Rising to the Top: The Story of the World Champions
Are you aware of the chess world champions from Wilhelm Steinitz to Ding Liren, as well as the lengths of their championship tenures? This knowledge is essential for your chess career.
The title of World Chess Champion is regarded as one of the most esteemed honors in the realm of chess. Below is a compilation of the World Chess Champions, beginning with the establishment of the title in 1886 and continuing to the present champion.
1. Wilhelm Steinitz
William Steinitz, known initially as Wilhelm Steinitz, was a chess player of Bohemian-Austrian heritage who later became a citizen of the United States. He was the first World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1886 to 1894. Beyond his competitive successes, he was also an influential writer and theorist in the realm of chess.
2. Emanuel Lasker
Emanuel Lasker, pronounced in German as [eˈmaːnuɛl ˈlaskɐ], was born on December 24, 1868, and passed away on January 11, 1941. He was a prominent German chess player, mathematician, and philosopher.
Lasker became the second World Chess Champion, a title he held for an impressive 27 years, from 1894 until 1921, marking the longest reign of any officially recognized World Chess Champion to date. During his peak, Lasker exhibited remarkable dominance as a champion and is still widely acknowledged as one of the greatest chess players in history.
3. José Raúl Capablanca
José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera (November 19, 1888 – March 8, 1942) was a distinguished Cuban chess player who held the title of world chess champion from 1921 to 1927, making him the third individual to achieve this honor. Recognized as a chess prodigy, he is celebrated for his remarkable proficiency in endgame strategies and his swift playing style.
4. Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Aleksandrovich Alekhine (October 31 [O.S. October 19] 1892 – March 24, 1946) was a prominent chess player of Russian and French nationality, recognized as the fourth World Chess Champion, a title he successfully defended during two separate reigns. He was renowned for his aggressive playing style and intricate tactical combinations.
5. Max Euwe
Machgielis "Max" Euwe (Dutch: [ˈøːʋə]; May 20, 1901 – November 26, 1981) was a notable Dutch chess player, mathematician, author, and chess administrator. He was the fifth person to become World Chess Champion, a title he held from 1935 to 1937. Furthermore, he served as President of FIDE, the international chess governing body, from 1970 to 1978.
6. Mikhail Botvinnik
Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik (August 17 [O.S. August 4] 1911 – May 5, 1995) was a distinguished Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, renowned for securing five world titles across three separate reigns.
As the sixth World Chess Champion, he also pursued a career as an electrical engineer and computer scientist, making significant contributions to the field of computer chess. Additionally, he held an honorary degree in mathematics.
7. Vasily Smyslov
Vasily Vasilyevich Smyslov (Russian: Васи́лий Васи́льевич Смысло́в, romanized: Vasíliy Vasíl'yevich Smyslóv; 24 March 1921 – 27 March 2010) was a distinguished Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster, recognized as the seventh World Chess Champion, a title he held from 1957 to 1958.
Throughout his career, he was a contender for the World Chess Championship on eight separate occasions, specifically in the years 1948, 1950, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1965, 1983, and 1985. Smyslov achieved notable success in the USSR Chess Championships, securing first place in 1949 and 1955.
He holds the remarkable record of winning 17 medals at the Chess Olympiad, the highest in history, and he also earned ten gold medals across five European Team Championships.
8. Mikhail Tal
Mikhail Nekhemyevich Tal (9 November 1936 – 28 June 1992) was a prominent chess player from the Soviet Union and Latvia, renowned for being the eighth World Chess Champion. He is celebrated as a creative genius and is often regarded as one of the most significant figures in the history of chess.
Tal was known for his aggressive and bold combinatorial approach to the game. His style was particularly characterized by improvisation and an element of surprise. Vladislav Zubok remarked, "Every game for him was as inimitable and invaluable as a poem."
In 1960, 23-year-old Mikhail Tal defeated Mikhail Botvinnik in a World Championship match in Moscow, winning 12½–8½ (six wins, two losses, and thirteen draws), becoming the youngest World Champion, a record later broken by Garry Kasparov at 22. In a rematch in 1961, Botvinnik won 13–8 (ten wins, five losses, and six draws).
