Compare the Champions

Who was the greatest chess player of all time?

               If you wish, you can Return to Compare the Champions Main Page.

Ranking of Champions Based on Best Year   [ Drawn Games Included ]

RANKING PLAYER YEAR AGE NUMBER OF MOVES ANALYZED (MINIMUM = 200 MOVES) PERCENT OF POINTS SCORED BLUNDERS PER 1000 MOVES PERCENT BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE GRAND- MASTER MOVE
1 FISCHER 1968 25 463 86.54 0.00 35.90
2 KRAMNIK 2007 32 703 63.95 0.00 27.93
3 KASPAROV 1998 35 279 58.33 0.00 23.14
TIED-4 BOTVINNIK 1939 27 353 73.53 0.00 21.40
5 CAPABLANCA 1915 26 285 92.86 0.00 18.63
6 KARPOV 1983 32 893 65.83 1.08 20.10
TIED-7 SMYSLOV 1983 62 530 54.00 1.82 17.13
TIED-7 TAL 1987 50 667 63.12 4.19 24.91
9 PETROSIAN 1962 33 849 69.84 1.13 13.40
10 EUWE 1938 37 704 61.54 1.31 12.29
11 SPASSKY 1980 43 660 60.00 0.00 7.29
TIED-12 ALEKHINE 1927 34 1233 60.00 3.89 20.38
TIED-12 ANAND 2006 36 749 62.82 3.85 19.83
14 LASKER 1909 40 661 76.56 1.47 6.81
15 MORPHY 1858 21 524 71.21 9.72 -2.89
16 STEINITZ 1886 50 360 62.50 12.26 -9.60

Ranking of Champions Based on Best 2-Year Period   [ Drawn Games Included ]

RANKING PLAYER 2-YEAR PERIOD ENDING AGE NUMBER OF MOVES ANALYZED (MINIMUM = 400 MOVES) PERCENT OF POINTS SCORED BLUNDERS PER 1000 MOVES PERCENT BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE GRAND- MASTER MOVE
1 FISCHER 1969 26 480 87.04 0.00 33.74
TIED-2 KRAMNIK 2007 32 1208 63.57 1.61 23.89
TIED-2 CAPABLANCA 1927 38 1049 57.26 3.56 29.80
TIED-2 KASPAROV 1999 36 912 70.37 1.05 20.11
TIED-5 KARPOV 1984 33 1666 63.12 1.72 17.45
TIED-5 SMYSLOV 1983 62 896 57.14 1.08 14.21
TIED-7 BOTVINNIK 1940 28 539 72.22 1.67 13.25
TIED-7 ALEKHINE 1928 35 1233 60.00 3.89 20.38
9 ANAND 2007 37 1568 61.49 1.86 11.79
TIED-10 TAL 1987 50 895 63.22 6.30 23.11
TIED-10 SPASSKY 1981 44 1204 60.64 2.40 9.31
TIED-12 LASKER 1910 41 1091 73.59 3.51 10.75
TIED-12 EUWE 1942 41 520 75.71 6.66 20.65
14 PETROSIAN 1962 33 1808 70.80 4.14 10.01
15 MORPHY 1859 22 599 75.61 8.44 -8.01
16 STEINITZ 1873 37 536 80.77 16.44 -1.78

Ranking of Champions Based on Best 3-Year Period   [ Drawn Games Included ]

RANKING PLAYER 3-YEAR PERIOD ENDING AGE NUMBER OF MOVES ANALYZED (MINIMUM = 600 MOVES) PERCENT OF POINTS SCORED BLUNDERS PER 1000 MOVES PERCENT BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE GRAND- MASTER MOVE
1 FISCHER 1970 27 1914 82.00 1.96 20.59
TIED-2 CAPABLANCA 1928 39 1536 61.70 4.79 28.98
TIED-2 KASPAROV 2001 38 2262 69.29 1.69 18.12
4 SMYSLOV 1983 62 1499 56.99 1.95 17.18
5 BOTVINNIK 1941 29 872 70.21 2.11 12.99
6 KRAMNIK 1999 24 2630 60.69 3.31 16.29
7 KARPOV 1985 34 2580 60.00 3.00 13.74
TIED-8 SPASSKY 1987 50 2110 60.20 4.91 15.88
TIED-8 LASKER 1911 42 1091 73.59 3.51 10.75
10 ANAND 2007 37 2482 60.36 3.87 10.90
11 PETROSIAN 1964 35 2415 67.88 4.78 12.42
TIED-12 TAL 1988 51 1534 58.73 7.37 16.71
TIED-12 ALEKHINE 1929 36 1889 63.46 6.51 13.66
14 EUWE 1934 33 1189 70.00 6.93 12.49
15 MORPHY 1859 22 821 78.81 10.98 -1.88
16 STEINITZ 1885 49 650 68.75 20.49 7.04

