Wilhelm Steinitz (World Champion 1886 - 1894)
He was the founder of the positional chess school. This crown style of playing is briefly reflected in his works 'Modern school and its tendencies', 'Morphy and chess game of his time'. Their main idea is that many combinational attacks are a success only because of the defense imperfection. The Master thought that saving of strength is the basic principle of the defense. While defending, one should find compromises, which are really necessary. One more conclusion of the 1st World Champion: when A position has no weak points, it is much easier to defend than to attack. Thus, according to his theory, the character of the position itself dictates the action plan. Wilhelm Steinitz made an invaluable contribution into the theory of the openings. Many variants in the Spanish, French, Viennese, Italian, Russian, Scotch and other games are named after Steinitz. It is clear that over the years the chess theoreticians reinterpreted some positions, though basic principles remained the same and are successfully applied in the high level games nowadays. |
Emanuel Lasker (World Champion 1894 - 1921)
Lasker could perfectly combine a filigree technique (especially in endgame) and the individual approach to an opponent. Very often his games seemed illogical, the chess player's weakening was considered to be unacceptable. Reti noted, that in some positions Lasker 'led the game right into the gap'. But this was the main ace of the Champion. Being in a breath-taking position, his opponents could not estimate it in a normal way and were making mistakes and lost the game. Estimating Lasker's unequalled playing style, Alexander Alekhine said: 'Many ideas of the chess art are impossible without Lasker: Lasker must be an example for all the chess players of the present and future generations'. |
Jose Raul Capablanca (World Champion 1921 - 1927)
The Cuban virtuoso was undoubtedly the world's strongest chess player in the 20s. 'His play has a fascinating art influence, - said Michail Botvinnik. - There is a tendency towards simplicity and unique beauty of the genuine depth.' It was him who thoroughly developed the purely Capablanca's method of a light figure withdrawal from the game, effective usage of open lines, capturing the dominant position points, etc. The Capablanca's books are remarkable for their logics and simplicity of narration, they became manuals for many future World Champions. |
Alexander Alekhine (World Champion 1927 - 1935, 1937 - 1946)
Chess Theorist, Literati, Doctor of law. The impartial statistics testifies his great chess talent. During his unfortunately short life he took part in 87 tournaments, 62 of which he won. He played in 23 matches, including 5 World Championship Matches, 17 of which he won, 4 drew and only 2 lost. Many generations of the outstanding chess players learnt FROM his immortal games. Alekhine's manner of play impresses the 13th World Champion Garry Kasparov, who said 'Alekhine's style was a quintessence of a psychological aggression. His tremendous preparation, explosive energy at the chessboard: together with the rich combinational fantasy'. By his best games and excellent theoretical works, Alekhine showed the inextricable connection of the opening, middle game and end game. |
Max Euwe (World Champion 1935 - 1937)
He was the first and the last of the Chess Kings who became FIDE President (1970-1978). He was the adherent of the rational and logical chess and the symbol of the scientific and technical revolution of the century, beginning of the atomic energy and computer ERA, 'the pragmatic, who studied everything that was published in chess'. Having a dynamic style of play, Euwe consistently realized the strategic plans, demonstrating his excellent tactical art, nice calculation and marvelous examples of end game. |
Mikhail Botvinnik (World Champion 1948-1958, 1961-1963)
His play was characterized by deep strategic ideas, unexpected tactical attacks, continuous striving for initiative, creation of solid games. He made an essential contribution into the openings theory, enriched the endgame theory (especially rook endspiel) with valuable analyses. He brought up many top chess players, including Karpov and Kasparov. His pupil Garry Kasparov wrote: 'Mikhail Moiseevich Botvinnik is undoubtedly one of the greatest World Champions, A true innovator, who created the whole epoch. The scientific approach helped Botvinnik to create an unprecedented system of preparation to the tournaments, including the fundamental opening developments, systematical studying of opponents' styles and the scrupulous analysis of his own games:'. He successfully combined chess with the scientific activities. It was Botvinnik, who became one of the pioneers of the chess computerization, which became an integral part of the chess life today. |
Vasily Smyslov (World Champion 1957-1958)
