Introduction
Chess is a timeless strategy game that’s adored all over the world in almost every country, and every continent has produced at least one titan of chess. There are thousands of titled chess players that have immense talent in chess but there are only a handful of chess players around the world that have essentially mastered the game. As time progresses the playing ability of the top chess players is likely to increase, and the rating floor will undoubtedly increase as a result. The ease of access to online chess gaming sites, free educational videos on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch and the increasing popularity of chess as a whole is playing a major role in enticing more people to play chess. Since the 1990’s there has been a dramatic increase in the number of young chess grandmasters around the world under the age of 18 which is due to both the increasing popularity of chess as well as the wide availability of technology and the ability to play chess online at any time with anyone in the world. In this article, i will highlight some of the best chess players in the world right now and cover their achievements in chess.
1. “The Mozart of Chess” Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
In 2004 at the age of 13 Magnus Carlsen became the youngest chess player in the world at that time to earn a grandmaster title in chess. Magnus Carlsen is the former world chess champion and is the youngest chess player to win the world chess championships in history at the age of 22 in 2013 after defeating Viswanathan Anand and is undoubtedly one of the best chess players in the world right now. Magnus Carlsen was also able to achieve an incredibly high FIDE rating of 2882 in 2014 and has one of the longest winning streaks in classical chess. Magnus Carlsen has consistently maintained an incredibly high FIDE rating of over 2800 across all time formats since 2009 with a peak blitz rating of 2986 and a peak rapid rating of 2919 which is undoubtedly a result of his pragmatic style of play as maintaining a stable rating has been one of his main priorities. There are also some challenges that he is likely to encounter when attempting to surpass his peak FIDE Elo rating of 2882 such as the fact that there is a lack of chess players with an Elo rating that’s close enough to Magnus Carlsen’s which limits any significant rating increases he can expect from winning chess games but also increases the chance of a significant decrease of his Elo rating in the event that he loses a chess game, the rating floor has been steadily increasing over the years and Magnus Carlsen has to compete against a pool of young, talented and highly motivated chess players in order to maintain his title of the Mozart of Chess as well as his peak Elo rating of 2882 which is also becoming increasingly difficult.
Magnus Carlsen has made headlines in the news after refusing to defend his world chess championship title against Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2023 stating that he has nothing to gain from defending his world chess championship title and that he lacks the inclination and the motivation to play another match. Magnus Carlsen also made headlines in the news and went viral on YouTube in 2014 after he beat Bill Gates in a friendly chess game in 12 seconds. Magnus Carlsen has accomplished some of the most astonishing feats in chess which includes winning multiple prestigious chess tournaments such as the Tata Steel Chess Tournament, The Sinquefield Cup, Norway Chess, and The Grand Slam Chess Final, playing a significant role as a team member in the Norwegian Chess team which enabled them to win a gold medal in the 2014 Tromso Chess Olympiad, defeating three opponents simultaneously in a three-minute blitz blindfolded chess match at the 2015 Sohn Investment Conference in New York City and winning titles in both the world rapid chess championships and the world blitz chess championships. Magnus’ success in chess over the years along with his magnetic personality has contributed immensely to the increasing popularity of chess around the world among crowds that consists of both avid chess players as well as those that are completely new to chess.
2. “The Machine” Fabiano Caruana (United States)
Fabiano Caruana is a highly successful world class chess player who achieved a grandmaster title in chess at the age of 14 making him one of the youngest chess players in history to earn a grandmaster title in chess. Fabiano Caruana is ranked as the third highest FIDE rated chess player in the world and has been able to consistently maintain one of the highest FIDE ratings in chess of over 2600 since 2008 across all time controls with a peak blitz rating of 2847, a peak rapid rating of 2858, and a peak FIDE rating of 2844. Fabiano Caruana originally represented the Italian chess federation as Italy is his country of birth and won the Italian National championships in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 but later switched to represent the United States Chess Federation in 2015 which significantly improved the United States chess team’s overall strength and competitiveness and resulted in a long streak of success in numerous events such as the Chess Olympiads and the world team chess championships. The United States has not had a world chess champion since Bobby Fischer won the title in 1972 and Fabiano Caruana came close to winning the world chess championship title for the United States in 2018 after winning the Candidates Tournament and earning the right to challenge Magnus Carlsen, although Fabiano Caruana played extremely well during the world chess championship games he failed to win the title by the skin of his teeth and Magnus Carlsen ultimately triumphed. In addition to playing a key role in the United States chess team and competing against Magnus Carlsen for the world chess championship title Fabiano Caruana has also won several illustrious chess tournaments which includes the 2014 Sinquefield Cup for Italy, and the 2018 and 2023 Sinquefield Cup for the United States, the 2017 London Chess Classic, the 2020 Tata Steel Chess tournament and the 2018 Grenke Chess Classic.
Fabiano Caruana’s talents in chess extends into all time formats, one of his most recent and notable victories includes winning the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz. Fabiano Caruana is well known for his universal style of play although in his younger days Fabiano Caruana’s style of play was much more aggressive as he enjoyed attacking and sacrificing pieces to get to an opponent’s king as quick as possible however as he progressed in chess he realised that direct attacks are not always the best way to win games and in order to win he had to adopt a universal playing style and learn how to manoeuvre and defend just as well as he could attack. Magnus Carlsen is quoted as saying that “Fabiano Caruana has an edge in calculations and opening preparation over most of his contemporaries” which is a testament to his universal style of play. Adopting a universal playing style also enabled Fabiano Caruana to become a much more innovative chess player and he is accredited with introducing various ideas into numerous chess openings which has had a major influence on the playing styles used in high level chess games around the world. Fabiano Caruana is very active on many online chess platforms and has participated in several online chess events whilst also actively engaging with the worldwide chess community which has advanced the popularity of chess both on and offline.
