The current world champion of chess, Vladimir Kramnik. Kramnik was born in 1975 on the coast of the Black Sea in the former Soviet Union and learned to play chess at a very young age, taking lessons at the age of five at his home town's House of Pioneers. In the Fall of 2000, he beat Garry Kasparov in a sixteen-game match (2 wins, 14 draws, 0 loses) to become the new champion.
Paul Morphy (USA, 1837-1884). After winning the First American Chess Congress (New York, Oct. 1857) against the strongest players in this country, Morphy went to Europe to play matches against the strongest players there. In Paris he decisively beat Daniel Harrwitz (Germany, 1823-1884), Adolf Anderssen (Germany, 1818-1879), and Jacob Lowenthal (Hungary, 1810-1876), as well as a host of lesser known players. Howard Staunton (England, 1810-1874), then considered the strongest player in the world, found one excuse after another not to play him. Disheartened, Morphy returned home to New Orleans and gave up serious chess. In his lifetime, he played 227 competitive games, winning 83% of them!
Morphy vs. Lowenthal (London, 1859) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Bc5 6. O-O d6 7. d4 exd4 8. cxd4 Bb6 9. d5 Ne5 10. Nxe5 dxe5 11. Bb2 Qe7 12. Bb5+ Bd7 13. Bxd7+ Kxd7 14. Qg4+ f5 15. Qxf5+ Ke8 16. Bxe5 Nh6 17. Qf4 Kd7 18. Nd2 Rae8 19. Nc4 Bc5 20. Qad1 Bd6 21. Bxd6 cxd6 22. Rb1 b6 23. Rfc1 Qf6 24. Qe3 Ng4 25. Nxb6+ axb6 26. Rc7+ Kd8 27. Qxb6 Qxf2+ 28. Qxf2 Nxf2 29. Ra7 Nh3+ 30. gxh3 Kc8 31. Kf2 and white won.
Wilhelm Steinitz (b. 1836 in Czechoslovakia, d. 1900 in USA). After consistently defeating the world's strongest players in matches, among them (Joseph) Henry Blackburne (England, 1841-1924) three times, Adolf Anderssen, and Johannes Zukertort (Poland, 1842-1888), Steinitz agreed to play a match against Zukertort, the first to win 10 games being declared World Champion. The match was played in 1886 in New York, St. Louis, and New Orleans, Steinitz winning 10-5-5 (10 wins, 5 draws, 5 losses). He thus became the first "official" World Champion.
Steinitz vs. von Bardeleben (Hastings, 1895) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 d5 8. exd5 Nxd5 9. O-O Be6 10. Bg5 Be7 11. Bxd5 Bxd5 12. Nxd5 Qxd5 13. Bxe7 Nxe7 14. Re1 f6 15. Qe2 Qd7 16. Rac1 c6 17. d5 cxd5 18. Nd4 Kf7 19. Ne6 Rhc8 20. Qg4 g6 21. Ng5+ Ke8 22. Rxe7+ Kf8 23. Rf7+ Kg8 24. Rg7+ Kh8 25. Rxh7+ and von Bardeleben left the tournament hall, thereby effectively resigning the game.
Emanuel Lasker (b. 1868 in Germany, d. 1941 in USA). Regarded by some to be the greatest player ever, Lasker defeated Steinitz 10-4-5 in 1894 and then held the title longer than any subsequent champion.
Steinitz vs. Lasker (World Championship, 1896) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Bxc3 9. bxc3 d5 10. Ba3 dxc4 11. Re1 Be6 12. Rxe4 Qd5 13. Qe2 O-O-O 14. Ne5 Rhe8 15. Nxc6 Qxc6 16. Re1 Rg8 17. Re5 b6 18. Bc1 g5 19. Rxg5 Rxg5 20. Bxg5 Rg8 21. f4 Bd5 22. g3 Kb7 23. h3 Qb5 24. Kh2 Rg6 25. Qf2 f6 26. Bh4 Bc6 27. g4 Qd5 28. Qc2 h5 29. g5 fxg5 30. Bxg5 h4 31. Rf1 Rg8 32. Qd2 a5 33. a4 Re8 34. f5 Rg8 and white resigned.