Ranking of Champions Based on Best 5-Year Period   [ Drawn Games Included ]

RANKING PLAYER 5-YEAR PERIOD ENDING AGE NUMBER OF MOVES ANALYZED (MINIMUM = 1000 MOVES) PERCENT OF POINTS SCORED BLUNDERS PER 1000 MOVES PERCENT BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE GRAND- MASTER MOVE
TIED-1 FISCHER 1972 29 2783 80.14 2.36 19.90
TIED-1 KASPAROV 2002 39 2924 68.68 1.96 17.07
3 CAPABLANCA 1919 30 1006 88.89 4.35 20.85
TIED-4 KRAMNIK 2001 26 3969 60.74 3.43 15.97
TIED-4 BOTVINNIK 1943 31 1138 71.31 3.21 14.86
6 SMYSLOV 1983 62 2408 59.43 2.80 10.07
TIED-7 KARPOV 1987 36 4997 59.94 3.69 11.70
TIED-7 LASKER 1913 44 1091 73.59 3.51 10.75
TIED-9 ALEKHINE 1931 38 2960 71.51 5.33 12.15
TIED-9 ANAND 2007 37 3839 62.34 4.99 10.00
TIED-11 PETROSIAN 1962 33 4499 70.90 4.75 8.21
TIED-11 SPASSKY 1967 30 5025 64.57 4.68 7.51
TIED-13 EUWE 1942 41 2440 68.58 5.62 7.60
TIED-13 TAL 1987 50 3412 59.33 6.96 11.30
15 STEINITZ 1887 51 1010 66.67 17.66 0.99

Ranking of Champions Based on Best 10-Year Period   [ Drawn Games Included ]

RANKING PLAYER 10-YEAR PERIOD ENDING AGE NUMBER OF MOVES ANALYZED (MINIMUM = 2000 MOVES) PERCENT OF POINTS SCORED BLUNDERS PER 1000 MOVES PERCENT BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE GRAND- MASTER MOVE
TIED-1 FISCHER 1972 29 5057 79.78 3.65 17.15
TIED-1 CAPABLANCA 1927 38 2593 69.16 4.58 20.06
3 KRAMNIK 2007 32 6323 58.11 3.70 13.67
4 KASPAROV 2004 41 5924 66.81 4.53 14.02
TIED-5 KARPOV 1984 33 9114 66.26 4.18 9.59
TIED-5 SMYSLOV 1971 50 8970 68.59 4.52 10.64
TIED-7 BOTVINNIK 1947 35 3007 74.40 4.52 6.46
TIED-7 SPASSKY 1970 33 9151 66.58 4.79 7.39
9 ANAND 2007 37 7272 61.55 5.91 9.20
TIED-10 LASKER 1916 47 2127 74.07 5.65 7.03
TIED-10 PETROSIAN 1978 49 7880 61.36 5.67 7.08
TIED-12 TAL 1990 53 6954 60.09 7.77 9.15
TIED-12 ALEKHINE 1936 43 7432 72.39 6.21 1.80
14 EUWE 1947 46 4086 70.68 9.18 7.41
15 STEINITZ 1891 55 2313 66.89 18.80 -14.08

Ranking of Champions Based on Best 15-Year Period   [ Drawn Games Included ]

RANKING PLAYER 15-YEAR PERIOD ENDING AGE NUMBER OF MOVES ANALYZED (MINIMUM = 3000 MOVES) PERCENT OF POINTS SCORED BLUNDERS PER 1000 MOVES PERCENT BETTER THAN THE AVERAGE GRAND- MASTER MOVE
1 CAPABLANCA 1928 39 4102 72.31 5.06 21.03
TIED-2 KARPOV 1989 38 15338 64.74 4.26 9.73
TIED-2 KRAMNIK 2007 32 12080 60.63 5.08 12.04
TIED-4 SMYSLOV 1983 62 10334 60.76 3.77 5.09
TIED-4 KASPAROV 2005 42 9179 67.77 6.09 12.22
6 FISCHER 1972 29 10091 71.95 6.39 10.94
TIED-7 BOTVINNIK 1945 33 4598 71.54 4.56 2.23
TIED-7 SPASSKY 1975 38 12631 65.03 6.20 7.95
TIED-7 PETROSIAN 1973 44 12561 65.25 6.16 7.67
10 ANAND 2007 37 11705 61.87 6.59 7.77
11 TAL 1988 51 12579 61.76 7.90 9.40
TIED-12 ALEKHINE 1931 38 6807 73.60 8.53 7.10
TIED-12 LASKER 1910 41 3442 75.41 7.17 2.09
14 EUWE 1952 51 6841 67.14 9.96 8.14
15 STEINITZ 1894 58 3079 63.50 19.82 -12.88

Now you can return to Compare the Champions Main Page.