3. “The Silent Storm” Ding Liren (China)
Ding Liren is an elite chess player and the current world chess champion who earned a grandmaster title in 2009 at the age of 16 making him one of the youngest chess grandmasters in history. Ding Liren competed against Ian Nepomniachtchi and won the world chess championships in 2023 after the former world chess champion, Magnus Carlsen, refused to defend the title. Ding Liren had one of the longest winning streaks in classical chess which consisted of 29 wins and 71 draws from August 2017 until November 2018 and currently holds the title of the highest rated chess player in China which he has held consistently for several years. Ding Liren is also ranked number 10 next to Hikaru Nakamura and Veselin Topalov as one of the highest FIDE rated chess players in the world and has consistently maintained a high FIDE rating of over 2600 since 2010 across all time controls with a peak FIDE rating of 2816, a peak rapid rating of 2836, and a peak blitz rating of 2875. Some of Ding Liren’s most notable accomplishments aside from being the first Chinese chess player to qualify for a Candidates Tournament which is an essential step in qualifying to compete in the world chess championships and ultimately winning the 2023 world chess championships includes winning the Chinese Chess Championships in 2009, 2011 and 2012, representing China at all four Chess Olympiads and winning team gold medals for China at the 2014 and 2018 Chess Olympiads as well as winning individual bronze and gold medals at the 2014 and 2018 Chess Olympiads, winning team gold medals and an individual silver medal at the 2015 world team chess championships and winning the 2019 Sinquefield Cup as he was able to defeat Magnus Carlsen during the playoffs.
Among his teammates Ding Is nicknamed the silent storm due to his propensity to keep a low profile, his inherently humble nature and his dexterity on the chess board that often leaves his opponents in a state of shock and awe. Diren Liren returned to chess making an appearance at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk Aan Zee in North Holland having spent many months after winning the world chess championships inactive due to complications with his health which many of his fans have been excitingly anticipating however his performance during the event left many of his fans disappointed. Ding Liren finished in 9th place at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament with only two wins over 13 rounds with a (TPR) Tournament Performance rating of 2678 and many in the chess community believed that his performance could have been much better. Although Ding Liren’s 2024 re-emergence in chess has yielded less than satisfactory results it’s very likely that his performance in the immediate future will dramatically improve with more time to recover and a few more warm up matches so that he can assimilate back into the world of competitive chess. Ding Liren has significantly influenced the popularity of chess both in China and abroad by participating in online tournaments and events and embracing online chess platforms and despite his less than satisfactory results during the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament he remains a force to be reckoned with in chess.
4. “The Armenian Lion” Levon Aronian (Armenia)
Levon Aronian is a world class Armenian chess player that earned a grandmaster title in chess in 2000 at the age of 17 and is one of the youngest chess players in history to achieve a grandmaster title in chess. Levon Aronian is ranked as the fourth highest FIDE rated chess player in the world with a peak FIDE rating of 2830 and has consistently been able to maintain one of the highest FIDE ratings in chess of over 2600 since 2003 across all time controls with a peak blitz rating of 2871 and a peak rapid rating of 2830. Levon Aronian originally played for the Armenian chess federation and was a major contributor to the Armenian Chess team’s success but later switched to represent the American chess federation in 2021 stating that the lack of government support for chess in Armenia is the reason for his decision. Whilst representing Armenia Levon Aronian secured numerous victories both individually and collectively for the team which includes winning team bronze medals at the 2004 Chess Olympiads, winning team gold medals at the 2006, 2008 and 2012 Chess Olympiads, winning team bronze medals at the 2005 and 2015 World Team Chess Championships and team gold medals at the 2011 World Team Chess Championships. Levon Aronian has also secured numerous victories in chess individually which includes winning the 2002 Armenian Chess Championships, winning the 2006 Linares Chess Tournament, winning the 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2014 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, winning the 2008, 2009 and 2011 Amber Blindfold Rapid Chess Tournament, winning the SportAccord World Mind Games Blindfold Tournament, winning the 2009 World Rapid Championships, winning the 2015 and 2018 Sinquefield Cup, winning the 2017 Grenke Chess Classic, winning the 2017 Norway Chess Tournament, winning the 2017 and 2019 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Tournament, winning a gold medal for individual performance at the 2017 European Team Chess Championships, winning the 2018 Gibraltar Chess Festival, winning the 2021 Goldmoney Asian Rapid Chess Tournament, winning the 2021 Tata Steel India Chess Tournament, winning the 2022 Superbet Chess Classic, winning the 2022 FTX Road to Miami Online Event which qualified him for the FTX Crypto Cup, winning the 2023 WR Chess Masters, jointly winning the 2023 Global Chess League as a team member of the Triveni Continental Kings, winning the 2010 World Blitz Championships, winning the 2005 and 2017 FIDE World Cup, winning the World Chess960 Championships, and winning the 2008-2010 FIDE Grand Prix which qualified him to play in the Candidates Tournament for the 2012 World Chess Championships.