Jose Raul Capablanca (Cuba, 1888-1942). Always included in short lists of the greatest players of all times, Capablanca handily defeated Lasker in 1921, 4-10-0, although officially Lasker had already resigned the title to Capa in 1920. Capa never successfully defended his title, being beaten by his arch rival, Alekhine, in 1927, and thereafter he never succeeded in getting a rematch.
Capablanca vs. Marshall (New York, 1918) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 Nf6 12. Re1 Bd6 13. h3 Ng4 14. Qf3 Qh4 15. d4 Nxf2 16. Re2 Bg4 17. hxg4 Bh2+ 18. Kf1 Bg3 19. Rxf2 Qh1+ 20. Ke2 Bxf2 21. Bd2 Bh4 22. Qh3 Rae8+ 23. Kd3 Qf1+ 24. Kc2 Bf2 25. Qf3 Qg1 26. Bd5 c5 27. dxc5 Bxc5 28. b4 Bd6 29. a4 a5 30. axb5 axb4 31. Ra6 bxc3 32. Nxc3 Bb4 33. b6 Bxc3 34. Bxc3 h6 35. b7 Re3 36. Bxf7+ resigns.
Alexander Alekhine (Russia/France, 1892-1946). Alekhine is the other player who is never left off short lists of the greatest ever. Alekhine defeated his rival Capablanca in 1927, 6-25-3, and succeeded in avoiding giving him a rematch for the rest of his life. He died holding the title in 1946, although he lost it briefly in the 1930s to Max Euwe, who may hold the distinction of being the most underrated of world champions.
Gruenfeld vs. Alekhine (Karlsbad, 1923) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 Nbd2 6. e3 O-O 7. Rc1 c6 8. Qc2 a6 9. a3 h6 10. Bh4 Re8 11. Bd3 dxc4 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Ba2 c5 14. Rd1 cxd4 15. Nxd4 Qb6 16. Bb1 Bb7 17. O-O Rac8 18. Qd2 Ne5 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Qc2 g6 21. Qe2 Nc4 22. Be4 Bg7 23. Bxb7 Qxb7 24. Rc1 e5 25. Nb3 e4 26. Nd4 Red8 27. Rfd1 Ne5 28. Na2 Nd3 29. Rxc8 Qxc8 30. f3 Rxd4 31. fxe4 Nf4 32. exf4 Qc4 33. Qxc4 Rxd1+ 34. Qf1 Bd4+ and white resigned.
Geller vs. Euwe (Zurich, 1953) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. f3 Nc6 9. Ne2 O-O 10. O-O Na5 11. e4 Ne8 12. Ng3 cxd4 13. cxd4 Rc8 14. f4 Nxc4 15. f5 f6 16. Rf4 b5 17. Rh4 Qb6 18. e5 Nxe5 19. fxe6 Nxd3 20. Qxd3 Qxe6 21. Qxh7+ Kf7 22. Bh6 Rh8 23. Qxh8 Rc2 24. Rc1 Rxg2+ 25. Kf1 Qb3 26. Ke1 Qf3 and white resigned.
After Alekhine died while holding the title, a World Championship tournament was organized by FIDE (the international chess federation) and held in 1948 to which the world's six strongest players were invited. One invited player, Reuben Fine (USA, 1914-1994), did not participate. The others played five games against each of his four opponents, for a total possible 20 points. The final standings were as follows: Mikhail Botvinnik (USSR, 1911-1995), 14 pts., Vasily Smyslov (USSR, 1921- ), 11 pts., Paul Keres (USSR, 1916-1975), 10.5 pts., Sammy Reshevsky (USA, 1911-1992), 10.5 pts., and Max Euwe, 4 pts. After this tournament, until 1992, the World Championship matches were organized by FIDE.
Mikhail Botvinnik (USSR, 1911-1995). Botvinnik was the first in a long line of Soviet champions, the product of Stalin's decision in the 1920s to train the strongest chess players in the world as a propaganda weapon. Botvinnik lost the title briefly twice, once to Vasily Smyslov and once to Mikhail Tal (both from the USSR), before being finally dethroned in 1963 by Petrosian.
