There is Tal, and then there is Alekhine. An incredible innovator and calculating machine, he is in many ways unlike any of the other world champions in the history of chess. He was his own biggest enemy, facing the demons of drinking and having to find the inner steel to come back after his defeat to Euwe. <\/p>
To date, he is the only person to pass away while holding the world championship. Even though the chess world has changed a lot since then, this remains a remarkable achievement.<\/p>
Mikhail Botvinnik<\/h2>
What is there to be said about Botvinnik that hasn\u2019t been said already? Incredible longevity, the father of Soviet chess, an early pioneer and explorer of computer technology\u2014Botvinnik did it all. <\/p>
He was playing in an era where world champions no longer had the privilege of selecting their own challengers, and though he still had a significant influence on the way the matches were arranged, there is no denying his long-term elite presence in the chess world. His teachings and style still remain influential to this day.<\/p>
Anatoly Karpov<\/h2>
Botvinnik 2.0? Wouldn\u2019t be that much of a stretch. It took a while for the chess world to be convinced that Karpov was a worthy champion, considering how he won the title without a match after Fischer\u2019s forfeiture. However, his incredible performance in elite events, his sheer longevity, his level of play, and his monstrous bouts with Kortchnoi and Kasparov clearly make him one of the best players to ever play the game. <\/p>
It\u2019s a sad turn of history that Karpov is now a sanctioned man, a member of the Russian parliament, and one of those who voted for the war in Ukraine, an abdication of ambassadorial and human duties alike.<\/p>
Viswanathan Anand<\/h2>
The Tiger of Madras is one of the most versatile players in the history of modern chess. He won titles in match, knockout, and round-robin formats, in multiple time controls, across various eras, and against different opponents. Six years as the undisputed world chess champion and eight in total, Anand\u2019s reign is essentially sandwiched between two of the best players to ever play chess in the form of Kasparov and Carlsen. <\/p>
A gentleman, an elder statesman, and a trailblazer, he is single-handedly responsible for the emergence of elite-level modern Indian chess. Even now he can throw down with the best players in the world, and he\u2019s returned to the top ten of the world rankings in 2022 after what was mostly a pandemic-enforced absence.<\/p>
Garry Kasparov<\/h2>
Contemporary chess fans just won\u2019t understand the brutality of facing a top-form Kasparov. His brilliant ideas and incredible calculating ability are well-known, but the feeling of seeing the man play 1. e4 and knowing that you\u2019re already behind because of his incredible preparation is just unimaginable today in the era of computer chess.<\/p>
Indeed, the dawn of that period came with his defeat to Deep Blue in 1997. His battle in chess politics is a minor blemish, blowing up the lineal chess championship timeline and founding his own organization that never really lived up to expectations, not to mention the impact of his surprise early retirement in 2005 when he was still in full control of his chess powers.<\/p>
