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Who is a World Chess Champion?
How many chess players have won a world title?
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Lasker's 27-year reign as World Champion is the longest in the history of organized chess since 1886, but featured two separate 10-year spans during which he did not defend his title.
- Nathaniel Green
- Wilhelm Steinitz (1886-94) Steinitz is often considered the "father of positional chess." He defeated Johannes Zukertort in the first-ever world championship, held in 1886.
- Emanuel Lasker (1894-1921) Lasker, a highly practical player, was the longest-reigning world champion in chess history. He won the title from Steinitz in 1894 and held it all the way until 1921.
- Jose Raul Capablanca (1921-27) Capablanca, a chess prodigy and one of the best endgame players ever, defeated Lasker 4-0 in 1921 to become world champion.
- Alexander Alekhine (1927-35, 1937-46) Alekhine, known for his attacking play and deep combinations, is the only world champion to die while holding the title.
The current world champion is Ding Liren, who defeated his opponent Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 2023 World Chess Championship. Magnus Carlsen, the previous world champion, had declined to defend his title.
World Chess Champions are players who have won a match or tournament for the World Championship at chess. Both men and women can become champion, but no woman has ever been a challenger for the title. There is, however, a separate championship for women.
After Alexander Alekhine died in 1946, the 1948 Wold Chess championship, a five-player tournament, was organized to determine the World Champion. The event held in Hague and Moscow saw the victory of the leader of Soviet chess Mikhail Botvinnik (1911-1995).
Carlsen became World Chess Champion in 2013 by defeating Viswanathan Anand. He has successfully defended his title against Anand in 2014, against Sergey Karjakin in 2016, and against Fabiano Caruana in 2018. As of 2023, Magnus Carlsen remains the reigning World Chess Champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest chess players in history.
Garry Kasparov broke away from FIDE and organized his own match for the world title three times in 1993, 1995, and 2000. FIDE continued to run its own world championship during this time, but the overwhelming majority of chess players consider Kasparov to be the legitimate champion of this era.
