Every style has a story.

First official World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1886 to 1894 after defeating Johannes Zukertort.

Second World Chess Champion, holding the title for 27 years (1894–1921), the longest reign in chess history.

Third World Chess Champion, reigning from 1921 to 1927 after defeating Emanuel Lasker.

Fourth World Chess Champion, holding the title twice: 1927–1935 and 1937–1946.

Fifth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1935 to 1937.

Sixth World Chess Champion, winning the title in 1948 and holding it, with interruptions, until 1963 — a total of three reigns: 1948–1957, 1958–1960, 1961–1963.

Seventh World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1957 to 1958 after defeating Botvinnik.

Eighth World Chess Champion, winning the title in 1960 by defeating Mikhail Botvinnik at age 23 — the youngest world champion at that time.

Ninth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1963 to 1969.

Tenth World Chess Champion, reigning from 1969 to 1972.

Eleventh World Chess Champion, reigning from 1972 to 1975.

Twelfth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1975 to 1985.

Thirteenth World Chess Champion, becoming the youngest ever at age 22 in 1985 when he defeated Anatoly Karpov.

Fourteenth World Chess Champion, defeating Garry Kasparov in London in 2000 with a score of 8.5–6.5, without losing a single game.

Fifteenth World Chess Champion, holding the title in various formats from 2000 to 2013.

FIDE World Chess Champion in 2005, winning the FIDE World Championship tournament in San Luis, Argentina.

16th World Chess Champion, winning the title in 2013 by defeating Viswanathan Anand in Chennai.

17th World Chess Champion, winning the title in 2023 by defeating Ian Nepomniachtchi in a tiebreak in Astana.

18th World Chess Champion, winning the title in December 2024 at age 18 by defeating Ding Liren in Singapore, becoming the youngest World Champion in history.

The first American chess phenomenon and the unofficial World Champion from 1858 to 1860. He is widely considered the greatest player of his era and one of the greatest natural talents in chess history.

The first great Russian chess master and the founder of the Russian chess school. He was a leading world player from the 1880s until his death in 1908.

One of the strongest players never to become World Champion. He was a leading contender for the title from 1907 to 1914.

One of the most influential chess theorists and players of the early 20th century. He was ranked among the top players in the world from the 1910s until his death in 1935.

One of the strongest players in the world from the 1890s to the 1910s and one of the most influential chess theorists of all time.

United States Chess Champion from 1909 to 1936, one of the longest reigns in American chess history.

One of the principal proponents of **hypermodernism** in chess, along with Aron Nimzowitsch and others.

One of the strongest players in the world in the 1920s and 1930s.

One of the strongest American players of all time and a perennial world championship contender from the 1930s through the 1960s.

One of the strongest chess players in the world from the mid-1930s until his retirement from serious chess in 1951.

One of the strongest players in the world from the mid-1940s to the mid-1970s.

One of the world's top players from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s, and a perennial world championship contender.

A giant of the chess world with a career spanning seventy years and over 5,000 recorded games.

One of the greatest fighters in chess history, defeating all World Champions from Botvinnik to Karpov.

One of the strongest non-Soviet grandmasters in the 1960s and 1970s.

One of the strongest Soviet grandmasters of the 1950s and 1960s, and a world championship candidate.

One of the strongest Soviet grandmasters of the 1960s and a three-time Soviet Champion (1963, 1965, 1966).

One of the strongest players in the world for over two decades, ranked in the top 10 for much of his career.

Won the World U-16 Championship in 1988 and became an International Master in 1989 and a Grandmaster in 1990.

One of the world's top players in the 1990s and early 2000s, ranked fourth in the world in 1992 and again in 2003.

Eight-time Russian Chess Champion (1994, 1995, 1997, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2017) — no one else has achieved a hat-trick of Russian titles in modern times.

The greatest female chess player of all time and the only woman to have been ranked in the top 10 of the world's absolute chess players.

Four-time Soviet Champion (1974, 1980, 1987, 1990) — one of the strongest national championships in the world.

Ranked No. 3 in the world from 1986 to 1992, behind only Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov.

One of the world's top players in the late 1980s and 1990s, ranked third in the world in 1995.

Four-time United States Chess Champion (1981, 1986, 1989, 2000).

One of the strongest Soviet grandmasters from the 1960s through the 1980s, and a perennial World Championship Candidate.

One of the strongest players in the world from the early 1950s through the 1970s, and a six-time World Championship Candidate.

The leading Yugoslav grandmaster for decades and one of the strongest players in the world from the 1950s through the 1970s.

