Who is the best chess player of all time ?vote here !

I choose....Some random GM

well, magnus carlsen was my favorite. I don't think we can conclude someone as the best player, the whole ideology is incorrect in my opinion.

Wow, as early as 2005, even Jeff Sonas recognised that a 14 year old Magnus Carlsen was one of the top players in history. Sonas stopped updating his list in 2005. 

Remember, Sonas argued that every world champion was at least 2700 strength. His historic ratings list is a joke because of this. Take a really close look at his 100 best list, and focus especially on the players he has rated +2700 who were active in the 19th century and the early 20th century. 

There are sites that compare the quality of chess played across the generations. Some use Guid and Bratko's statistical models, while others use Regan's. Both are far more reliable than Sonas' arbitrary rating system.

By the way, the rating method that ranks Capa the highest among world champions (comparing error rates) does not rank him highest of all time. In that methodology, the top players are people most have never heard of:

1.Hua Ni, 2.Ikonnikov, 3.Kokarev, and so on. (Borislav Ivanov ranks 6th on that list.)

In terms of absolute playing strength, Capablanca currently ranks 367th all time. That's actually pretty impressive compared to how the world record in the mile (for example) has changed since WWII.

Kasparov

Still me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Garry Kasparov

capa

MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bobby fisher 's op

"Choosing some would overshadow others" --Kasparov.

caplablanca

I just looked up Anand's record against Korchnoi: 12-0, with 5 draws! Now, it's easy to say that Korchnoi wasn't at his peak when he played Anand, but Anand wasn't yet at his peak either! The last time they faced each other was in 2000. 

That doesn't mean Anand was the best ever, but it does suggest to me that Korchnoi may not have been the best never to become world champion.

Magnus Carlsen is clearly the best human player ever, but that doesn't make him GOAT. Let's see how long he holds on to his title and what he does with it.

Fischer

"I just looked up Anand's record against Korchnoi: 12-0, with 5 draws! Now, it's easy to say that Korchnoi wasn't at his peak when he played Anand, but Anand wasn't yet at his peak either! The last time they faced each other was in 2000.

That doesn't mean Anand was the best ever, but it does suggest to me that Korchnoi may not have been the best never to become world champion"

Anand's first win against Korchnoi came when the latter was in his 60s though. Imagine if Fischer hadn't quit in his 20s and was evaluated based on the results he scored in his 60s...

Fabelhaft, since you love to nitpick, Fischer didn't "quit" until 1975. He was in his thirties then. 

Take a look at Anand's rating charts. He continued to improve in the 2000s. He was not at his best in 1991, when he scored his first win against Korchnoi. Anand's rating peak was in 2011, 20 years later. Korchnoi may have been 20 years off his prime, but so was Anand. 

"Fabelhaft, since you love to nitpick, Fischer didn't "quit" until 1975. He was in his thirties then"

Fischer didn't play any games between 1972 and 1975, so I'd say he quit in 1972.

Kasparov; anybody know how a basic member can be black- possibly all the time?   reality

Mikhail Tal no question

Mikhail Tal no question

I do wonder how great Tal would have been if he'd had modern health care. But the same question can be asked about how great Pillsbury could have been with modern health care.