He made his greatest achievements in the middle of 50-ies. He clearly won the candidate matches (1953, 1956), and played in 3 World Championship Matches with M. Botvinnik: draw (1954) - 12 : 12, victory and the World Champion's Title (1957) - 12,5 : 9,5, loss (1958) - 10,5 : 12,5. His implacable opponent for the World Champion's Crown M. Botvinnik spoke with deep respect of Smyslov's rare chess talent: ' The main strength of Smyslov is his universal extraordinary talent. He could have an acute opening, play solid defense, roughly attack or finally maneuver with composure. Nothing to say about his end game - this is his element. Sometimes he took decisions, surprising in their depth'. |
Mikhail Tal (World Champion 1960-1961)
In 1957 21-year-old Tal achieved an important success in sport, having won the USSR Champion's Title. The analytics pay their attention to the unusually aggressive style of play of the newly-CROWNED Champion, quickness of his ideal calculations, hitherto unprecedented risk, which became the principle of his play. By the way, Tal was the first unofficial World Blitz Champion (1988), in the championship where Karpov and Kasparov took part. Tal's chess activities underwent some changes. Young Tal paid special attention to his intuition, in his mature age he was noted by cold and merciless calculus, based on the deep perception of all the refinements of the ancient game. |
Tigran Petrosian (World Champion 1963 - 1969)
The chess world has not witnessed such a player as Tigran Petrosian who could brilliantly foresee many moves in advance where a menace to his positions may come from and could long before take irreproachable measures to defend his lines. His skill of defense is considered classical. He himself has a very high opinion of logic. . |
Boris Spassky (World Champion 1969 - 1972)
Garry Kasparov calls him . His best games of chess distinguish the crystal clear technique, thorough calculations of many perspective variants, enviable consistency in actions. These features of the Grandmaster made the best chess players of 60s and 70s of the past century give up the struggle. This chess work of Boris Spassky underlined the necessity of the work universalization for chess players as well as the skill to use different kinds of chess positions. (A. Karpov). |
Robert James Fischer (World Champion 1972 - 1975)
Many chess experts think of Robert Fischer as one of the greatest World Champions. The result of his performance for 16 years confirmed it as well (not taking into account his show match with B. Spassky in 1992) - +327,- 61,= 188. Due to his unsurpassed knowledge of all chess stages, thorough comprehension of theory, infallible memory, excellent analytic gift, highest technique, irrepressible striving to keep up an incessant drumfire of competition on the chess board, his work surpassed his time to a great extent. His views on chess as an art, on the necessity to raise the social status of chess players became a real break-through in the public perception of the ancient game and a forerunner of the reforms that are now being realized by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). |
Anatoly Karpov (World Champion 1975 - 1985, 1993 - 1999)
A chess player of the classical positional style. He analyzes positions deeply and accurately, interplays with the pieces inimitably, and plays plainly on the surface but surely and considerably. Here are just some of the Grandmasters' opinions on the Karpov's style of playing: R. Birne: . M. Tal: . G. Kasparov: . Karpov always underlines that he plays "right" chess avoiding the unnecessary risk. When based on the impeccable analyses of the position on the chessboard, the master takes a firm decision to attack then all positions of the most gifted magicians of this splendid game collapse. Anatoly Karpov possesses the world record of the won tournaments (more than 160!) that to all appearances will not be beat in the near future. |
Garry Kasparov (World Champion 1985 - 1993, World Champion according to APC 1993 - 2000)
It is impossible to characterize Kasparov's style in one word because it has the following features: (T. Petrosian); (M. Tal); (V. Smyslov); (M. Botvinnik). These words were said long time ago. And what chess players! Unfortunately many of them are with us no more. Then the appraisals of the domestic chess patriarchies to the ingenious chess player of the present Garry Kimovich Kasparov become even more valuable. It is difficult to find another example of such decided superiority over contemporaries, which Garry Kasparov performed. This shows his unsurpassed rating of 2851 achieved in 1999! Of course it is a pity that at the peak of his power he has taken a decision to retire from his brilliant career. As one of the Russian sport newspapers remarked rightly, that after Kasparov's retirement chess has become deserted. And if he comes back anyway? The love for chess may overbalance all others? We would like to hope for it: |
Alexander Khalifman (World Champion 1999 - 2000)
