Pre-Classical 3 players 🇫🇷 François-André Philidor The Father of Chess 1740–1795 · 9 games PRO 🇩🇪 Adolf Anderssen The Combinative King 1848–1879 · 1,190 games PRO 🇺🇸 Paul Morphy The Pride of Chess 1857–1859 · 480 games PRO
Classical Era (1886–1946) 13 players 🇦🇹 Wilhelm Steinitz The Father of Modern Chess World Champion · 1886–1894 · 1,384 gamesPRO 🇬🇧 Joseph H. Blackburne The Black Death 1862–1914 · 1,400 games PRO 🇷🇺 Mikhail Chigorin The Father of Russian Chess 1874–1908 · 1,171 games PRO 🇩🇪 Siegbert Tarrasch The Teacher 1883–1934 · 1,239 games PRO 🇩🇪 Emanuel Lasker The Philosopher World Champion · 1894–1921 · 1,988 gamesPRO 🇺🇸 Harry N. Pillsbury The American Prodigy 1893–1906 · 879 games PRO 🇺🇸 Frank Marshall The Swindler 1890–1944 · 1,852 games PRO 🇵🇱 Akiba Rubinstein The Uncrowned King 1903–1932 · 1,318 games PRO 🇦🇹 Rudolf Spielmann The Last Romantic 1902–1938 · 1,635 games PRO 🇫🇷 Savielly Tartakower The Wit of Chess 1905–1954 · 2,004 games PRO 🇨🇺 José Raúl Capablanca The Chess Machine World Champion · 1921–1927 · 1,705 gamesPRO 🇨🇿 Richard Réti The Hypermodernist 1908–1929 · 884 games PRO 🇫🇷 Alexander Alekhine The Sadist World Champion · 1927–1946 · 3,556 gamesPRO
Soviet Era Champions 9 players 🇳🇱 Max Euwe The Amateur Champion World Champion · 1935–1937 · 2,412 gamesPRO 🇷🇺 Mikhail Botvinnik The Patriarch World Champion · 1948–1963 · 1,626 gamesPRO 🇷🇺 Vasily Smyslov The Artist World Champion · 1957–1958 · Peak 2620 · 3,411 gamesPRO 🇱🇻 Mikhail Tal The Magician from Riga World Champion · 1960–1961 · Peak 2620 · 3,899 gamesPRO 🇦🇲 Tigran Petrosian Iron Tigran World Champion · 1963–1969 · Peak 2649 · 2,671 gamesPRO 🇫🇷 Boris Spassky The Gentleman World Champion · 1969–1972 · Peak 2660 · 3,128 gamesPRO 🇺🇸 Bobby Fischer The Greatest World Champion · 1972–1975 · Peak 2785 · 1,333 gamesPRO 🇷🇺 Anatoly Karpov The Boa Constrictor World Champion · 1975–1985 · Peak 2780 · 4,649 gamesPRO 🇷🇺 Garry Kasparov The Beast from Baku World Champion · 1985–2000 · Peak 2851 · 2,788 gamesPRO
Soviet Era Legends 9 players 🇦🇷 Miguel Najdorf El Viejo GM · 1930–1970 · 2,278 gamesPRO 🇺🇸 Samuel Reshevsky The Child Prodigy GM · 1920–1970 · 2,110 gamesPRO 🇪🇪 Paul Keres The Eternal Second GM · 1935–1975 · 2,537 gamesPRO 🇺🇦 David Bronstein The Creative Genius GM · 1944–1990 · 2,960 gamesPRO 🇺🇦 Efim Geller The Kasparov Slayer GM · 1949–1990 · 2,943 gamesPRO 🇨🇭 Viktor Korchnoi The Terrible GM · 1952–2012 · Peak 2695 · 6,427 gamesPRO 🇺🇦 Leonid Stein The Ukrainian Tiger GM · 1955–1973 · 1,175 gamesPRO 🇩🇰 Bent Larsen The Great Dane GM · 1954–2000 · Peak 2660 · 2,863 gamesPRO 🇭🇺 Lajos Portisch The Hungarian Botvinnik GM · 1958–2005 · Peak 2660 · 3,703 gamesPRO
Modern Champions 5 players 🇷🇺 Vladimir Kramnik The Wall World Champion · 2000–2007 · Peak 2817 · 4,924 gamesPRO 🇮🇳 Viswanathan Anand The Lightning Kid World Champion · 2007–2013 · Peak 2817 · 4,540 gamesPRO 🇳🇴 Magnus Carlsen The Mozart of Chess World Champion · 2013–2023 · Peak 2882 · 8,808 games🇨🇳 Ding Liren The Quiet Assassin World Champion · 2023–2025 · Peak 2816 · 2,607 games🇮🇳 Gukesh D The Youngest Champion World Champion · 2025– · Peak 2794 · 2,991 games
Modern Legends 7 players 🇺🇦 Vassily Ivanchuk Chucky GM · 1988– · Peak 2787 · 6,192 games🇱🇻 Alexei Shirov Fire on Board GM · 1990– · Peak 2749 · 6,874 games🇧🇬 Veselin Topalov The Tiger GM · 1992– · Peak 2816 · 2,946 games🇭🇺 Judit Polgár The Queen of Chess GM · 1991–2014 · Peak 2735 · 2,158 gamesPRO 🇦🇲 Levon Aronian The Maestro GM · 2002– · Peak 2830 · 6,246 games🇷🇺 Alexander Grischuk Mr. Time Trouble GM · 1999– · Peak 2810 · 7,207 games🇦🇿 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov Shak GM · 2002– · Peak 2820 · 6,049 games
Current Elite 6 players 🇺🇸 Fabiano Caruana Fabi GM · 2007– · Peak 2844 · 7,272 games🇺🇸 Hikaru Nakamura The Speed King GM · 2003– · Peak 2816 · 9,894 games🇷🇺 Ian Nepomniachtchi Nepo GM · 2007– · Peak 2795 · 5,701 games🇫🇷 Alireza Firouzja The Prodigy GM · 2016– · Peak 2804 · 5,500 games🇺🇸 Wesley So The Quiet Executioner GM · 2008– · Peak 2822 · 5,346 games🇳🇱 Anish Giri The Draw Master GM · 2009– · Peak 2798 · 4,863 games