to have defeated their title contenders five times.

In 2000, Kramnik defeated Kasparov, taking the title of the champion from the greatest chess player of all time. Kasparov continued to compete in tournaments until the very end of his career in 2005 when he was still at the top of the world rankings. And after that Kasparov never left the chess world completely. He participated in exhibition matches and coached Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. His five-volume “My Great Predecessors” is one of the greatest books in the history of chess. So, are you ready to use provided info and bet on 1xBET Sportsbook which provides the best chess predictions?

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