Question by knuckleballer: Who was the greatest chess player of all time and why?
There are many opinions about who was the greatest chess player of all time. Most say Garry Kasparov or Bobby Fischer. Some say Jose’ Capablanca, or Paul Morphy, or Howard Staunton, or Boris Spassky or others. Some pick ties between players. Some may differentiate who was stronger due to time period. The following is a list of unoffcial and official world chess champions dating from 1475-Present. If a player not on this list is one you think is best, please list the player and tell why. If you think one from the list is best, please list your answer and tell why. Thank you.
THE LIST: Luis Ramirez (Spain); Pedro Damiano (Portugal); Ruy Lopez (Spain); El Morro (Portugal); Leonardo da Cutro (Italy); Paolo Boi (Italy); Giulio Polerio (Italy); Alessandrio Salvio (Italy); Gioachino Greco (Italy); Pietro Carrera (Italy); Franci de Castiellvi (Crown of Aragon); Narcis Vinyoles (Crown of Aragon); Bernat Fenollar (Crown of Aragon); Francesc Vincent (Crown of Aragon); Alexander Cunningham (Scotland); Legall de Kermeur (France); Francois-Andre’ Danican Philidor (France); Johann Baptist Allgaier (Austria); Verdoni (Italy/France); Jacob Henry Sarratt (England); Alexandre Deschapelles (France); Louis-Charles Mahe’ de La Bourdonnais (France); Alexander McDonnell (Ireland); Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant (France); Howard Staunton (England); Adolf Anderssen (Germany); Paul Morphy (USA); Wilhelm Steinitz (Germany); Johannes Zukertort (Poland); Dr. Emanuel Lasker (Germany); Jose’ Raul Capablanca (Cuba); Alexander Alekhine (France/Russia); Dr. Max Euwe (Netherlands); Mikhail Botvinnik (USSR); Vasily Smyslov (USSR); Mikhail Tal (USSR); Tigran Petrosian (USSR); Boris Spassky (USSR); Bobby Fischer (USA); Anatoly Karpov (USSR); Garry Kasparov (USSR/Russia [USSR ended while he was world champion]); Vladimir Kramnik (Russia); Alexander Khalifman (Russia); Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine); Rustam Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan); Vesselin Topalov (Bulgaria); Viswanathan Anand (India; current world champion).
Answers and Views:
Answer by ducatirider
That Josh kid that the movie “Searching for Bobby Fischer” is based on. He’s the greatest chess player because he got a MOVIE made about him and chess! I think that’s the only chess movie in the history of Hollywood.
Read all the answers in the comments.
What do you think?
Lester says
really depends on what you base it on, if rating or performance or accuracy. I can say for sure if accuracy capablanca is undisputed. However the different eras made each player different and therefore impossible to compare. For example, I doubt Fischer could've ever surpassed capablanca if capablanca didn't exist. The reason why Fischer surpassed in terms of rating is because they existed. the reason why garry kasparov surpassed the players before him is because they existed for him to analyze. Just like einstein, he would never have come up with his theories if Isaac newton did not come up with his theories.
As time goes by new records are made, thats envitable. So unless you can bring all the previous players back to life, give them time to study each other, you will never know who is the ultimate. Besides the best could be someone unheard of. Theres billions of people in the world, there is a chance the god of chess is someone we have never heard of.
Ryan says
Kasparov for me is the greatest chess player off all(he is also considered by many gm as the greatest). He dominated chess for 20 years against other great players like Anand and Topalov. Fischer did not proved himself that he could be dominant, he did not defended his title. Kasparov is like Pete Sampras ,he proved his greatness for long time, he is not a one hit wonder.
JulianL says
I think that Fischer was the greatest player of all time. He had great achievements during his prime, winning the U.S. Championship by a perfect 11-0 one year, for his demolition of GM's Taimanov and Larsen during the Candidates Matches in 1971 leading up to the World Championship of 1972, which he of course won. The Soviet players had state sponsorship, but Fischer achieved his feats with little or no help from anybody (as several other respondents have pointed out).
blinkenlights7 says
Bobby Fischer was the greatest player because he overcame the greatest odds and raised up chess so that it was watched, not just by chess players but the whole world.
When Fischer was playing the Soviet Union, by expenditure of state money and effort, had created a huge organization designed from the bottom up to study and dominate world chess. Fischer, by himself and with the help of noone, faced down this enormous sports machine, the full power of which was organized against him and won.
liberal_60 says
Fischer. Because he took on the world with very little help. Chess had become almost a team sport dominated by the Soviets.
Alec1 says
Agreed Lasker nobody understood the game or it's nature better than he did.
MDG says
Emmanuel Lasker. He held the title longer than anyone else, with class and profound games, and continued to win tournaments long after he resignedly lost the crown to Capablanca.
Dolly says
You have presented an excellent answer to your own question.
To identify the greatest chess player of all time and why,
is a tough choice between Garry Kasparov or Bobby Fischer,
with valid choices of many of the others that you mentioned.
And who can say if players like Magnus Carlson and Hikaru Nakamura
have finished improving. The many choices are because of different eras.
Glenn C says
I'll list them in terms of category
Greatest of Pre-Fide/Rating if converted to today's play: Raul Capablanca
Highest rating: Gary Kasparov or Magnus Carlsen
Highest consistency: Gary Kasparov of Bobby Fisher
Today: Magnus Carlsen