who is the greatest chess player of all time?

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If you google at the web, most grandmaster picks Kasparov as the greatest....Show more

Hello;

This is a deceptively difficult question! Chess spans 1500 years in its current form. In that time there have been many great players. But chess changes, more people playing, better communication of how it should be played, computer analysis, all these things have changed the way chess is played. So I tend to phrase the question a little differently -- "Who were the greatest players of their times.

Kasperov was probably the best prepared player in that he studied hard under one of the great world Champions (Botvinnic). Since the time of computers he is likely the best.

Not only that but you have to consider what is meant by greatest. Paul Morphy was probably the greatest sportsman of the game. He was a kind, friendly man who cared nothing for the money ... to him it was the art of the game. He was a gentleman playing a gentleman's game.

Emmanuel Lasker might have been the greatest chess player of all time if you count non-chess contributions to science and mathematics (game theory). He was a buddy of Albert Einstein's.

Howard Staunton contributed more to chess than any other player! He published the first chess magazine. The standard chess set is named after him.

Fischer was the greatest of his time -- before computers. He popularised the game more than any other player. He fought for better playing conditions and bigger prize funds. His clock is a wonderful contribution to chess.

Before Fischer -- gosh -- several world champions could be listed

Capablanca has to be included in any list of great players. When it comes to raw natural talent he was almost unstoppable

Wilhelm Steinitz developed the concept of positional play -- chess theory changed forever.

Paul Morphy during the golden age of chess was the greatest player of his time.

Then you get into all the early chess players ...

I hope that helps a little --

Gens Una Sumas.

Bill
(Nulfinator on YouTube)...Show more

Of course it's Kasparov. The guy was dominant in the professional era for 20 years. The standard of competition he faced far exceeded that of Karpov, Fischer, Lasker or anyone else....Show more

Emmanuel Lasker and Kasparov both deserve to be called the greatest....Show more

I'm a sucker for the classics. I have to say Capablanca.

Keep in mind if Capablanca had been born in the same year as Kasparov, he too would have had access to the theory Kasparov had, and to computers.

(I'm tempted to say Bobby Fischer too, but Fischer never defended his tittle. He was very dominant while he was playing, but other issues in his life prevented him from being truly great in my opinion)....Show more