Who is the best chess player of all time, in your opinion?

By the way, why is everyone talking about their "favourite" chess player when that wasn't the question? I think the best chess player of all time has to be viewed in the context of their time ie. judged against their peers. In that respect, Bobby Fischer should probably claim the title - except that, for me, he forfeited that claim when he refused to defend his title. I think he just wasn't around long enough at the top to qualify as the best ever. 

That leaves Kasparov and Carlsen. Kasparov had a naturally more attractive game than Carlsen does in the sense that it's so aggressive and so creative. His return to things like the King's Gambit (THAT game against Anand!!!) was sublime, and he was clearly better than anyone else of his era. 

That said, Carlsen's also better than anyone else of his era - and by quite a long way. He's also better than anyone else at a time when everyone has access to databases ie. it's easier these days to play chess extremely well. Carlsen's endgame technique is simply from another dimension. Probably not a great example but his win in the rapid games of the world championship against Caruana when he dominated in the rook and pawn ending was just out of this universe. 

On balance, I think it has to go to Carlsen. His positional and endgame understanding is simply on a different level - and at at time when everyone has access to databases etc. In my opinion, he's the best of all time. 

AlphaZero xD

you never said a chess player had to be human

and....what about Paul Morphy ?

Emanuel Lasker - if Carlsen wins a world-class tournament at 55, we'll talk again.