World Chess Championship

The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Both men and women are eligible to contest this title.

Reigns of the Champions

See also image gallery and List of chess world championship matches.

Related Topics:
Image gallery - List of chess world championship matches

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Unofficial World Champions

• Ruy López de Segura, ~1560, Spain
• Paolo Boi and Leonardo da Cutri, ~1575, Italy
• Alessandro Salvio, ~1600, Italy
• Gioacchino Greco, ~1620, Italy
• Legall de Kermeur, ~1730–1747, France
• Francois-André Philidor, ~1747–1795, France
• Alexandre Deschapelles, ~1800–1820, France
• Louis de la Bourdonnais, ~1820–1840, France
• Howard Staunton, 1843–1851, England
• Adolf Anderssen, 1851–1858, Germany
• Paul Morphy, 1858–1859, United States
• Adolf Anderssen, 1858–1866, Germany
• Wilhelm Steinitz, 1866–1886, Austria

Undisputed World Champions

• Wilhelm Steinitz, 1886–1894, Austria/USA
• Emanuel Lasker, 1894–1921, Germany
• José Raúl Capablanca, 1921–1927, Cuba
• Alexander Alekhine, 1927–1935, Russia/France
• Max Euwe, 1935-1937, Netherlands
• Alexander Alekhine, 1937–1946, Soviet Union
• Mikhail Botvinnik, 1948–1957, Soviet Union
• Vasily Smyslov, 1957–1958, Soviet Union
• Mikhail Botvinnik, 1958–1960, Soviet Union
• Mikhail Tal, 1960–1961, Soviet Union
• Mikhail Botvinnik, 1961–1963, Soviet Union
• Tigran Petrosian, 1963–1969, Soviet Union
• Boris Spassky, 1969–1972, Soviet Union
• Robert J Fischer, 1972–1975, United States
• Anatoly Karpov, 1975–1985, Soviet Union
• Garry Kasparov, 1985–1993, Soviet Union/Russia

"Classical" World Champions

• Garry Kasparov, 1993–2000, Russia
• Vladimir Kramnik, 2000–present, Russia

FIDE World Champions since 1993

• Anatoly Karpov, 1993–1999, Russia
• Alexander Khalifman, 1999–2000, Russia
• Viswanathan Anand, 2000–2002, India
• Ruslan Ponomariov, 2002–2004, Ukraine
• Rustam Kasimdzhanov, 2004–present, Uzbekistan