Levon Aronian has been nominated to participate in numerous Candidates Tournaments from 2007 up until 2018 and is nicknamed the Armenian Lion due to his ferocity on the chess board as well as being likened to elite sports figures such as David Beckham by CNN and Lionel Messi by Sergey Karjakin. Considering the number of times Levon Aronian has qualified to compete in the Candidates Tournament It is likely that he will eventually be qualified to compete in the World Chess Championships in the not too distant future. Levon Aronian is widely recognised for his aggressive, innovative, and creative playing style, and he is described by numerous world class chess players such as Viswanathan Anand, Boris Gelfand and Alexei Shirov as being a gifted tactician, being able to utilise highly creative and unique ideas in openings and middlegames and highly intuitive when faced with challenging positions on the chess board. Levon Aronian’s contributions to chess opening theory has massively influenced how chess is played at all levels as he often introduces new and exciting methods of using various chess openings although he is known in particular for being an expert at using the Marshall attack. Levon Aronian has also been instrumental in advancing the popularity of chess and providing chess education both in Armenia and across the globe, in 2012 with the help of Gabriel Sargissian he built a chess school in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia for children aged 10 to 18 to study chess, he became the ambassador for Chessify, FIDE and Chess.com which has helped to close the gap between traditional and online chess as well as being involved in numerous philanthropic activities to promote chess in schools in Armenia.
5. “MVL” Maxime Vachier Lagrave (France)
Maxime Vachier Lagrave has been a formidable force in chess from a very young age and has been winning chess tournaments consecutively since the age of six. Maxime Vachier Lagrave is a top tier chess player that earned a grandmaster title in 2005 at the age of 14 as is one of the youngest chess players to win a grandmaster title in chess. In addition to his early success in chess Maxime Vachier Lagrave has continuously maintained a high FIDE rating in chess and is ranked as the 7th highest FIDE rated chess player in the world with a peak FIDE rating of 2819. Maxime Vachier Lagrave has been able to maintain a high FIDE rating of over 2600 since 2007 across all time controls with a peak blitz rating of 2948 and a peak rapid rating of 2873. Maxime Vachier Lagrave plays for the French Chess Federation and has helped the French Chess team secure numerous victories in the European Team Chess Championships which includes winning team silver medals in 2013 and 2021. Maxime Vachier Lagrave has also secured numerous victories individually which includes winning the 2004 under 20’s French Junior Championships, winning the 2006 Lausanne Young Masters Tournament, winning the 2007 and 2008 Paris City Chess Championships, winning the 2008 Gregory Marx Memorial Tournament, winning the 2010 Hoogeveen Tournament, winning the 2012 SPICE Cup Festival, winning the 2007, 2011 and 2012 French Chess Championships, winning the 2009 World Junior Chess Championships, winning the 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Biel Grandmaster Tournament, winning the 2017 and 2021 Sinquefield Cup, winning the 2016 Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting Tournament, winning the 2017 Sharjah Grand Prix, winning third place at the 2015 London Chess Classic, winning third place at the 2016 Paris Rapid and Blitz Grand Chess Tour Tournament, winning second place at the 2017 Paris Rapid and Blitz Grand Chess Tour Tournament, winning second place at the 2018 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, London Chess Classic and Grand Chess Tour, winning second place at the 2019 Cote D’Ivoire Rapid and Blitz Grand Chess Tour Tournament, winning the 2019 Paris Rapid and Blitz Grand Chess Tour Tournament, winning tied second place at the 2019 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Grand Chess Tour Tournament, winning second place at the 2019 London Chess Classic, winning the 2021 Croatia Rapid and Blitz Grand Chess Tour Tournament, winning second place at the 2021 Grand Chess Tour, winning the 2018 Shenzhen Masters Tournament, winning the 2021 World Blitz Championships, winning the 2022 Bucharest Superbet Classic Tournament, winning third place at the 2022 Grand Chess Tour, winning second place at the 2023 Grand Chess Tour, qualifying for the 2020-2021 Candidates Tournament, as well as winning a series of Rapid, Blitz and Bullet Tournaments from 2010 to 2023.
Maxime Vachier Lagrave has an incredibly long list of achievements in chess and continues to demonstrate his brilliance and mastery of chess. Maxime Vachier Lagrave is known for his aggressive but calculative and strategic playing style in addition to having an excellent understanding of openings and an excellent understanding of the importance of opening preparation. Maxime Vachier Lagrave is an expert at opening with the Sicilian defence and has also contributed significantly to the development of opening theory by introducing innovative and unique ideas into the Sicilian defence as well as various openings that has massively influenced how chess is played at high levels. Like many other high level chess players Maxime Vachier Lagrave is an advocate of online chess and frequently participates in numerous online chess games and events on platforms such as the Internet Chess Club and Chess.com which has greatly influenced the overall popularity of chess around the world among both the older and younger generation of chess players. Maxime Vachier Lagrave has a blog where he documents many of his achievements in chess and connects with the global chess community as well as a YouTube channel where he teaches chess strategy, how to successfully navigate chess puzzles and highlights some of his most notable chess games with other grandmasters.
