Collection of lists and structured texts    Go to Main List Index___

World chess champions

Classical World Champions (since 1886) – so-called Undisputed

List format: years of championship | name of champion (number of championships confirmed)

1. 1886...1894 Wilhelm Steinitz (4)
2. 1894...1921 Emanuel Lasker (6)
3. 1921...1927 Jose Raul Capablanca
4. 1927...1935, 1937...1946 Alexander Alekhine (4)
5. 1935...1937 Max Euwe
6. 1948...1957, 1958...1960, 1961...1963 Mikhail Botvinnik (5)
7. 1957...1958 Vasily Smyslov
8. 1960...1961 Mikhail Tal
9. 1963...1969 Tigran Petrosian (2)
10. 1969...1972 Boris Spassky
11. 1972...1975 Bobby Fischer
12. 1975...1985 Anatoly Karpov (3 classical + 3 FIDE)
13. 1985...2000 Garry Kasparov (6)
14. 2000...2007 Vladimir Kramnik (3)
15. 2007...2013 Viswanathan Anand (4 classical + 1 FIDE)
16. 2013...2023 Magnus Carlsen (5)
17. 2023...2024 Ding Liren
18. 2024...present Gukesh Dommaraju

FIDE World Champions (1993...2006) – so-called Disputed

• 1993...1999 Anatoly Karpov
• 1999...2000 Alexander Khalifman
• 2000...2002 Viswanathan Anand
• 2002...2004 Ruslan Ponomariov
• 2004...2005 Rustam Kasimdzhanov
• 2005...2006 Veselin Topalov

^ Top of page    Go to Main List Index___