What would be the rating of a top chess player in the late 1800s today

What if I say I've just spitted out my beer and it's all your fault?!

If you say that, either you are already IM/GM level or you haven't studied their games. Even GMs still study the games of Flohr and Keres. Sure, they have better things to do with their time, but I'd wager that most GMs have studied at least a few games and studies created by Keres. And even more have played or studied openings created by Keres.

Ok Sirs. You win.

Muhammad was only tricking me a bit. :)

Actually my point is, of course I don't imagine Topalov, p. e., studying the Opera game nowadays, but he wasn't born as a super GM. He had to study the ancient games as one of the first steps to become it.

I don't need to study Morphy or Anderssen to become WC. Shame no FIDE-tourneys in Faisalabad. Regarding Topalov, he was very lucky to have been introduced to chess as a preschooler. Let's end this debate now.

I wonder why everyone calls me Muhammad.

You are 11, right? I don't know about WC, but surely you have time to become a master. Btw, you don't need to study them to become it, but surely it will make it easier. Shh!

So it's Areez, then?

I'd bet dollars to donuts that Topalov has the Opera Box game memorized. It's one of the very first games most students learn. 

Yup. Muhammad is sort of a prefix for Muslim names. It means the praised one, or a person who is admired. You can find a lot of people in the Muslim world that have Muhammad as their first name. Even in my class, almost everyone has Muhammad as their first name. I guess you've got it.

People learn games? New to me. Why would someone 'learn' games. I won't learn Immortal, Opera or any other game.

Pulp: I guess I can try for a title, but I want to be a WC.

I know a lot of Muslims, but obviously all of them come from Morocco. Most of them are named Muhammad, and it stands as the main name. I suppose maybe is different in Pakistan. They say before the surname and then the name in India and China, right? (I guess Vishy is Anand at home).

Umm...

In Morocco and other states like Tunisia, Jordan, maybe Turkey and even in Pakistan, some people have the Muhammad as their main name. But it is not considered very nice to only keep it as your only name. You should have another name to be called by and that's your main name.

Vishy is Viswanathan at home I guess, unless it is the tribe name or the caste or something related. Dunno about China.

Still you have time, but not one second to waste then.

Bent Larsen was once asked how many games were in his database. He said about 40,000. The person asking the question was really surprised. "Why so few?" Larsen's response:

"That's all I could remember."

And Fischer beat a guy with that outstanding level of mental ability! 

I'm proud to be a chess player that is improving without memorizing games, without going over anyone's games!!  I only go over my own games, the only ones that matter.

how about disclosing your rating progress over the last 5 years!