6. Wesley So (United States)
Wesley So is a world renowned Filipino American chess player that earned the grandmaster title in chess in 2007 at the age of 14 making him one of the youngest chess players in history to earn a grandmaster title in chess. Wesley So has consistently maintained one of the highest FIDE ratings in chess and is ranked as the 5th highest FIDE rated chess player in the world. Wesley So has a peak FIDE rating of 2822 and has maintained a FIDE rating of over 2600 since 2008 across all time controls with a peak blitz rating of 2862 and a peak rapid rating of 2852. Wesley So originally played for the National Chess Federation of The Philippines (NCFP) but later switched in 2014 to represent the United States which further enhanced the overall strength of the United States chess team as well as their success rate in tournaments. Wesley So’s early career in chess playing for the National Chess Federation of The Philippines began in 2003 where he won the under 10’s Philippines National Chess Championships. Wesley So competed in numerous World Youth Chess Championship tournaments from 2003 to 2005 securing 19th place at the under 10’s in 2003 which was his worst result and securing 4th place at the under 12’s in 2005 which was his best result. However, in 2004 Wesley So was also able to win individual gold for his performance at the ASEAN open under 10’s in the standard and rapid section of the ASEAN open tournament and team silver medals for the standard and rapid section of the ASEAN open tournament as well as individual gold for his performance in the standard, rapid and blitz section of the under 12’s ASEAN open tournament in 2005. From 2008 up until Wesley So’s transfer to the United States chess team in 2014 Wesley So competed in numerous chess tournaments such as the ASEAN chess circuit where he finished in 4th place, the Dubai Open where he finished in 1st place, the JAPFA Chess Festival, the Battle of Grandmasters Tournament, the Philippines Open, the Subic Open Chess Tournament, the 37th, 38th, 39th and the 40th Chess Olympiad, the World Juniors Championships, the Vietnam Open Chess Tournament, the Arroyo Cup, the Asian Club Cup, the 2009 category C Tata Steel Chess Tournament, the Aeroflot Open Chess Tournament, the Asian Continental Championships, the 2007, 2009, 2011 and the 2013 Chess World Cup, the 2009 Zonal Championships, the Chinese Chess League, Group A of the SPICE Cup, Group B of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament in 2010, the Biel Tournament, the Experience vs Rising Stars Tournament, the AAI (Airport Authority of India) International Grandmasters Chess Tournament, the Quebec International, the Zonal 3.3 Championships, the Reykjavik Open Chess Tournament, winning gold at the 2013 Summer Universiade, the Unive Crown Group Tournament, the Capablanca Memorial Tournament, and the ACP Golden Classic Tournament.
Wesley So’s success in chess continued after transferring to the United States Chess Federation with his participation and numerous victories in various tournaments which includes winning the 2014 Millionaire Chess Tournament, winning second place in the 2015 Tata Steel Masters Tournament and second place in the 2015 Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Tournament, winning the 2015 Bilbao Chess Masters Final Tournament, winning the 2016 Sinquefield Cup, winning the 2016 London Chess Classic, winning second place at the 2017 Your Next Move Rapid and Blitz Tournament, winning the 2016 and 2021 Grand Chess Tour, winning individual gold and team gold medals at the 2017 Chess Olympiads, winning the 2017 Tata Steel Masters, winning the 2017 and 2020 Professional Rapid Online Chess League as a team member of the Saint Louis Arch Bishops whilst also being crowned as the MVP of the 2020 Tournament, winning the 2017 United States Chess Championships, winning the Blitz section of the 2018 and 2022 Norway Chess Tournament, qualifying for the 2017 Chess World Cup, qualifying for the 2018 Candidates Tournament, winning the 2019 Fischer Random World Championships, winning the 2020 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Tournament, winning the 2020 PRO Chess League as a team member of the Saint Louis Arch Bishops, winning the 2017, 2020 and 2021 United States Chess Championships, winning the Skilling Open Championships, winning the Opera Euro Rapid Tournament, winning second place at the 2021 Superbet Chess Classic, winning the 2021 Paris Rapid and Blitz Tournament, winning second place at the 2021 Sinquefield Cup, winning third place at the 2022 FIDE Grand Prix, winning the 2022 Superbet Chess Classic and winning the 2022 Chess.com Global Championships.
Wesley So has a long list of achievements in chess and has been an unstoppable force in chess since his youth. Wesley So has often been compared to the legendary Bobby Fischer due to his long winning streaks and his ability to triumph in chess tournaments. During his youth Wesley So’s style of play was described as aggressive and tactical and he compared his playing style as being similar to Vishwanathan Anand’s as he would often sacrifice pieces early in the game for an opportunity to create winning attacks against opponents which was an observation that was made by International Master Rodolfo Tan Cardoso however as time progressed Wesley So’s playing style has become much more calculated, precise and risk free preferring to adopt a patient approach by capitalising on opponents mistakes rather than initiating aggressive attacks early in the game. Wesley So has played some of the best chess players in the world and has frequently proved his status as a formidable force in chess. Wesley So is a huge advocate of online chess and has participated in numerous online events as well as actively engaging with the online chess community which has influenced the overall popularity of chess significantly.
