You just have to find a place for Pillsbury.
All-time tournament

# | Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
X | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16½ |
2 | ![]() |
1 | X | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 16 |
3 | ![]() |
1 | 0 | X | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 15½ |
4 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | X | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 14 |
5 | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 13 |
6 | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 12 |
7 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | X | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 11½ |
8 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | X | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11½ |
9 | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | X | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 11 |
10 | ![]() |
½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | X | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10½ |
11 | ![]() |
½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | X | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
12 | ![]() |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | X | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9½ |
13 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | X | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9½ |
14 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 0 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9½ |
15 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | 1 | X | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
16 | ![]() |
0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | X | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | 9 |
17 | ![]() |
0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ½ | 8½ |
18 | ![]() |
½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | X | 1 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 8½ |
19 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
20 | ![]() |
0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 1 | 1 | 7½ |
21 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 1 | 7½ |
22 | ![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 |

This was easily the strongest tourney up to that time.
What makes his feat more remarkable, halfway through the tournament he had a record breaking Blindfold simul (can't remember how many players).
He certainly had tournament stamina.
Only the good die young, RIP, Harry....

Lasker said: "I fear I will have to defend my title against this young man someday"
Sadly he died before any of that could happen.
And I thought this post was about great tournament players, not world champions. Tournament play is a different animal.
Alright, fine, how about this:
(1) Fischer vs (16) Leko
(2) Kasparov vs (15) Korchnoi
(3) Capablanca vs (14) Euwe
(4) Lasker vs (13) Morphy
(5) Alekhine vs (12) Rubenstein
(6) Karpov vs (11) Spassky
(7) Botvinnik vs (10) Pillsbury
(8) Steinitz vs (9) Tal

Let me get this straight... KASPAROV IS #2?? AND J.R. CAPA IS #3?? WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?? you aren't saying that fischer was the best?

Rooperi said about Pillsbury at Hastings 1895 ---"What makes his feat more remarkable, halfway through the tournament he had a record breaking Blindfold simul (can't remember how many players)."
I think you are mistaken---where did you read this?
Well, you forced me to dig out my books, You are correct, I had the right player, wrong tournament:
From Chess Companion:
At Hanover, 1902, he took second prize after Janowksi. During this tournament, Pillsbury played the toughest ever similtaneous blindfold display. He scored +3 =11 -7 agaunst 21 opponents, all of whom were competing in the HAUPTTURNIER for master title. Contrary to warnings that he was jeopardizing his prospects in the tournament, his results improved.
Steinitz Tal, now there would be an interesting game, lol
Yes it would (I would also look forward to Lasker-Morphy and Botvinnik-Pillsbury!).
What does it take to convince stupid people that I mean an all-time tournament. I know it can never happen! I'm just saying what it would have been like if they all lived at the same time.
What if all of the chess grandmasters from the past and present were in a giant tournament? Here's what my final eight would be:
(1) Robert Fischer vs (8) Wilhelm Steinitz
(2) Garry Kasparov vs (7) Mikhail Botvinnik
(3) Jose Capablanca vs (6) Anatoly Karpov
(4) Emanuel Lasker vs (5) Alexander Alekhine