World Chess Champions 2006 – present

#

Name

Year

Country

20/15

Viswanathan Anand

2007–present

India

19/14

Vladimir Kramnik

2006–2007

Russia

 
Vishy Anand is the only World Champion in history who won the World Championship in 3 different formats: Match (Bonn 2008), Tournament (Mexico City 2006) and Knockout (New Delhi & Tehran 2000). Anand won the 2003 World Rapid Chess Championship as well.

 World Chess Champions 1993 – 2006

 

FIDE world champions

#

Name

Year

Country

18

Veselin Topalov

05–06

Bulgaria

17

Rustam Kasimdzhanov

04–05

Uzbekistan

16

Ruslan Ponomariov

02–04

Ukraine

15

Viswanathan Anand

00–02

India

14

Alexander Khalifman

99–00

Russia

12

Anatoly Karpov

93–99

Russia

Classical world champions

#

Name

Year

Country

14

Vladimir Kramnik

00–06

Russia

13

Garry Kasparov

93–00

Russia



Why two world chess champions?

 In 1993, Garry Kasparov, who was the world champion at the time and his challenger Nigel Short established the Professional Chess Association (PCA), which was competing with FIDE. There were two world chess champions until the reunification match, which was held between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik in late 2006.

The World Chess Federation (Fédération Internationale des Échecs, known as FIDE), was founded in Paris on the 20th day of July 1924. It is responsible for organizing the world chess championships. Its members are chess federations.

FIDE Presidents

Year

Country

6

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov > 13 yrs

1995 – present

Russia

5

Florencio Campomanes-13yrs

1982-1995

Philippines

4

Fridrik Olafsson - 4 yrs

1978-1982

Island

3

Max Euwe - 8 yrs

1970-1978

Netherlands

2

Folke Rogard - 21 yrs

1949-1970

Sweden

1

Alexander Rueb - 25 yrs

1924-1949

Netherlands

Dominance of the Russian chess players started shortly after FIDE was established. In Russia, the transformation of the game into modern chess emerged in the 17th century, much later than in Spain, Italy, France, Germany and UK. Read more about the Chess Queen.

World Chess Champions 1886 – 1993

 

#

Name

Year

Country

13

Garry Kasparov

1985–1993

Soviet Union (Azerbaijan) Russia

12

Anatoly Karpov

1975–1985

Soviet Union (Russia)

11

Robert J. Fischer

1972–1975

United States

10

Boris Spassky

1969–1972

Soviet Union (Russia)

9

Tigran Petrosian

1963–1969

Soviet Union (Armenia)

8

Mikhail Tal

1960–1961

Soviet Union (Latvia)

7

Vasily Smyslov

1957–1958

Soviet Union (Russia)

6

Mikhail Botvinnik

1961–1963

1958–1960

1948–1957

Soviet Union (Russia)

5

Max Euwe

1935–1937

Netherlands

4

Alexander Alekhine

1937–1946

1927–1935

France
Russian origin

3

José Raúl Capablanca

1921–1927

Cuba

2

Emanuel Lasker

1894–1921

Germany

1

Wilhelm Steinitz

1886–1894

Austria-Hungary 
United States

Leading chess masters before 1886

 

Name

Year

Country

Johannes Zukertort

1879–1886

Germany

Wilhelm Steinitz

1866–1878

Austria-Hungary

Paul Morphy

1858–1862

United States

Adolf Anderssen

1862–1866

1851–1858

Prussia

Howard Staunton

1843–1851

United Kingdom

Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant

1842–1843

France

Louis de la Bourdonnais

~1820–1840

France

Alexandre Deschapelles

~1800–1820

France

Francois-André Philidor

~1747–1795

France

Legall de Kermeur

~1730–1747

France

Gioachino Greco

~1620

Kingdom of Naples

Alessandro Salvio

~1600

Kingdom of Naples

Paolo Boi
and Leonardo da Cutri

~1575

Kingdom of Naples

Ruy López de Segura

~1560

Spain

Pedro Damiano

~1520

Portugal

Luis Ramirez de Lucena

~1490

Spain

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