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The 12 Best Chess Players of All Time

Thank you for your very interesting compilation. :)

Thank you for your very interesting compilation. :)

@ARMAANCJAIN said in #8:

no hikaru thats a snub
I think that hikaru should be included and also Viktor Korchnoi

@ARMAANCJAIN said in #8: > no hikaru thats a snub I think that hikaru should be included and also Viktor Korchnoi

I miss Samuel Reshewsky in this list. He was the best and second best American Player (behind Fischer) for at least four decades.

I miss Samuel Reshewsky in this list. He was the best and second best American Player (behind Fischer) for at least four decades.

@FunnyPanda said in #24:

"One of his greatest accomplishments included winning the 1925 Soviet Chess Championship, ahead of a brilliant field including Lasker and Capablanca."

Lasker and Capablanca competed in the 1925 Soviet Chess Championship? Yeah, and Santa Claus is real !
You get that nonsense by just googling it.

If you actually googled it you'd see this https://en.chessbase.com/post/a-hundred-years-ago-moscow-1925 post that proves him right

@FunnyPanda said in #24: > "One of his greatest accomplishments included winning the 1925 Soviet Chess Championship, ahead of a brilliant field including Lasker and Capablanca." > > Lasker and Capablanca competed in the 1925 Soviet Chess Championship? Yeah, and Santa Claus is real ! > You get that nonsense by just googling it. If you actually googled it you'd see this https://en.chessbase.com/post/a-hundred-years-ago-moscow-1925 post that proves him right

Reply to @Zabautizam :

There is a difference between The International Chess Tournament held in Moscow 1925 and the 1925 Soviet Chess Championship. You need to be precise to avoid blunders, just saying.

My point still stands and yours doesn ́t.

Reply to @Zabautizam : There is a difference between The International Chess Tournament held in Moscow 1925 and the 1925 Soviet Chess Championship. You need to be precise to avoid blunders, just saying. My point still stands and yours doesn ́t.

@Yoplay
Definitely an interesting option as well.
@FunnyPanda
If you can provide me with information to the contrary I would love to hear it.
@PCharlesMorphy
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, interesting perspective. As I listed these same strengths of Keres, I was basing my ranking more on how close a player was to the title, not how long. However, even based on that I could understand an argument in favor of Keres, as he was clearly an incredible player.
@Angad_Ind
These are only players who did not become world champion. Hikaru could be on the list, as I discussed in an earlier forum post.

@Yoplay Definitely an interesting option as well. @FunnyPanda If you can provide me with information to the contrary I would love to hear it. @PCharlesMorphy Thanks for sharing your thoughts, interesting perspective. As I listed these same strengths of Keres, I was basing my ranking more on how close a player was to the title, not how long. However, even based on that I could understand an argument in favor of Keres, as he was clearly an incredible player. @Angad_Ind These are only players who did not become world champion. Hikaru could be on the list, as I discussed in an earlier forum post.

@ANDREWRUI
This list only has players who never became classical world champ.
@Robert_Gridasov
Leko I discussed in an earlier forum post, but Moro is an interesting idea. However, I don't think Moro was ever quite at the World Champion level. Interesting thoughts though!
@Bakinbard
Very good thoughts, thanks.

  1. Yes, I should have been more precise.
  2. Interesting take, but I do believe Taimanov played a critical role in shaping the chess culture, which is also important imo.
  3. As to Nepo, as Magnus observed, he hasn't had any major accomplishments outside of the candidates. As for Topalov, he was world champ in 2005.
@ANDREWRUI This list only has players who never became classical world champ. @Robert_Gridasov Leko I discussed in an earlier forum post, but Moro is an interesting idea. However, I don't think Moro was ever quite at the World Champion level. Interesting thoughts though! @Bakinbard Very good thoughts, thanks. 1) Yes, I should have been more precise. 2) Interesting take, but I do believe Taimanov played a critical role in shaping the chess culture, which is also important imo. 3) As to Nepo, as Magnus observed, he hasn't had any major accomplishments outside of the candidates. As for Topalov, he was world champ in 2005.

@Toscani
Thanks, these are great!
Bogojubov was on my list and Topalov became world champ, but the rest of the players on your list are also incredible players who could be on this list.

@Toscani Thanks, these are great! Bogojubov was on my list and Topalov became world champ, but the rest of the players on your list are also incredible players who could be on this list.

@patzeram2
Reshevsky was also an incredible player, I did not consider him. Players such as Morphy would be on this list, but I was only considering players after there was an official world championship established.
@Toscani
Peak ratings can be helpful, but as ratings shift over time, they are not perfect imo.
@Doktor_victor
Who doesn't?
@Alex_Yar
Yep, I believe that's what I wrote. 1 point lead is 2 wins vs draws in a tourney, but in a WC it's just 1.
@SveshnikovisKing
Players before the world championship were not considered, sorry I wasn't clear.

@patzeram2 Reshevsky was also an incredible player, I did not consider him. Players such as Morphy would be on this list, but I was only considering players after there was an official world championship established. @Toscani Peak ratings can be helpful, but as ratings shift over time, they are not perfect imo. @Doktor_victor Who doesn't? @Alex_Yar Yep, I believe that's what I wrote. 1 point lead is 2 wins vs draws in a tourney, but in a WC it's just 1. @SveshnikovisKing Players before the world championship were not considered, sorry I wasn't clear.