Top 11 Best Chess Players in History (Steinitz to Carlsen)

Since the first World Championship in 1886, chess has produced geniuses who have pushed the boundaries of strategic thinking. Here are the 11 greatest chess players of all time, those who have truly left their mark on the history of this centuries-old game.

Ranking the best chess players

#	Player	Country	World Champion	Peak Elo	Style and legacy
1	Garry Kasparov	Russia	1985-2000	2851	Dynamic attack, revolutionary preparation, match against Deep Blue. The longest reign at world number one (255 months).
2	Magnus Carlsen	Norway	2013-2023	2882	All-round mastery, masterful endgames, mental endurance. Absolute Elo record. Helped popularise chess through streaming.
3	Bobby Fischer	USA	1972-1975	2785	Solitary genius, the “Match of the Century” against Spassky in Reykjavik at the height of the Cold War. Revolutionised the financial demands of professional players.
4	Anatoly Karpov	USSR	1975-1985	2780	Flawless positional play, a technique of quiet suffocation. Kasparov’s eternal rival. Defended his title in the longest matches in history.
5	Jose Raul Capablanca	Cuba	1921-1927	~2725*	The “Mozart of chess”. Crystal-clear style, flawless technique, natural intuition. Widely regarded as the most naturally talented player ever.
6	Emanuel Lasker	Germany	1894-1921	~2720*	27 years as champion — the longest reign in history. A psychologist of the board, he played the move that most unsettled his opponent.
7	Mikhail Tal	Latvia	1960-1961	2690	The “Magician from Riga”. Spectacular sacrifices, boundless imagination. His games remain among the most entertaining in history.
8	Alexander Alekhine	Russia/France	1927-1946	~2690*	Brilliant combinations, iron will. The only World Champion to die while still holding the title.
9	Viswanathan Anand	India	2007-2013	2817	Legendary calculating speed, versatility. The “Tiger of Madras” dominated the post-Kasparov era.
10	Vladimir Kramnik	Russia	2000-2007	2817	Beat Kasparov without losing a single game. A defensive wall, and a specialist of the Berlin Wall opening.
11	Mikhail Botvinnik	USSR	1948-1963	~2690*	Father of the Soviet chess school. Scientific, methodical, a pioneer of systematic preparation.

* Elo estimated retroactively for players before 1970.

Today’s famous chess players

Beyond the World Champions, several famous chess players are shaping the current era:

🇫🇷 Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (MVL)

France’s best player, regularly ranked in the world’s top 5. A specialist in the Najdorf Sicilian Defence, he is renowned for his outstanding tactical calculation.

🇨🇳 Ding Liren

The reigning World Champion (2023-present), the first Chinese champion in history. He won the title in a dramatic match against Nepomniachtchi following Carlsen’s withdrawal.

🇫🇷 Alireza Firouzja

Franco-Iranian prodigy, grandmaster at just 14. Considered the future world number one, his aggressive style and rapid calculation are reminiscent of a young Kasparov.

🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura

The king of blitz and streaming. His games on Twitch attract hundreds of thousands of viewers and have helped fuel the boom in online chess.

To find out more about the rivalry between the two greatest players, read our article Kasparov vs Carlsen. And to understand how these champions have shaped the game over the centuries, take a look at our in-depth article on the complete history of chess.

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To improve your game: Studying the games of the best chess players is the most effective way to improve your own play. Our chess books analyse champions’ games, and our video courses by French grandmasters guide you step by step. An electronic chess board lets you replay historic games on a real board.