Greatest Chess Master in History

One player that GMs talk about in terms of incredible talent is Vasily Ivanchuk. He doesn't have quite the competitive spirit that more successful players have, but he has an incredible ability to find the right move in all sorts of positions. 

If there were a way to measure natural talent, I'd bet that Ivanchuk would be head and shoulders above any of the World Champions from the past.

It's like Larry Bird vs Kareem or MJ.  At his best, Bird may have been the greatest player of all time.  But as a career in totality (injury shortened), others gain more prestige through longevity.  That's Fischer vs the rest of the greats.

And you'll give me the hundred bucks you owe me.  

Another hard-to-beat-player was Tigran "Iron Tigran" Petrosian. He had +691 -157 =1060

Petrosian played with really stong opponents such as Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov

Fischer said: "He has an incredible tactical view, and a wonderful sense of the danger... No matter how much you think deep... He will 'smell' any kind of danger 20 moves before!"

Yeah, Petrosian was a hard out.  Definitely one of the best of his time.

I think it means that Сapa did not prepare for matches. It was a joy for him, not a work.

I agree. My impression of Capablanca has always been that he played because he enjoyed the game and he trusted his intuition. I don't think he did much preparation for matches and tournaments - if he did any at all.  I think Alekhine put a lot of time and effort into improving his game.  It would be interesting to know how good Capablanca could have been if he had put in the same time and effort.

@ FBloggs wrote: I'll probably regret asking this but why do you say Morphy lacked common sense?  

 The way Morphy lived his life, could not get his career going as a lawyer and he should of gravitated to chess instead of push it away like an antagonist. Common sense dictates go with your talent and you will be successful; Morphy was famous because of chess and he would obtain everything through chess, happiness. He would of married any beauty instead being miserable and lonely bachelor and he would of been financially successful instead living with mommy and depending on family fortune; Chess would given to Morphy everything, New York Ledger was willing to pay him $3,000 a year, that was a lot money during those times. 

Steinitz had girls wanted to be with him, sorry William was a ugly man and women were still chasing after him, its all about fame. Morphy with good looks and with a pleasant demeanor could not capture one beauty.  

Maybe later on in life Morphy could of been a lawyer because of chess, just like Baron Ignatz von Kolisch was first a successful chess player and later became a financial success banker.

Meanwhile Karpov 3,5:2,5 Hou Yifan. Long live the king!

Russian champions, Chigorin, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Karpov and Kasparov; each one did a lot for chess. I am adding Spassky and Petrosian.

Chigorin was not a champion. But he was first player who won a game versus the champion.

Magazine "64" founded symbolic "Chigorin's club" - list of players who defeated one of the 16 official world chess champions during the time that champion held the title

Chigorin was not world champion but he was the Russian champion; he was dedicate to chess and study it obsessedly; that is why he develop chess to higher standard and was the first to be a world class player from Russia. His style was aggressive and dynamic and it was him not Botvinnik that develop the  Russian chess school.

Morphy didn't want a chess career. He wanted to practice law. Common sense doesn't dictate that one pursue a career he doesn't want just because he has talent. How do you know Morphy would've obtained happiness through chess? You have no way of knowing that and Morphy evidently disagreed. It's easy for you to say he should've pursued a career in chess instead of the law but you cannot even know if you would have done that if you were in his shoes.

Simon doesn't like Fischer and apparently because of that, he's unwilling to give Fischer his due. I don't believe Fischer was afraid to play Karpov. I think Fischer would've beaten him. Fischer wanted to win the championship to prove he was the best in the world. Apparently he was satisfied with that. I don't think he cared about defending his title. He was willing to defend it only if all his demands were met. FIDE met most of his demands but not all. So Fischer declined to play. For all intents and purposes, he had retired three years earlier. He didn't play a single serious game after winning the title in 1972. He didn't play another serious game until his rematch against Spassky in 1992.

@MitchFabian:  By the way, do you want to nominate Fischer or someone else?

@ FBloggs,  Fischer said something similar to what you wrote; " Morphy beat all the best players." He dominate them and there was no opposition; maybe this alone should make Morphy greatest; Fischer and Alekhine come close to this, maybe we can add Karpov, he won more chess tournaments than any player.

Fischer definitely feared losing.

Fischer repeatedly walked out of matches and tournaments. His fear was manifested before games and matches. Once the game started, his fear seemed to vanish and he played very confidently. But he clearly feared losing, to Reshevsky, "the Russians", and to Karpov.

If Fischer had been able to face his fears and defend his title, perhaps he would be considered the greatest ever. But he didn't. And we all know how his paranoia consumed him in later years.

@SmyslovFan:  Your assertion is unsupported by the evidence.  Fischer hated to lose but there is no evidence that he avoided playing out of fear of losing. He walked out of tournaments because of disagreements with tournament directors. That was the reason acknowledged by Fischer and others involved. If you have evidence to the contrary, then provide it. He withdrew from the Interzonal at Sousse in 1967 with a score of 8.5-1.5 (7 wins and 3 draws) because of a disagreement over playing conditions and the tournament schedule. Fischer was 24 at the time and certainly stronger than he was at 19, when he won the Interzonal at Stockholm in 1962 without losing a game; he finished 2.5 points ahead of Geller and Petrosian, who were tied for 2nd and 3rd.

I love the fight ?