One of the strongest players in the world from the 1940s through the 1960s, and a World Championship Candidate in 1950.

One of the strongest Soviet grandmasters of the 1940s and 1950s, and a World Championship Candidate in 1950.

One of the strongest Soviet grandmasters of the 1940s and 1950s, and a World Championship Candidate in 1953.

One of the strongest Soviet grandmasters of the 1950s and 1960s, and a World Championship Candidate in 1953.

One of the strongest players in the world from the mid-2000s to the present, ranked as high as No. 2 in the world.

One of the strongest players in the world in the 2010s, ranked as high as No. 4 in the world.

One of the strongest players in the world from the 2010s to the present, ranked as high as No. 2 in the world.

One of the strongest players in the world today, ranked as high as No. 2; a two-time World Championship Challenger (2021 and 2023).

Five-time United States Chess Champion and the reigning World Fischer Random Champion.

One of the strongest players in the world, ranked as high as No. 2; the 2017 US Champion and the reigning World Fischer Random Champion.

One of the strongest players in the world, ranked in the top 10 for much of his career; a World Championship Candidate on multiple occasions.

One of the strongest players in the world, ranked as high as No. 5; a World Championship Candidate on multiple occasions.

One of the strongest players in the world, ranked as high as No. 4; a World Championship Candidate on multiple occasions.

The sixth Women's World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1962 to 1978 — a reign of 16 years.

The sixth Women's World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1978 to 1991 — a reign of 13 years.

Four-time Women's World Chess Champion (2010, 2011, 2013, 2016) and the youngest ever to win the title at age 16.

The first Asian female to become a chess Grandmaster and the first Chinese player to win the Women's World Chess Championship.

One of the most creative and witty grandmasters in chess history, and one of the inaugural recipients of the Grandmaster title in 1950.

One of the world's strongest players in the early 1920s, ranked among the top eight or nine players in the world .

One of the strongest players in the world in the first half of the 20th century.

One of the top dozen chess players in the world from 1910 to 1930, all while remaining an amateur .

One of the strongest players in the world in the first decade of the 20th century .

One of the inaugural recipients of the Grandmaster title in 1950 .

Won the Hastings 1895 tournament at age 22, one of the strongest tournaments of the 19th century .

One of the strongest players in the early 20th century and a brilliant theorist, journalist, and composer .

A leading German chess master, easily of grandmaster strength .

One of the world's top three chess masters at his peak .

One of the strongest and most universally respected players of the modern era, ranked as high as No. 2 in the world.

Three-time World Blitz Champion (2006, 2012, 2015) and one of the strongest rapid and blitz players in the world.

One of the most dynamic and accomplished grandmasters of his generation; reached world No. 2 in February 2018 with a peak rating of 2820.

Five-time US Champion (1991, 1996, 2010, 2012, 2013) and one of the most extraordinary career trajectories of any chess player.

One of the strongest players in the world in the 2000s, ranked as high as No. 4; a World Championship Challenger in 2004.

The leading Dutch grandmaster for decades and one of the strongest players in the world from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s, ranked as high as No. 2.

One of the strongest players in the world for over two decades, ranked as high as No. 4; a World Championship Candidate on multiple occasions.

Five-time Cuban Chess Champion (2002, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2016) and World Blitz Champion in 2008.

One of the most original and creative grandmasters of his generation; reached world No. 2 in 2008 with a peak rating of 2788.

One of the strongest players in the world during the 1930s; in his prime he won more than thirty international tournaments, defeating many of his greatest contemporaries, including three world champions.

12th Women's World Chess Champion (2008–2009), defeating Hou Yifan 2.5–1.5 in the final.

10th Women's World Chess Champion (2004–2006), winning the 64-player knockout tournament in Elista, Kalmykia.

Won the Girls U10 section of the World Youth Chess Championship in 1999 and the U14 European Championship in 2001.

14th Women's World Chess Champion, winning the title in November 2012 by defeating Antoaneta Stefanova in a tiebreak in Khanty-Mansiysk.

15th Women's World Chess Champion, winning the 2015 knockout tournament in Sochi.

16th Women's World Chess Champion, winning the title in March 2017 in Tehran, Iran, defeating Anna Muzychuk on tiebreak (1.5–0.5).

Five-time Women's World Chess Champion (2018, 2018, 2020, 2023, 2025) and the reigning champion.

World Rapid Chess Champion (2025) and winner of the 2023 Women's World Chess Cup.

Germany's best female chess player for over two decades and the first German woman to earn the FIDE Grandmaster title in 2022.

One of the strongest female players in history and a pioneer for women in chess; a Grandmaster since 1992.