9. Tigran Petrosian
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian, referred to in Armenian as Տիգրան Վարդանի Պետրոսյան and in Russian as Тигран Вартанович Петросян, was born on June 17, 1929, and died on August 13, 1984. He was a prominent Soviet-Armenian chess grandmaster who held the title of World Chess Champion from 1963 to 1969, becoming the ninth person to do so.
Known for his defensive playing style, which emphasized safety and was nearly unbreakable, he earned the nickname "Iron Tigran." Petrosian is also celebrated for his significant contributions to the promotion of chess in Armenia.
10. Boris Spassky
Boris Vasilievich Spassky (Russian: Бори́с Васи́льевич Спа́сский, romanized: Borís Vasíl'yevich Spásskiy; born January 30, 1937) is a prominent Russian chess grandmaster who was the tenth World Chess Champion, a title he held from 1969 to 1972.
Over the course of his career, Spassky competed in three world championship matches: he was defeated by Tigran Petrosian in 1966, won against Petrosian in 1969 to become the world champion, and later lost to Bobby Fischer in a famous match in 1972.
11. Bobby Fischer
Robert James Fischer (March 9, 1943 – January 17, 2008) was a celebrated American chess grandmaster and the eleventh World Chess Champion. He won his first of eight US Championships at just 14 and achieved a perfect score of 11–0 in a 1964 tournament, a record that still stands.
Leading up to the 1972 World Championship, Fischer dominated his matches against Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen, winning both 6–0. He then faced Boris Spassky in a highly publicized title match in Reykjavík, Iceland, framed as a Cold War showdown between the US and USSR, capturing global attention.
12. Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov, born on May 23, 1951, is a distinguished Russian and former Soviet chess grandmaster, as well as a politician. He was the World Chess Champion from 1975 to 1985, becoming the 12th champion in history. Karpov is also a three-time FIDE World Champion, having triumphed in 1993, 1996, and 1998.
Furthermore, he was a member of the USSR team that won the World Chess Championship twice, in 1985 and 1989, and he boasts an impressive record of six Chess Olympiad victories with the USSR team in 1972, 1974, 1980, 1982, 1986, and 1988. His remarkable contributions to the game have earned him nine Chess Oscars from the International Association of Chess Press between 1973 and 1984.
13. Garry Kasparov
14. Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik, born on June 25, 1975, is a distinguished Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006 and the 14th undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007. Over the course of his career, he has won three gold medals in team events and three individual medals at the Chess Olympiads.
15. Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand, born on December 11, 1969, is a celebrated Indian chess grandmaster. He has won the World Chess Championship five times and is a two-time Chess World Cup Champion, a remarkable achievement. In 1988, Anand made history as the first grandmaster from India and has achieved the eighth-highest peak FIDE rating ever. In 2022, he was appointed deputy president of FIDE.
16. Magnus Carlsen
Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen, born on November 30, 1990, is a distinguished chess grandmaster from Norway. He has accomplished the extraordinary achievement of being a five-time World Chess Champion, as well as the current five-time World Rapid Chess Champion and seven-time World Blitz Chess Champion.
Furthermore, he is the reigning Chess World Cup Champion. Carlsen has held the top position in the FIDE world chess rankings since July 1, 2011, and ranks second only to Garry Kasparov for the longest duration as the highest-rated player in the world. His peak rating of 2882 is the highest ever recorded, and he also holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak in classical chess at the elite level, with an impressive 125 games.
17. Ding Liren (born 24 October 1992)
Ding is a distinguished Chinese chess grandmaster and currently holds the title of World Chess Champion. He is recognized as the highest-rated chess player from China in history and has secured the title of Chinese Chess Champion three times. In 2019, he triumphed in the Grand Chess Tour, defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the final match, and also claimed victory at the 2019 Sinquefield Cup.
Conclusion
In summary, the significant impact of these chess champions on the history of the game is multifaceted. Their individual styles, strategic innovations, and contributions to chess theory, along with their ability to engage the public, have collectively shaped the evolution of chess into the rich and complex discipline it is today. Each champion's legacy continues to inspire and influence players, ensuring that their contributions will be felt for generations to come.
