Feb 11

Feb 11 The 5 Greatest Chess Players of All-Time

The Greatest Chess Players to Ever Play the Game

Throughout chess history, there have been some incredible players that have dominated their era so much that their greatness cannot be denied!

From holding onto the World Champion title for an absurd amount of time to sweeping tournaments with the strongest GMs in the world to winning equal positions over and over again, find out about the greatest chess players of all time.

5. Paul Morphy

Morphy comes from a different era in chess when the game was more artistic than scientific.

Some people don’t feel Morphy belongs among the top players, because when we analyse his games today, he often didn’t find the best moves.

But when he was playing in the 1850s, chess wasn’t the serious game it was today.

Rather, it was seen as a way for smart people to express themselves artistically.

In fact, if players didn’t accept sacrifices it was considered rude- and most players were expected to sacrifice a piece or two to make an interesting game.

Morphy was one of the best at playing an artistic game. His Opera Game, arguably the most popular chess game of all time, is a pure beauty- and its fame proves that.

Morphy finds an incredible (yet simple) queen sacrifice to win the game.

4. Alexander Alekhine

Alekhine was a Russian Grandmaster during the early 1900s, whose influence still persists today.

While he was an incredible chess player who held the title for an astounding 17 years, what set Alekhine apart from other chess players was his aptitude for theory.

Alekhine wrote over 20 chess books during his career and he has several openings named after him.

Although today we think of Alekhine for his positional awareness and his opening prowess, his attacking ability was renowned at the time.

Like other generational talents of chess, his ability to calculate far exceeded those of his peers and it led to a career full of victories and theory that lasted for decades.

3. Bobby Fischer

Fischer changed the way we think of chess- and how we play it!

During the Cold War with Russia, there was also a political war happening in chess.

During a time when Spassky and other Russian Super GMs easily controlled the chess game, Fischer was able to break through and give Americans a player to root for.

While he never held the World Championship title as long as the other players on this list, Fischer still dominated when he was at the top of his game.

In 1963/64, during the US Chess Championship, Fischer became the only player to achieve a perfect score and win, as he had six years prior.

Bobby Fischer was the first Chess GM (and possibly the last) to become a household name- and he was even on late shows.

He was practically a celebrity, due to increased cultural battles between the US and Russia.

After defeating Spassky, the US wanted everyone to know that America had won the game of intellect.

Bobby Fischer’s notoriety today isn’t based on his cultural and political popularity, however. Rather, players today appreciate Fischer’s clear calculating ability and his willingness to play for a win in any position.

When Fischer wanted to win, he could produce wins seemingly out of thin air, winning from a known opening or equal endgame.

2. Garry Kasparov

Kasparov has been a crucial voice in chess since coming onto the scene.

While he originally represented Russia, he has since come out against their dictatorship and he doesn’t want to be associated with them.

During his time as a chess player, Kasparov was known for his ability to calculate a position far beyond his peers.

At just 22 years, he captured the World Chess Championship, becoming the youngest person ever to do so.

He also had the unfortunate timing of being the first World Chess Champion to lose to a supercomputer, signifying the end of an era for chess players.

Kasparov retired from chess in 2005, but he continued his work to make the game better.

He’s written several books, including about his World Championship matches and his match against supercomputer Deep Blue.

He was also a consultant for chess-related inquiries for ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ on Netflix.

1. Magnus Carlsen

Carlsen’s understanding of the game far exceeds anyone in chess history.

That could be because he is the only player on this list currently active, or it could be due to his understanding and experience at such a young age.

At just 19 years old, Magnus Carlsen became the youngest player to ever become number one in terms of rating.

Then, from 2018 to 2020, Carlsen had the longest undefeated streak in chess, where he didn’t lose for 125 games.

This, along with his several World Championships over the last several years, has ingrained him as a top player in chess history.

Carlsen is known for his positional style and the way he controls the board.

While other players like Mamadyarov and Nepomniatchi want to attack, Carlsen is comfortable sitting back and waiting for the right moment to end up being up by half a pawn, positionally.

Another aspect of Carlsen’s game that has been raved about is his ability to convert seemingly drawn endgames into wins.

Throughout his time as a chess player, there have been several instances where Carlsen managed to turn a position that most GMs would draw into an easy victory.

This is unheard of at the top level- and another reason why Carlsen sits at the top of our list.