7. “The Tiger of Madras” Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand (India)
Viswanathan Anand is an elite, world famous chess player from India that earned the grandmaster title in chess in 1988 at the age of 18 making him one of the youngest chess players at the time to earn a grandmaster title in chess as well as the first Indian chess player to earn a grandmaster title in chess. Viswanathan Anand has consistently maintained one of the highest FIDE ratings in chess and is ranked jointly with Vladimir Kramnik as the 8th highest FIDE rated chess players in the world. Viswanathan Anand has a peak FIDE rating of 2817, a peak blitz rating of 2832 and a peak rapid rating of 2822. Viswanathan Anand started playing chess at the age of six and won his first major chess tournament at the age of 14 at the Sub Junior Championships. A year later in 1984 Viswanathan Anand competed in and won the Asian Junior Championships earning his first International Master norm in the process as well as setting the trajectory for his future career as a chess player. Viswanathan Anand competed in his first Chess Olympiad in December 1984 at the 26th Chess Olympiad as an official member of the Indian National Chess team where he earned his second International Master norm.
Viswanathan Anand secured numerous victories whilst playing for the Indian National Chess team which includes winning the 1985 Asian Junior Championships for a second time where he earned the title of International Master at the age of 15, winning the 1986 National Premier Chess Championships at the age of 16, winning the 1987 World Junior Chess Championships at age 17 as the first Indian chess player to win the World Junior Chess Championships, winning the Shakti Finance International Chess Tournament at age 18 and earning the grandmaster title in the process as the first grandmaster in India as well as earning the Padma Shri award, qualifying for the 1993 Candidates Tournament, winning the 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Chess Classic, winning the 1989, 1998, 2003, 2004 and 2006 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, winning the 1998, 2007 and 2008 Linares International Chess Tournament, winning the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2021 Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting, winning the rapid section of the Amber Chess Tournament in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009, winning the blindfold section of the Amber Chess Tournament in 1993, 1994, 1997 and 2005, winning the Amber Chess Tournament overall in 1994, 1997, 2003, 2005 and 2006, winning the 2013 Grenke Chess Classic, winning the 2003 FIDE Rapid Championships, winning the 2000 Plus GSM World Blitz Chess Cup, winning the 2000 FIDE World Cup, winning the 2003 and 2017 World Rapid Chess Championships, winning third place at the 2017 World Blitz Chess Championships, winning the 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012 FIDE World Chess Championships, winning the 2014 Bilbao Chess Masters Tournament, winning the 2011 Corsican Masters Knockout Tournament, winning third place at the 2013 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, winning the 2013 Grenke Chess Classic, winning third place at the 2013 Alekhine Memorial Chess Tournament, winning second place at the 2013 Tal Memorial Chess Tournament, winning the 2014 World Chess Championships Candidates Tournament, winning the 2014 London Chess Classic, winning second place at the 2015 Zurich Chess Challenge, winning second place at the 2015 Shamkir Chess Tournament, winning second place at the 2015 Norway Chess Tournament, winning second place at the 2016 Zurich Chess Challenge, winning second place at the 2016 World Chess Championships Candidates Tournament, winning the 2016 Leon Chess Masters Rapid Tournament, winning second place at the 2016 and 2017 Sinquefield Cup, winning third place at the 2017 Zurich Chess Challenge, winning second place at the 2017 Isle of Man Championships, winning third place at the 2017 FIDE World Blitz Championships, winning the 2018 Tal Memorial Chess Tournament, winning the blitz section of the 2018 Tata Steel India Rapid and Blitz Tournament, winning third place at the 2019 Tata Steel Masters, winning third place at the 2019 Gashimov Memorial Tournament and winning second place at the 2022 Superbet Rapid and Blitz Tournament.
Viswanathan Anand has been a towering figure in chess for decades and he has also won numerous national and international awards for his achievements in chess which includes the Padma Shri award, the Arjuna award, the Inaugural Rajiv Ghandi Khel Ratna award, the Padma Bhushan award, the Padma Vibhushan award, the National Citizens award, the Soviet Land Nehru award, the British Chess Federation Book of The Year award, the 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2008 Chess Oscar award, the 1995 Sportstar Best Sportsperson of The Year award, the 1998 Sportstar Millenium award, the 2004 and 2007 Nilesh Murali and Rahul Desirazu Excellence In Chess award, the 2011 Global Strategist award, the 2012 Indian Sportsperson of The Year award, the 2012 Indian of The Year award, the 2014 Russian Order of Friendship award, the 2015 Top Country award as well as the honour of having a newly discovered main belt minor planet named after him “4358 Vishyanand”. Viswanathan Anand has introduced a plethora of innovative and creative ideas into numerous chess openings during his career which has transformed and revitalised the concept of chess opening theory. Viswanathan Anand is described by many prominent figures in chess as one of the greatest chess players of all time and has been instrumental in influencing the popularity of chess in India which has birthed a plethora of new talented Indian chess players such as Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh Dommaraju. Viswanathan Anand is also a heavy advocate of chess education worldwide and he has created institutions such as WacaChess to provide guidance and mentorship to the next generation of chess players.
8. “The H Bomb” Hikaru Nakamura (United States)
Hikaru Nakamura is a world class chess player from the United States that earned the grandmaster title in chess in 2003 at the age of 15 making him one of the youngest chess players in history to earn a grandmaster title in chess and breaking Bobby Fischer’s record by three months in the process. Hikaru Nakamura has consistently maintained one of the highest FIDE ratings in chess and is ranked as the joint 10th highest FIDE rated chess player in the world with Veselin Topalov and Ding Liren. Hikaru Nakamura has a peak FIDE rating of 2816, a peak blitz rating of 2934 and a peak rapid rating of 2853. Hikaru Nakamura has been playing chess since the age of seven and at age ten he beat International Master Jay Bonin in a chess match and later broke the record which was previously held by Vinay Bhat of being the youngest American chess player to achieve a chess master title from the United States Chess Federation.
