Best Chess Players

There is some forum discussion on who are the top 50 chess players in the world or who the best player in the world is (or was).  Well, if we look at current Elo (FIDE) ratings, they publish a list of the top players in the world.  If we look at it historically (is Morphy better than Kasparov), there may be no way to know.  Here is a list of lists of the best players in the world.  You can then decide who the top players in the world are.

Current top 50 (July 2007): Anand, Topalov, Kramnik, Ivnchuk, Morozevich, Mamedyarov, Leko, Aronian, Radjabov, Jakovenko, Shirov, Svidler, Gelfand, Grischuk, Adams, Kamsky, Carlsen, Akopian, J Polgar, Ponomariov, Eljanov, Wang, Bacrot, Alekseev, Bu, Nisipeanu, Kasimdzhanov, Short, Almasi, Volokitin, Ni, Dominguez-Peres, Rublevsky, Van Wely, Karjakin, Malakhov, Sasikiran, Milov, Miroshnichenko, Landa, Movsesian, Sargissian, Vallejo Pons, Sokolov, Harikrishna, Georgiev, Inarkiev, Krasenkow, Socko, Volkov

Chessmetrics (Sonas) top 50 list: Kasparov, Lasker, Capablanca, Botvinnik, Fischer, Karpov, Alekhine, Anand, Kramnik, Pillsbury, Ivanchuk, Korchnoi, Steinitz, Smyslov, Tarrasch, Maroczy, Petrosian, Rubinstein, Tal, Reshevsky, Keres, Najdorf, Nimzovich, Spassky, Zukertort, Bronstein, Chigorin, Marshall, Kamsky, Leko, Gelfand, Salov, Bogoljubow, Beliavsky, Shirov, Geller, Timman, Adams, Fine, Janowsky, Polugaevsky, Topalov, Schlechter, Portisch, Stein, Euwe, Flohr, Morozevich, Larsen, Bareev

Roman Krumsieck's top 50 list: Eichborn, Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik, Ivanchuk, Karpov, Topalov, Svidler, Ponomariov, Leko, Shirov, Morozevich, Aronian, Grischuk, Adams, Kamsky, Milov, Bareev, Gelfand, Fischer, Radjabov, J Polgar, Salov, Bacrot, Kasimdzhanov, Mamedyarov, Short, Akopian, Sasikiran, Dreev, Smirin, M Gurevich, Malakhov, Van Wely, Sokolov, Khalifman, Azmaiparashvili, Georgiev, Rublevsky, Korchnoi, Nikolic, McShane, Piket, Yusupov, Beliavsky, Lautier, Nisipeanu, Nakamura, Naiditsch, Timman

Professional Chess Association (PCA) (WCC) top 50 list (2002): Kasparov, Kramnik, Topalov, Ponomariov, Anand, Bareev, Leko, Adams, Ivanchuk, Gelfand, Grischuk, Khalifman, Shirov, Morozevich, Svidler, Azmaiparashvili, Malakhov, Zvjaginsev, J Polgar, Karpov, Bacrot, Dreev, Short, Lautier, Krasenkov, Smirin, Sutovsky, Van Wely, Sakaev, Ye Jiangchuan, Akopian, Sokolov, Nikolic, Vallejo Pons, Vaganian, Lputian, Radjabov, Rublevsky, Tkachiev, Graf-Nenashev, Goldin, Kasimdzhanov, Georgiev, Volkov, Lutz, Almasi, Macieja, Piket, Pigusov, Tiviakov

PCA top 50 list (1994): Kasparov, Karpov, Kamsky, Anand, Ivanchuk, Salov, Piket, Shirov, Kramnik, Gelfand, Yusupov, Lautier, Sokolov, Ehlvest, J Polgar, Timman, Short, Akopian, Vaganian, Korchnoi, Adams, Bareev, Tiviakov, Nikolic, Huebner, Georgiev, Dreev, Topalov, Hodgson, Epishin, Kaidanov, Beliavsky, Gulko, Nunn, Hansen, Speelman, Dolmatov, Dautov, Malaniuk, Azmaiparashvili, Vladimirov, Nenashev, Illescas, Magerramov, Khalifman, Romanishin, Gurevich, Oll, Fischer, Andersson

Edo (Rod Edwards, Bradley-Terry algorithm) historical ratings (1809-1902) top 50 list: Morphy, Steinitz, Em Lasker, Kolisch, Tarrasch, Paulsen, Neumann, Zukertort, vond der Lasa, Pillsbury, Anderssen, Chigorin, Winawer, Suhle, Staunton, Blackburne, Maroczy, Dubois, Bauer, de Vere, Makovetz, Lipshutz, Gunsberg, Weiss, Janowski, Mackenzie, Schlecther, Mason, Harrwitz, Charousek, von Bardeleben, de Labourdonnais, Buckle, Burn, Englisch, Rosenthal, Petrov, B Lasker, Potter, Moehle, Atkins, Goetz, Lipke, Schwarz, Alapin, Bird, Riemann, Hirschfeld, Lange

