Who is the best chess player of all time?

Garry Kasparov (Russia) – Considered by many the greatest of all time, World Champion from 1985 to 2000.

Magnus Carlsen (Norway) – World Champion from 2013 to 2023, known for his positional dominance and exceptional calculation.

Bobby Fischer (USA) – World Champion in 1972, revolutionized Western chess.

Anatoly Karpov (Russia) – World Champion from 1975 to 1985, master of positional chess.

Mikhail Botvinnik (Russia) – Intermittent World Champion from 1948 to 1963, “father of the Soviet school.”

José Raúl Capablanca (Cuba) – World Champion from 1921 to 1927, famous for his simplicity and elegance in play.

Alexander Alekhine (France/Russia) – World Champion from 1927 to 1935 and 1937 to 1946, famous for aggressive attacks.

Vishwanathan Anand (India) – World Champion from 2000 to 2002 and 2007 to 2013, master of rapid chess.

Mikhail Tal (Latvia) – World Champion from 1960 to 1961, known for brilliant tactical combinations.

Emanuel Lasker (Germany) – World Champion from 1894 to 1921, holder of the longest reign in history.

Paul Keres (Estonia) – Grandmaster who nearly became World Champion several times, considered one of the greatest of all time.

Tigran Petrosian (Armenia) – World Champion from 1963 to 1969, specialist in defense and positional play.

Vassily Smyslov (Russia) – World Champion from 1957 to 1958, notable for a harmonious and deep style.

David Bronstein (Russia) – Challenged Botvinnik for the World Championship in 1951, famous for creativity and innovation.

Bent Larsen (Denmark) – One of the strongest Western players of the Soviet era.

Alexander Grischuk (Russia) – Distinguished in rapid and blitz chess, multiple medalist in championships.

Fabiano Caruana (USA) – Challenged Carlsen for the World Championship in 2018, one of the strongest of the modern era.

Hikaru Nakamura (USA) – Specialist in blitz and rapid chess, one of the most popular players of the digital era.

Ding Liren (China) – World Champion in 2023, standout of modern chess.

Gata Kamsky (USA) – Strong player of the post-Fischer era, international standout for decades.