Hikaru Nakamura has participated in and secured numerous victories and awards in prestigious chess tournaments which includes winning the Laura Aspis Prize in 1999, qualifying for the 2004 FIDE Word Chess Championships, winning the 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2019 United States Chess Championships, winning team bronze playing for the United States Chess Team at the 2006 Chess Olympiads, winning the 2006 16th North American Open Chess Tournament, winning second place at the 2007 Gib Telecom Masters, winning the 2008 Gib Telecom Masters, winning the 2007 Magistral D’Escas Tournament, winning the 2007 Corsican Circuit Rapid Chess Tournament, winning the 2008 FiNet Chess960 Open Tournament, winning the 2008 Cap D’Agde Rapid Tournament, winning the 2008, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Gibraltar Chess Festival, winning third place at the 2009 7th Gib Telecom Masters, winning the 2009 Donostia San Sebastian Chess Festival, winning the 2009 Chess960 World Championships, winning team silver and individual gold at the 2009 World Team Chess Championships, winning the 2011 Tata Steel Grandmasters A Tournament, being awarded with the key to the city of Memphis, Tennessee, winning second place at the 2012 Reggio Emilia Tournament, winning third place at the 2012 Biel Chess Festival, winning the Crown Group section of the 2012 Unive Chess Tournament, winning third place at the 2012 London Chess Classic, winning three silver medals for the Rapid, Blitz and Blindfold sections of the 2012 World Mind Games Tournament, winning second place at the 2014 FIDE Grand Prix Tournament, winning second place at the 2013 Sinquefield Cup, winning third place at the 2015 Sinquefield Cup, winning individual silver during the 2013 World Team Chess Championships, winning the 2013 and 2018 London Chess Classic, winning third place in the classical section of the 2013, 2015 and 2018 Norway Chess Tournament, winning second place in the Blitz section of the 2015, 2017 and 2018 Norway Chess Tournament, winning second place in the classical section of the 2017 Norway Chess Tournament, winning the classical section of the 2023 Norway Chess Tournament, winning the 2015, 2016 and 2017 Zurich Chess Challenge, qualifying for the 2016, 2022 and 2024 Candidates Tournament, winning the 2018 Grand Chess Tour, winning team gold in the 2016 Chess Olympiads, winning second place in the 2016, 2017 and 2023 Chess.com Speed Chess Championships, winning the 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 Chess.com Speed Chess Championships, winning the 2018 Paris Grand Chess Tour Rapid and Blitz Tournament, winning the 2018 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz Tournament, winning the Rapid section of the 2018 Tata Steel India Chess Tournament, winning second place in the Blitz section of the 2018 Tata Steel India Chess Tournament, winning the 2019, 2022 and 2023 Chess.com Bullet Chess Championships, winning second place in the 2020 Magnus Carlsen Invitational, winning the 2020 Champions Showdown Chess9LX, winning third place in the 2020 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, winning the 2020 and 2021 Chess.com Speed Chess Championships, winning second place in the 2021 Champions Chess Tour, winning the 2021 Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, winning the 2022 FIDE Grand Prix, winning the 2022 FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championships, winning second place in the 2022 World Blitz Chess Championships, winning the 2023 American Cup, winning second place in the 2023 Airthings Masters Tournament, winning the 2023 Chessable Masters Tournament and winning second place in the 2023 FIDE Grand Swiss.
Hikaru Nakamura is a key player in the United States chess team who has been consistently breaking records in chess in the United States since his youth many of which have been set by some of the most legendary figures in chess such as Bobby Fischer. Hikaru Nakamura became the youngest American chess player to earn a grandmaster title in chess in 2003 at the age of 15 breaking Bobby Fischer’s record by three months, at age 10 he was the youngest American chess player to beat an International Master in a USCF rated chess game, at age 10 he was the youngest American chess player to defeat a grandmaster in a USCF rated chess game and at age 13 he was also the youngest American chess player to earn the International Master title in chess. Hikaru Nakamura is an expert at playing fast chess and has even authored a book called “Bullet Chess: One Minute To Mate”. In the field of Blitz online chess Hikaru Nakamura has proclaimed to be one of the best in the world which has yet to be refuted. Hikaru Nakamura’s performance during the 2011 Tata Steel Grandmaster A Tournament at Wijk Aan Zee was described by former world chess champion Garry Kasparov as being the best tournament performance from an American in more than 100 years referring to previous tournament victories from American chess players such as Bobby Fischer during the second Piatigorsky Cup in 1966 and the 1962 Stockholm Interzonal Tournament, Reuben Fines performance during the 1938 AVRO Chess Tournament, Frank J Marshall’s performance during the 1904 Cambridge Springs International Chess Congress and Harry Pillsbury’s performance during the 1895 Hastings Chess Tournament. Hikaru Nakamura is also one of the biggest promoters of chess and chess education who played a major role in the popularisation of chess in 2020 via his YouTube, Twitch and Discord channels which has resulted in chess catching the attention of millions of people around the world.
9. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is a highly acclaimed chess player from Azerbaijan who earned a grandmaster title in chess in 2002 at the age of 17 making him one of the youngest chess players to earn a grandmaster title in chess. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov has been able to consistently maintain one of the highest FIDE ratings in chess and is ranked as the 6th highest FIDE rated chess player in the world. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov has a peak FIDE rating of 2820, a peak blitz rating of 2866 and a peak rapid rating of 2833. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is a key player in the Azerbaijani National Chess Team and he has helped them to secure numerous victories in team competitions since his arrival on the team. Some of the victories that the Azerbaijani National Chess Team have been able to secure with the help of Shakhriyar Mamedyarov includes winning team bronze at the 2007 European Team Chess Championships, winning team silver at the 2011 European Team Chess Championships, winning team gold at the 2009, 2013 and 2017 European Team Chess Championships and winning the European Chess Club Cup in 2012 and 2014 as a team member of SOCAR Azerbaijan. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov has also secured numerous victories in chess tournaments individually which includes winning the 2003 and 2005 under 20’s World Junior Chess Championships, winning the 2003 under 18’s World Youth Chess Championships, winning the 2004 Dubai Open Chess Tournament, winning the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Essent Tournament, winning the 2006 Aeroflot Open, winning the 2006 FiNet/Ordix Rapid Event, winning the President’s Cup in 2006 and 2010, winning the 2006 Reykjavik Open Tournament, winning the 2006 and 2009 Ordix Open, winning second place in the 2006 FiNet Open Chess960, winning second place in the 2006 Rapid Chess Open, winning the 2007 and 2008 Rapid Chess Tournament, winning the 2008 Corsican Circuit Rapid Knockout Tournament, winning the 2009 Rapid Chess Open, winning the 2010 Tal Memorial Tournament, qualifying for the Candidates Tournament in 2011, 2014 and 2018, winning individual gold at the 2012 Chess Olympiads, winning the 2013 World Rapid Chess Championships, winning the 2013 Geneva Chess Masters Rapid Tournament, winning second place in the 2012-2013 FIDE Grand Prix, winning the Blitz section of the 2014 Tal Memorial Tournament, winning the 2016 and 2017 Gashimov Memorial Tournament, winning the 2017 FIDE Grand Prix, winning the 2018 Biel Chess Festival, winning the 2020 Sharjah Online Chess Tournament, winning the 2021 Superbet Chess Classic and winning the 2022 Shusha Chess Tournament.
Shakhriyar Mamedyarov is undoubtedly one of the strongest chess players in the world right now who has defeated some of the best chess players in chess tournaments such as Magnus Carlsen during the 2008 FIDE Grand Prix and Dimitry Andreikin during the 2014 Candidates Tournament. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov’s style of play is unique and versatile as he often uses strategies that are tactical and aggressive in his chess games, and he is able to effectively capitalise on material imbalances during chess games. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov plays well in all time controls, and he has an excellent understanding of numerous chess openings and chess opening theory as well as how and when to use chess opening variations that are unconventional which he utilises frequently to gain favourable positions on the chess board in his chess games. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov has embraced online chess platforms and is active on sites such as Chess.com and the Internet Chess Club, his presence online and his participation in online chess games and events has accelerated the popularisation of chess around the world. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov also has a YouTube channel where he teaches chess online and highlights some of his most notable chess games against other prominent chess players.
10. Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)
Vladimir Kramnik is a top tier chess player and former world chess champion (2006-2007) from Russia that earned the grandmaster title in chess in 1992 at the age of 17 which makes him one of the youngest chess players to earn a grandmaster title in chess. Vladimir Kramnik has consistently maintained one of the highest FIDE ratings in chess and is ranked as the 8th highest FIDE rated chess player in the world jointly with Viswanathan Anand although he officially resigned from chess in 2019. Vladimir Kramnik has a peak FIDE rating of 2817, a peak blitz rating of 2841 and a peak rapid rating of 2799. Vladimir Kramnik has been playing chess from a very young age and studied chess as a youth at a chess school that was founded by former world chess champion Mikhail Botvinnik. The year 1992 was a pivotal year for Vladimir Kramnik’s as he was able to earn a grandmaster title in this year as well as win a gold medal as a team member of the Russian Chess Team during the 1992 Chess Olympiads. Vladimir Kramnik has been a major contributor to the Russian Chess Teams success in chess tournaments and he helped them to secure numerous victories since his first major appearance in 1992, these include: winning team gold medals and winning the 1992, 1994, 1996 Chess Olympiads, winning team silver medals at the 2010 and 2012 Chess Olympiads and winning team bronze medals at the 2016 and 2018 Chess Olympiads.
Vladimir Kramnik has also secured a plethora of individual victories in chess tournaments which includes winning the 1990 Russian Chess Championships, winning the 1991 under 18’s World Youth Chess Championships, winning the 1992 Chalkidiki Classical Chess Tournament, winning the 1994 PCA Intel Grand Prix in New York City, winning the 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011 Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting, winning the 1995 Horgen Chess Tournament, winning the 1995 Belgrade Chess Tournament, winning the 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2007 Amber Chess Tournament, winning the 1996 and 1997 Dos Hermanas Chess Tournament, winning the 1997 Tilburg Chess Tournament, winning the 1998 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, winning the 2000, 2003 and 2004 Linares International Chess Tournament, winning the 2000 Classical World Chess Championships, winning the 2003 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championships, winning the 2004 Handicap Simul Classical Chess Tournament, drawing one and winning three out of four games against four German grandmasters at the Dannemann Chess Classico in 2004, winning the 2006 FIDE reunification World Chess Championships, winning individual gold at the 2006 Chess Olympiads, qualifying for the 2007 FIDE World Chess Championships, winning the 2007 and 2009 Tal Memorial Chess Tournament, winning second place at the 2009 London Chess Classic, winning the 2009 Zurich Rapid Chess Tournament, winning the 2010 Presidents Cup Chess Tournament, winning the 2010 Bilbao Chess Masters Final, winning the 2011 Unive Chess Tournament, winning the 2011 London Chess Classic, qualifying for the 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018 Candidates Tournament, winning the 2013 Chess World Cup, winning second place in the 2017 Gashimov Memorial Chess Tournament and winning third place in the 2017 Norway Chess Tournament.
