Really? I'll tell you which player is the greatest influence in chess...

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polydiatonic

wait for it...

It is Em. Lasker. 

I read a book in which GMAndrew Soltis made a very convincing argument...

polydiatonic

Soltis argues, in his book "Why Lasker Matters" that both Lasker's "target oriented" approach to chess and his innumberable contributions to opening theory when todays modern openings were in their infancy make him a the best candiate for "most influential chess player in modern times". 

polydiatonic

And, he demonstrated, in an actual game, that knight+K can draw against R+P+K...