The Magnificent Ten Chess Players
Of The 20th Century

The famous magazine Chess Informant has questioned its readers in order to identify best chess players of the last century.
The results of questioning were:
1. Fischer 79.9%
2. Kasparov 77.7%
3. Alekhine 60.2%
4. Capablanca 53.9%
5. Botvinnik 45.1%
6. Karpov 43.7%
7. Tal 36.5%
8. Lasker 27.1%
9. Anand 12.0%
10. Korchnoi 9.7% of the readers' opinions
 
The first nine lines are occupied by the world champions: eight 'absolute' champions plus Anand who became a FIDE champion by the very end of 2000. Still, some 'absolute' world champions did not enter the top ten: Steinitz, Euwe, Smyslov, Petrosian and Spassky as well as the 1999 FIDE world champion Khalifman and the BGN 2000 world champion Kramnik. Korchnoi who has celebrated his 70th birthday in 2001 never was a world champion, however, when all his achievements, long career and his contribution to chess are taken into account, he ranges with the greatest players which has been confirmed by the questioning.
On the whole, the results of questioning can hardly be a surprise, to say nothing about the fact that the editor of the website Chess-Sector.odessa.ua won the prize (Chess Informant 80 printed version) finding himself among those 22 readers who guessed 9 out of 10 top chess players.
 
World Champions in Chess
Chess Informant
The Magnificent Ten Chess Players Of The 20th Century