These are the best chess players of all time
What's the story
Chess is a unique game in its own accord. It is a battle of two minds, fighting on the battlefield and trying to capture the other person's king. The game began in India and then spread across to Persia and the Arab world. But it was in Europe, where the game took its current form. Here are 5 best chess players of all time.
Anatoly Karpov
The Russian chess genius
Anatoly Karpov became the World Champion when then-reigning 'King' Bobby Fisher refused to defend his title. Karpov kept his title for a decade before losing to Garry Kasparov in 1985. He was the winner of the 1995 Linares tournament, which is considered the toughest in chess. Karpov's games are remembered for his positional style, obtaining microscopic advantages to relentlessly attacking the opposition.
Mikhail Tal
The artist and a mad genius
This Soviet world champion is considered one of the best attacking players and a creative genius par excellence. Tal holds the record for the longest winning streak in the history of game. Known as "The Magician from Riga", his style involved going on the attack from the beginning and sacrificing pieces to disrupt the opponent's positional tactics.
Bobby Fischer
America's answer to Soviet dominance
Bobby Fischer is the kind of genius whose match, at age 13, is considered the "Game of the Century". This prodigious talent became America's chess champion at 15 and World Champion in 1972, defeating Russia's Boris Spassky. Fischer made numerous contributions to the game, even invented a new variant of chess called "Chess960". He has written some iconic chess literature as well.
Garry Kasparov
More than a Grandmaster
This chess genius was ranked world number 1 for 225 (out of 228 months) from 1985 till he retired in 2005 from professional chess. Garry Kasparov defeated another icon, Karpov, to become the youngest ever world champion at the age of 22. Kasparov's peak rating in the Elo rating system was the highest till it was surpassed by the next person on our list.
Magnus Carlsen
One of the best minds walking the earth
The 12-year-old who draws a match with Garry Kasparov is undoubtedly a prodigious talent. Carlsen was 13 years and 148 days old when he earned his Grandmaster title. He is the only player in history to hold the World Champion, World Rapid Championship and World Blitz Champion at the same time. Carlsen's Elo rating of 2,882 is the highest recorded in history.