# The world chess champions

Every undisputed world chess champion since 1886, according to Wikipedia. Who is the greatest of them all? Vote.

- 2 votes · 19 items
- May 5, 2025 · sarcasm.lost
- https://even.best/en/l/701/the-world-chess-champions

## Top 18

1. **Viswanathan Anand** (1 · ▲1 ▼0) — India. Champion 2007–2013.
2. **Wilhelm Steinitz** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Austria-Hungary, USA. Champion 1886–1894. The first official world champion.
3. **José Raúl Capablanca** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Cuba. Champion 1921–1927.
4. **Alexander Alekhine** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — France (born in Russia). Champion 1927–1935, 1937–1946. The only champion to die holding the title.
5. **Max Euwe** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Netherlands. Champion 1935–1937.
6. **Mikhail Botvinnik** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — USSR. Champion 1948–1957, 1958–1960, 1961–1963. Patriarch of the Soviet chess school.
7. **Vasily Smyslov** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — USSR. Champion 1957–1958.
8. **Mikhail Tal** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — USSR. Champion 1960–1961. "The Magician from Riga", a master of attack.
9. **Tigran Petrosian** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — USSR. Champion 1963–1969.
10. **Boris Spassky** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — USSR. Champion 1969–1972.
11. **Bobby Fischer** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — USA. Champion 1972–1975. Beat Spassky in the "Match of the Century" in Reykjavík.
12. **Anatoly Karpov** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — USSR. Champion 1975–1985.
13. **Garry Kasparov** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — USSR / Russia. Champion 1985–2000. The youngest champion of his time, at 22.
14. **Vladimir Kramnik** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Russia. Champion 2000–2007. Beat Kasparov in London in 2000.
15. **Magnus Carlsen** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — Norway. Champion 2013–2023. Declined to defend the title in 2023; holds the record Elo rating.
16. **Ding Liren** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — China. Champion 2023–2024.
17. **Gukesh Dommaraju** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — India. Champion since 2024. The youngest world champion ever, at 18.
18. **Veselin Topalov** (0 · ▲0 ▼0) — FIDE World Champion in 2005, during the split in the chess crown.
19. **Emanuel Lasker** (-1 · ▲0 ▼1) — Germany. Champion 1894–1921. A record 27 years as champion.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.