Top 10 Most Famous Chess Grandmasters in the World

Wilhelm Steinitz (May 17, 1836 – August 12, 1900) was an Austrian-born, later American, chess player who became the first officially recognized World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1886 to 1894. Steinitz was also a renowned chess theorist and author. When discussing the history of chess post-1850, commentators have debated whether Steinitz could be considered the world champion as early as 1866. He lost his title to Emanuel Lasker in 1894 and was defeated by Lasker in a rematch between 1896 and 1897. Steinitz quickly improved his game in the late 1850s, progressing from third place in the 1859 Vienna City Championship to becoming the champion in 1861 with a remarkable score of 30/31. During this time, he was known as the 'Austrian Morphy,' a testament to his dominance in Austria.

Steinitz represented Austria at the 1862 London Chess Tournament, where he finished sixth. However, his victory over Augustus Mongredien earned him a special prize for the best game. He soon played a match against the tournament’s fifth-place finisher, the experienced Italian player Serafino Dubois, and won with a score of 5 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses. These results motivated him to pursue professional chess, eventually moving to London. From 1862 to 1863, Steinitz secured a dominant victory over English player Joseph Henry Blackburne, who would go on to be one of the top players in the world for the next 20 years. At the time, Blackburne was just beginning his chess career. Steinitz continued his success by defeating other leading British players such as Frederic Deacon, Augustus Mongredien in 1863, and Valentine Green in 1864. However, his growing success came with some personal sacrifices, including a letter of apology to Ignác Kolisch in March 1863 for being unable to pay off a debt. While Steinitz was busy defeating Blackburne, Daniel Harrwitz had taken all of his clients from the London Chess Club, Steinitz's main source of income.

José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera (November 19, 1888 – March 8, 1942) was a Cuban chess player and the World Chess Champion from 1921 to 1927. Widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players in history, Capablanca was renowned for his exceptional endgame skills and rapid play. Over his career, in top-level competition, he lost only 35 games, a testament to his remarkable resilience. Born in Havana, Cuba, he defeated Cuban champion Juan Corzo at the age of 13 in a 13-game match. After his victory over Frank Marshall in 1909, Capablanca received an invitation to the 1911 San Sebastian Tournament, where he triumphed over notable players like Akiba Rubinstein, Aron Nimzowitsch, and Siegbert Tarrasch to claim the top prize. His next phase included unsuccessful attempts to secure a match against the reigning World Champion, Emanuel Lasker, though he still performed admirably in other tournaments. In 1921, Capablanca finally claimed the World Championship title from Lasker. From February 10, 1916, to March 21, 1934, he remained undefeated, including his World Championship match with Lasker.

In 1927, Capablanca lost his title to Alexander Alekhine, a player who had never defeated him before. Despite several unsuccessful attempts to arrange a rematch, their relationship became strained. Capablanca continued to achieve strong results in tournaments until his retirement in 1931. In 1934, he made a brief comeback, showing strong performances, but he began to experience symptoms of high blood pressure. Capablanca passed away in 1942 due to a brain hemorrhage caused by hypertension. He was particularly known for his prowess in the endgame and his ability to play simple yet effective strategies. Capablanca's books, including the highly regarded *Chess Fundamentals*, have influenced later world champions such as Bobby Fischer and Anatoly Karpov. He preferred focusing on key moments in a game over detailed analysis, which was reflected in his distinctive playing style.

Alexander Alexandrovich Alekhine (October 31, 1892 – March 24, 1946) was the fourth World Chess Champion, widely considered one of the greatest players in history. By the age of 22, he was already among the world's top players. Throughout the 1920s, Alekhine dominated most of the tournaments he entered. In 1927, he claimed the World Chess Championship title by defeating José Raúl Capablanca, in what remains the longest World Championship match until 1985. During the early 1930s, Alekhine ruled the chess scene, winning top tournaments with a significant margin. He also led the French team at five Chess Olympiads, earning four individual medals and a special prize. Alekhine once proposed a rematch with Capablanca under conditions similar to those Capablanca had set for him, but negotiations failed, and the rematch never took place. Meanwhile, Alekhine easily defended his title against Bogoljubov in 1929 and 1934.

He suffered a setback against Euwe in 1935 but regained the title in 1937. However, by this time, his form became inconsistent, and rising stars like Keres, Fine, and Botvinnik were eager to challenge him. Plans for a title match with Keres or Botvinnik were delayed due to World War II. When negotiations for a World Championship match with Botvinnik were in progress in 1946, Alekhine passed away under mysterious circumstances in Portugal. Alekhine was renowned for his creative and sharp attacking style, combined with exceptional positional and endgame skills. He was also a respected author and chess theorist, contributing numerous innovations to openings, including the Alekhine Defense. Additionally, he wrote several endgame studies and exercises.

Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik (August 17, 1911 – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet chess grandmaster, and the sixth World Chess Champion. Alongside his competitive chess career, he was also an electrical engineer, computer scientist, and a pioneer in the field of computer chess. Botvinnik was the first world-class chess player to emerge from the Soviet Union. He played a pivotal role in organizing chess and significantly contributed to the post-World War II World Chess Championship system, helping the Soviet Union dominate world chess for decades. His students included future World Champions Anatoly Karpov, Garry Kasparov, and Vladimir Kramnik. When Botvinnik completed his schooling, he was too young to take university entrance exams, so he waited until he qualified to participate in the 1927 Soviet Championship finals, becoming the youngest player ever to compete at that level. He finished tied for 5th-6th place, earning the title of International Master.

Botvinnik aspired to study Electrical Engineering at the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute and passed the entrance exams. However, due to a surplus of applications, the admissions policy was to prioritize children of engineers and industrial workers. In 1928, thanks to a local chess official's recommendation, he was accepted into the Mathematics Department at Leningrad University. In January 1929, Botvinnik played for Leningrad in the student chess team championship against Moscow, and Leningrad emerged victorious. The manager of the team, also the deputy chairman of Proletstud, arranged for Botvinnik to transfer to the Electro-Mechanical Department at the Polytechnic Institute, where he was one of only four students admitted directly from school. This meant Botvinnik had to complete a full year of coursework in five months, resulting in him failing one of the exams. Earlier that year, he finished tied for third place in the Soviet Championship semifinal, missing out on the finals.

Robert James "Bobby" Fischer (March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008) was an American chess grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. Widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players of all time, Fischer’s impact on the game is legendary. At the age of 13, he won the famous 'Game of the Century', an iconic match that marked the beginning of his dominance. By 14, Fischer had already competed in the U.S. Chess Championships eight times, winning each time by at least a point. At 15, he became the youngest-ever grandmaster and the youngest candidate for the World Championship title at the time. At 20, Fischer achieved an unparalleled perfect score of 11/11 to win the U.S. Championship, the only flawless score in the tournament’s history. His book, *My 60 Memorable Games*, remains a classic work of chess literature.

In the early 1970s, Fischer was described as having "dominated his contemporaries like no one before or since." He won the 1970 Interzonal Tournament with a 3½-point lead and went on to win 20 consecutive games, including two unprecedented 6-0 victories in the Candidates Tournament. In July 1971, he became the first player officially ranked number one by FIDE and held the position for a total of 54 months. Fischer went on to defeat Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in the 1972 World Championship match in Reykjavik, Iceland, a historic Cold War showdown that captivated the global audience like no other chess event before it.

Magnus Carlsen, whose full name is Sven Magnus Qen Carlsen, is a Norwegian chess grandmaster, former World Chess Champion, current World Rapid Chess Champion, and World Blitz Chess Champion. Carlsen is renowned for his positional style of play, exceptional endgame skills, and is often compared to legendary former World Champions like Bobby Fischer, Anatoly Karpov, Vasily Smyslov, and José Raúl Capablanca.

Born and raised in Norway, Carlsen exhibited a remarkable aptitude for intellectual challenges from a young age. By the age of 2, he could complete a 50-piece jigsaw puzzle, and by 4, he was playing Lego sets designed for children aged 10-14. Carlsen honed his chess skills by playing solo for hours, experimenting with different moves, and revisiting games and positions his father had taught him. At 8 years and 7 months, Carlsen entered his first tournament at the Norwegian Chess Championship for juniors, scoring 6½/11. He later received specialized training at the Norwegian School of Elite Sport under the guidance of the country's top chess players, marking the beginning of his meteoric rise. As a chess prodigy, Carlsen tied for first place at the 2002 World Chess Championship for U12 players. By the time he turned 13, he was already competing at the top level of the Corus chess tournament and earned his grandmaster title just months later. At 15, he won the Norwegian Chess Championship, and by 17, he shared first place in the elite group at Corus. Carlsen broke the 2800 Elo rating mark at 18 and became the youngest-ever player to achieve the World No. 1 ranking at 19, cementing his place as one of the greatest talents in chess history.

Viswanathan Anand is renowned globally as an Indian chess Grandmaster and was crowned FIDE World Chess Champion in 2000. He later became the official World Chess Champion in 2007, enjoying a distinguished career in international chess.