Wall's top 50 list (my opinion only): Fischer, Kasparov, Anand, Topalov, Kramnik, Karpov, Leko, Ivanchuk, Svidler, Capablanca, Botvinnik, Lasker, Alekhine, Tal, Spaasky, Smyslov, Morphy, Petrosian, Ljubojevic, Adams, Morozevich, Anderssen, Shirov, Kamsky, Ponomariov, Euwe, Steinitz, Bareev, Bacrot, Gelfand, J Polgar, Korchnoi, Blackburne, Timman, Short, Reshevsky, Kasimdzhanov, Bronstein, Keres, Lautier, Yusupov, Fine, Beliavsky, Portisch, Geller, Khalifman, Ehlvest, Boleslavsky, Sokolov, Larsen

Top players by Elo rating (all over 2700, 47 players): Kasparov, Topalov, Kramnik, Anand, Fischer, Karpov, Svidler, Leko, Ivanchuk, Morozevich, Aronian, Mamedyarov, Adams, Shirov, Radjabov, Kamsky, Ponomariov, Bareev, J Polgar, Jakovenko, Gelfand, Grischuk, Bacrot, Navara, Capablanca, Botvinnik, Lasker, Salov, van Wely, Akopian, Short, Beliavsky, Carlsen, Nisipeanu, Kasimdzhanov, Sokolov, Tal, Dreev, Krasenkow, Smirin, Khalifman, Azmaiparashvili, Eljanov, Malakhov Bologan, Sasikiran

Elo's list (1978, 47 players): Capablanca, Botvinnik, Lasker, Tal, Alekhine, Morphy, Smyslov, Petrosian, Reshevsky, Spassky, Bronstein, Keres, Korchnoi, Fine, Geller, Boleslavsky, Euwe, Steinitz, Rubinstein, Najdorf, Pillsbury, Portisch, Timman, Flohr, Gligoric, Kholmov, Kotov, Larsen, Maroczy, Stein, Averbakh, Nimzovich, Andersson, Bogoljubov, Furman, Ljubojevic, Szabo, Tarrasch, Mecking, Polugaevsky, Anderssen, Chigorin, Schlechter, Taimanov, Vidmar, von der Lasa, Zukertort

First Elo list (1969): Fischer, Spassky, Korchnoi, Botvinnik, Petrosian, Larsen, Smyslov, Portisch, Geller, Polugaevaky, Stein, Keres, Tal

First Grandmasters (1950, 27 players): Bernstein, Boleslavsky, Bondarevsky, Botvinnik, Bronstein, Duras, Euwe, Fine, Flohr, Gruenfeld, Keres, Kostic, Kotov, Levenfish, Lilienthal, Matoczy, Mieses, Najdorf, Ragozin, Reshevsky, Rubinstein, Saemisch, Smyslov, Stahlberg, Szabo, Tartakower, Vidmar

Official World Champion list: Lasker, Kasparov, Karpov, Botvinnik, Alekhine, Steinitz, Kramnik, Petrosian, Capablanca, Spassky, Fischer, Euwe, Smyslov, Tal, Anand, Ponomariov, Khalifman, Kasimdzhanov, Topalov

Unoffical World Champion list: Anderssen, Morphy, Staunton

World Championship Challengers: Zukertort, Chigorin, Ginsburg, Marshall, Tarrasch, Janowski, Schlechter, Bogoljubov, Bronstein, Korchnoi, Timman, Kamsky, Akopian, Bareev, Grischuk, Adams, Svidler, Ivanchuk

Computer analysis, players with fewest errors (Guid and Bratko): Capablanca, Kramnik, Karpov, Kasparov, Spassky, Petrosian, Lasker, Fischer, Alekhine, Smyslov, Tal, Botvinnik, Euwe, Steinitz

Irving Chernev's list: Capablanca, Alekhine, Lasker, Fischer, Botvinnik, Petrosian, Tal, Smyslov, Spassky, Bronstein, Rubinstein, Nimzovich

Fischer's list: Fischer, Morphy, Staunton, Steinitz, Tarrasch, Chigorin, Alekhine, Capablanca, Spassky, Tal, Reshevsky

Keene and Divinksy's list (Warriors of the Mind): Kasparov, Karpov, Fischer, Botvinnik, Capablanca, Lasker, Korchnoi, Spassky, Smyslov, Petrosian

Top commercial chess computers (all over Elo 2600) : Rybka, Fritz, Shredder, Hiarcs, Zap, Junior, Chess Tiger, Chessmaster9000, Gandalf, Rebel, Ruffan, Loop, Toga

CSS top chess computers: Rybka 2.3, Loop 10.32, Shredder 10, Hiracs 11, Fritz 10, Toga II, Fruit 2.2.1, Zap!Chess Zanzibar, Spike 1.2 Turin, Junior 10, Ktulu 8, SmarThink 1.00, Chess Tiger 2007, Glaurung 1.2.1, Naum 2.0, Scorpio 1.8, Gandalf 6.0, The King 3.33, SlowChess Blitz WV2.1, Pro Deo 1.2, Ruffian 2.1.0, Delfi 5.1, Aristarch 4.50

CEGT top chess computers: Rybka, Zap!Chess Zanzibar, Deep Fritz 10, Deep Shredder, Num, Hiarcs 11, List, Loop, Deep Junior 10, Spike 1.2 Turin, Fruit, Fritz 10, Toga II, Hiarcs 10, Fritz 9, Glauring, Ktulu, chess Tiger 2007