The chess player is famous for skillful performance of very sound and at the same time aggressive openings. His manner of play distinguishes very subtle maneuvers, unexpected transfer of attacks to defensive redoubts of his opponents. He uses even small mistakes of the contesting side masterly and with no mercy. He is good at positional game and he can nip any slightest moves of an opponent in the bud. Some of Alexander Khalifman's games have typical breathe-taking but at the same time righteous sacrifices. |
Vladimir Kramnik (World Champion according to "Brain- Game" and "Einstein-Group" from 2000)
Coming from the patriarch of the domestic chess, the sixth World Champion M. Botvinnik the country learnt about a gifted boy from the Black Sea coast town Tuapse Vladimir Kramnik in the middle of 80ies of the past century. Mikhail Moiseevich then surmised that if a prodigy from his school works hard he might become a World Champion. Approximately at the same time Garry Kasparov, World Champion at that time came up with a similar idea. And after a couple of decades in 2000 in England already famous Vladimir Kramnik beat "undefeated Kasparov" in the match. It was big time for the Russian Grandmaster. Commenting the features of Kramnik's play Kasparov admits: . |
Vishwanathan Anand (World Chess Champion 2000-2002)
Vishy, as his fans lovingly call him, is undoubtedly one of the strongest chess players of the planet nowadays. In chess circles the tiger from Madras (another name of this Grandmaster) is also known as a chess machine. This name is given not without reasons. Anand calculates the numerous chess variations that lead to a victory, as a Computer. Quickly and accurately. He is considered to be the strongest chess player in Rapid chess. And he does not change his game style even when playing against "the strongest of the world". It is enough to recall 1991, the year unforgettable for him, Reggio-Emillia tournament where he gained a brilliant victory over such "bisons" like Karpov and Kasparov. Anand was the " Chess Oscar" winner, an award given to the best chess player in the World four times: 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004.
Ruslan Ponomariov (World Chess Champion 2002-2004)
He became known in Moscow in 2002, when he won the World Chess Champion title playing against his famous compatriot Vassily Ivanchuk. Many chess lovers and amateurs from Kalmykia got to know this fellow from the Ukranian Kramatorsk in the second half of 90s. At that time, not known boy was going to move from the Ukraine to Elista. Having learnt this, the Sport Authorities in Kiev took the young man back home, providing him with all the conditions for his chess development. After that, in 1998, Ponomariov again visited Elista to participate in the 33rd Chess Olympiad, representing the Ukraine. And he performed brilliantly. Coldly, prudently, like an adult, but effectively. He was awarded for the best performance on his board. One can recollect that the FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov presumed that this hard-working and purposeful boy would become the World Champion in the near future. And he was right. Ponomariov became the World Champion. And, obviously, he is going to gain this title again. |
Rustam Kasimdzhanov (World Chess Champion 2004-2005)
In 2004 the victory of the Uzbek chess player Rustam Kasimdzhanov in the World Chess Championship in Libya had an effect of the exploded bomb. The Grandmaster with 2640 FIDE ELO, who is on 54th place in the FIDE Rating list, became a winner of the World championship. But his victory seems to be appropriate enough, when analyzing whom he had won. At first, he won Ivanchuk, then Almasi, then Grischuk lost to him and after that Topalov had to admit his defeat and in the finals Kasimdzhanov was strong enough to win Adams. These victories, as this chess player stated, were the results of many days of trainings, serious work in chess. Rustam was given the highest award of his country - the order of Amir Temur for the victory in this championship. |
Veselin Topalov (World Champion from 2005)
He is in the FIDE top chess players list from the middle of 90s. Perhaps one of the most hard-edged Grandmaster of the elite. He never agrees for a short draw. He always plays with pressure. In any game, with any color, he always tries to win. Starting from the middle of 90s he always takes first places, in Madrid, Amsterdam, Lion, Novgorod, Vienna, Dos-Ermanas, Linares, he either won, or at least fought for the first place! In winter 2005 in Linares, he won Kasparov and took the leading baton of the World Chess rating from him. After that the convincing victory in the Super tournament in Bulgaria. And finally, in the World Chess Championship in San Luis, Argentina, which took place from 28 September to 16 October 2005 he was pre-eminent above his opponents from the number of the strongest chess players of the planet. The chess style of the acting World Champion reminds the best games of Fischer, the same pressure, and the same purposefulness, sweeping away all the obstacles on his way. Topalov believes, that he will be able to gain his title of the World Champion. The same statements came from the side of Kramnik. Well, the World Chess Championship Match in Elista seems to be very interesting. |