Botvinnik vs. Portisch (Monte Carlo, 1968) 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. g3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Bg2 Be6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. O-O Nb6 8. d3 Be7 9. a3 a5 10. Be3 O-O 11. Na4 Nxa4 12. Qxa4 Bd5 13. Rfc1 Re8 14. Rc2 Bf8 15. Rac1 Nb8 16. Rxc7 Bc6 17. R1xc6 bxc6 18. Rxf7 h6 19. Rb7 Qc8 20. Qc4+ Kh8 21. Nh4 Qxb7 22. Ng6+ Kh7 23. Be4 Bd6 24. Nxe5+ g6 25. Bxg6+ Kg7 26. Bxh6+ resigns.
Tigran Petrosian (USSR, 1929-1984). Petrosian took the championship from Botvinnik in 1963, 5-15-2. Immediately thereafter, some say as an affront to Botvinnik, the custom of granting the previous champ a rematch was discontinued.
Petrosian vs. Spassky (World Championship, 1966) 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O Nc6 6. Nc3 d6 7. d4 a6 8. d5 Na5 9. Nd2 c5 10. Qc2 e5 11. b3 Ng4 12. e4 f5 13. exf5 gxf5 14. Nd1 b5 15. f3 e4 16. Bb2 exf3 17. Bxf3 Bxb2 18. Qxb2 Ne5 19. Be2 f4 20. gxf4 Bh3 21. Ne3 Bxf1 22. Rxf1 Ng6 23. Bg4 Nxf4 24. Rxf4 Rxf4 25. Be6+ Rf7 26. Ne4 Qh4 27. Nxd6 Qg5+ 28. Kh1 Ra7 29. Bxf7+ Rxf7 30. Qh8+ resigns.
Boris Spassky (USSR/France, 1937- ). Spassky was the challenger for the World Championship in 1966 and again in 1969, when he defeated Petrosian 6-13-4. Spassky never successfully defended the title, losing in 1972 to the unstoppable American phenom, Bobby Fischer.
Spassky vs. Bronstein (Leningrad, 1960) 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 d5 4. exd5 Bd6 5. Nc3 Ne7 6. d4 O-O 7. Bd3 Nd7 8. O-O h6 9. Ne4 Nxd5 10. c4 Ne3 11. Bxe3 fxe3 12. c5 Be7 13. Bc2 Re8 14. Qd3 e2 15. Nd6 Nf8 16. Nxf7 exf1=Q 17. Rxf1 Bf5 18. Qxf5 Qd7 19. Qf4 Bf6 20. N3e5 Qe7 21. Bb3 Bxe5 22. Nxe5+ Kh7 23. Qe4+ resigns.
Bobby Fischer (USA, 1943- ). Regarded by many (including myself) to be the strongest player of all time, Fischer was an International Grandmaster at the age of 15. In the Candidates Matches of 1971 he buzzed through his first two opponents without losing a game, defeating Mark Taimanov (USSR, 1926- ) and Bent Larson (Denmark, 1935- ) by scores of 6-0, a feat previously unheard of and possibly unimagined at this level of play. Many considered Larsen the strongest non-Soviet player in the world at the time. In the finals Fischer defeated Petrosian 5-3-1. In 1972, he faced Spassky for the championship and defeated him 7-11-3 (one of the losses was by forfeit). Fischer then disappeared from public view and did not play international chess again until 1992. Thereafter, he vanished once more. In 1975, he forfeited the title back to a Soviet player.
R. Byrne vs. Fischer (New York, 1963/64) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c6 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. e3 O-O 8. Nge2 Nc6 9. O-O b6 10. b3 Ba6 11. Ba3 Re8 12. Qd2 e5 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14. Rfd1 Nd3 15. Qc2 Nxf2 16. Kxf2 Ng4+ 17. Kg1 Nxe3 18. Qd2 Nxg2 19. Kxg2 d4 20. Nxd4 Bb7+ 21. Kf1 Qd7 and white resigned. This game illustrates how far above most of us the grandmasters are. Even some of the masters and grandmasters watching this game thought Byrne was winning when he resigned. In fact, his king is exposed and unprotectable, and both Byrne and Fischer had worked out the inevitable finish in their heads.