Anand’s journey in chess began at the age of 6, when he first encountered the game. In 1983, at just 14, he won the National Junior Championship with a perfect score of 9 wins and no losses. Just five years later, in 1988, he achieved the title of International Grandmaster. Anand's first attempt at the World Chess Championship came in 1995, where he competed against Garry Kasparov but was defeated. He went on to claim the World Chess Championship title in 2007, defeating Vladimir Kramnik in a two-round, eight-player tournament. Anand successfully defended his title three times, in 2008 against Kramnik, in 2010 against Veselin Topalov, and in 2012 against Boris Gelfand. However, he lost the title to Magnus Carlsen in 2013 in Chennai, India.

Garry Kimovich Kasparov, born on April 13, 1963, is a Russian chess grandmaster widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history. Kasparov's Elo rating of 2851, achieved in July 1999, remained the highest in the world for over 20 years, from 1985 to 2005. Kasparov held the title of World Chess Champion from 1985 until 1993, remaining unbeaten during this period. In 1993, when British grandmaster Nigel Short reached the World Chess Championship final to challenge Kasparov, both players chose to split from FIDE, forming a new organization called the Professional Chess Association (PCA) and organizing their own World Championship match. Kasparov won the match, maintaining his champion title, while FIDE expelled both Kasparov and Short from the organization and arranged a separate final between Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman.

For many years, both PCA and FIDE operated in parallel, with Kasparov competing exclusively under PCA rules while still being ranked by FIDE. His Elo rating stayed at number one globally for several years. In 2000, Kasparov lost his PCA World Championship title to Vladimir Kramnik after a 16-game match. Over the course of his career, Kasparov won the prestigious Chess Oscar 11 times. Kasparov announced his retirement from professional chess on March 10, 2005, citing a lack of worthy competition. After retiring, he turned to politics, advocating for democratic reforms and opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin. Kasparov even considered running for president. His political activities included leading protests, and in 2007, he was arrested and detained for several days. In 2014, Kasparov became a Croatian citizen and now resides in New York City, traveling extensively.

Anatoly Evgenyevich Karpov, born on May 23, 1951, is a Russian grandmaster and former World Chess Champion. He held the title of World Champion from 1975 to 1985, and later became FIDE World Champion from 1993 to 1999, following a split in the chess world. Karpov has won or shared victory in 161 tournaments throughout his career. His professional record includes 1,118 wins, 287 losses, and 1,480 draws from 3,163 games, with a peak Elo rating of 2780. According to the latest FIDE rankings, Karpov no longer ranks among the top 100 players in the world. He was taught chess by his father from the age of 4 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a candidate for grandmaster at 11, a full grandmaster at 15, and a super grandmaster at 19.

At 18, Karpov won the World Junior Chess Championship. In 1971 and 1972, Karpov secured shared first-place finishes in three major tournaments: Moscow, Hastings, and Texas. In 1973, he shared first place with Viktor Korchnoi in Leningrad. In the 1974 World Championship, Karpov defeated Lev Polugaevsky, Boris Spassky, and Korchnoi in the qualifiers. The final match against reigning champion Bobby Fischer did not take place as planned due to Fischer's controversial demands, leading FIDE to strip Fischer of his title in April 1975, awarding it to Karpov. Karpov officially became the World Chess Champion in April 1975. In 1985, after holding the title for 10 years, Karpov lost the World Championship to Garry Kasparov, who won 3 games, lost 5, and drew 16. Karpov reclaimed the FIDE title in 1993 and held it until 1999, when he was defeated by Aleksandr Khalifman. In September 2009, Karpov and Kasparov faced off in a demonstration match in Valencia, where Karpov lost 3-9 in a series of 4 rapid games and 8 blitz games.

Emanuel Lasker (December 24, 1868 – January 11, 1941) was a German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher. He held the World Chess Championship for an astounding 27 years, from 1894 to 1921. At his peak, Lasker was widely regarded as one of the greatest champions in chess history, and he remains one of the most formidable players ever to have graced the game. Beyond chess, he was known for his contributions to mathematics and philosophy. Some believe that his expertise in these fields gave him a psychological advantage over opponents, but the real reason for his success was his unparalleled skill.

Contemporaries of Lasker noted that he often employed a psychological approach in his games, using seemingly modest moves to unsettle his opponents. However, more recent analysis has shown that Lasker was ahead of his time, using more flexible and dynamic strategies than his contemporaries. His approach to opening theory was unconventional, as he did not adhere to many of the prevailing analyses of the time. Lasker published a chess magazine and authored five chess books, though many players and commentators found it difficult to learn from his unique methods.