Anatoly Karpov (USSR, 1951- ). Karpov was the challenger in 1975, having defeated his rival and fellow Soviet Victor Korchnoi in the Candidates finals. When Fischer didn't show for the championship match, the World Championship was awarded to Karpov by forfeit. One of the greatest positional players of all time, and still one of the strongest players in the world, Karpov held the title until 1985, and by some accounts he is still World Champion, having been declared such by FIDE in 1992 by forfeit once again. (Since then his title has been removed again in the never-ending melodrama that is international chess FIDE style.)
Karpov vs. Korchnoi (Candidate's Final, 1974) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 Nc6 8. Qd2 O-O 9. Bc4 Bd7 10. h4 Rc8 11. Bb3 Ne5 12. O-O-O Nc4 13. Bxc4 Rxc4 14. h5 Nxh5 15. g4 Nf6 16. Nde2 Qa5 17. Bh6 Bxh6 18. Qxh6 Rfc8 19. Rd3 R4c5 20. g5 Rxg5 21. Rd5 Rxd5 22. Nxd5 Re8 23. Nef4 Bc6 24. e5 Bxd5 25. exf6 exf6 26. Qxh7+ Kf8 27. Qh8+ resigns.
Garry Kasparov (USSR, 1963- ). Kasparov won the title from Karpov in 1985, 5-16-3, after a previous match had been unaccountably suspended by FIDE the previous year. Kasparov's title was declared forfeit by FIDE in 1992, after which he founded his own world chess organization, the PCA, and proceeded to organize his own world championship match. Kasparov was regarded to be the World Champion by most chessplayers until he was recently defeated by his protege Vladimir Kramnik.
Korchnoi vs. Kasparov (Lucerne, 1982) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 c5 5. d5 d6 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Nf3 e6 8. O-O exd5 9. cxd5 a6 10. a4 Re8 11. Nd2 Nbd7 12. h3 Rb8 13. Nc4 Ne5 14. Na3 Nh5 15. e4 Rf8 16. Kh2 f5 17. f4 b5 18. axb5 axb5 19. Naxb5 fxe4 20. Bxe4 Bd7 21. Qe2 Qb6 22. Na3 Rbe8 23. Bd2 Qxb2 24. fxe5 Bxe5 25. Nc4 Nxg3 26. Rxf8+ Rxf8 27. Qe1 Nxe4+ 28. Kg2 Qc2 29. Nxe5 Rf2+ 30. Qxf2 Nxf2 31. Ra2 Qf5 32. Nxd7 Nd3 33. Bh6 Qxd7 34. Ra8+ Kf7 35. Rh8 Kf6 36. Kf3 Qxh3+ and white resigned.
Ivanchuk vs. Kramnik (Dos Hermanas, 1996) 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O h6 9. Be3 Be7 10. f4 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 b5 12. Qe3 Qc7 13. e5 dxe5 14. Bxe5 Ng4 15. Qf3 Nxe5 16. Qxa8 Nd7 17. g3 Nb6 18. Qf3 Bb7 19. Ne4 f5 20. Qh5+ Kf8 21. Nf2 Bf6 22. Bd3 Na4 23. Rhe1 Bxb2+ 24. Kb1 Bd5 25. Bxb5 Bxa2+ 26. Kxa2 axb5 27. Kb1 Qa5 28. Nd3 Ba3 29. Ka2 Nc3+ 30. Kb3 Nd5 31. Ka2 Bb4+ 32. Kb1 Bc3 and white resigned.
A remarkable photograph of participants in the 1936 Nottingham International Tournament, one of the strongest chess tournaments of all time. Five world champions appear in this photo.
Back Row: Reuben Fine, Saviely Tartakower, Milan Vidmar, Efim Bogoljuboff, T. H. Tylor, C. H. O'D. Alexander, Salo Flohr, Sammy Reshevsky, Mikhail Botvinnik, A. J. Mackenzie.
Front Row: Sir George Thomas, Emanuel Lasker, Jose R. Capablanca, J. H. Derbyshire, Mrs Derbyshire, Max Euwe, Alexander Alekhine, William Winter.
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