Vladimir Kramnik has made a vast number of contributions in chess which includes a authoring a book “Kramnik: My Life and Games” which details his successes and accomplishments in chess and the journey of becoming one of the greatest chess players in history. Vladimir Kramnik also made significant contributions to chess opening theory and his influence massively shaped how chess openings such as the King’s Indian defence, the Berlin defence, the Petrov’s defence, and the Catalan opening were used as well as their overall popularity in high level chess. Vladimir Kramnik had one of the longest winning streaks in chess during the period from 1999 to 2000 which consisted of eighty consecutive games without a loss. Vladimir Kramnik’s is an expert in navigating endgame positions as he has an incredible ability to convert complex endgame positions in to winning positions and his playing style is described by world class chess players such as Garry Kasparov as being pragmatic and tenacious. During his long and exciting career in chess Vladimir Kramnik has been awarded with the Chess Oscar award twice in 2000 and 2006. Vladimir Kramnik retired from professional chess in 2019 although he still plays chess as a means of entertainment both on and offline. Although he has now retired from professional chess Vladimir Kramnik is still a huge promoter of chess and he remains active on online chess platforms such as Chess.com where he frequently participates in online chess tournaments and events such as Titled Tuesdays as well as on YouTube where he teaches delves into topics such as how to detect cheating when playing online.
11. Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)
Veselin Topalov is a world class chess player from Bulgaria that earned a grandmaster title in chess in 1992 at the age of 17 which makes him one of the youngest chess players in history to earn the grandmaster title in chess. Veselin Topalov has consistently maintained one of the highest FIDE ratings in chess and is ranked jointly with Ding Liren and Hikaru Nakamura as the 10th highest FIDE rated chess players in the world. Veselin Topalov has a peak FIDE rating of 2816, a peak blitz rating of 2710 and a peak rapid rating of 2790. Veselin Topalov was the FIDE World Chess Champion from 2005 to 2006 before losing the title to Vladimir Kramnik during the 2006 World Chess Championship Reunification match which sought to bring clarity over who the overall world chess champion was due to the creation of the Professional Chess Association (PCA) by Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short and the withdrawal from FIDE. Veselin Topalov began playing chess at the age of eight and by the age of 14 he won his first major chess tournament. Veselin Topalov helped to secure 4th place for Bulgaria at the 1994 Chess Olympiads and has been an invaluable member of the Bulgarian Chess Federation contributing massively to the team’s overall strength and competitiveness in chess tournaments.
Veselin Topalov has also secured numerous individual victories in chess tournaments which includes winning the 1989 under 14’s World Youth Chess Championships, winning a silver medal at the 1990 under 16’s World Youth Chess Championships, winning the 1992 Terrassa Chess Tournament, winning the 1993 Budapest Zonal Group B Chess Tournament, winning third place at the 1996 Hoogovens Wijk Aan Zee Chess Tournament, winning the 1996 Max Euwe Memorial Tournament, winning the 1996 Vienna Millenium Chess Tournament, winning the 1996 Novgorod Chess Tournament, winning the 1996 and 2008 Dos Hermanas Chess Tournament, winning second place at the 1996 Las Palmas Chess Tournament, winning the blindfold section of the 1999 Amber Chess Tournament, winning the 2001 and 2008 Amber Chess Tournament, winning the 2001 Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting, winning the 2002 NAO Chess Masters, winning the 2003 Benidorm Hotel Bali Stars Chess Tournament, winning the 2005 and 2010 Linares International Chess Tournament, winning the 2005, 2006 and 2007 M-Tel Masters Chess Tournament, winning the 2005 FIDE World Chess Championships, winning the 2006 and 2007 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, winning the 2007 Vitoria Gasteiz Charity Event, winning the 2008 Bilbao Chess Masters Final Tournament, winning the 2008 Pearl Spring Chess Tournament, winning the 2008 Villarobledo Chess Festival, winning the 2009 Challenger Match against Gata Kamsky that allowed Veselin Topalov to challenge Viswanathan Anand for the World Championship title in 2010, qualifying for the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 Candidates Tournament, winning the 2012-2013 FIDE Grand Prix, winning individual gold at the 2014 Chess Olympiads, winning third place at the 2014 and 2016 Sinquefield Cup and winning the classical section of the 2015 Norway Chess Tournament.
Veselin Topalov has a universal, unique, and unorthodox playing style that is both aggressive and well calculated and he is well versed and a master of both the Sicilian defence and the Benoni defence. Veselin Topalov is excellent at navigating endgames and complex positions on the chess board, and he has used this skill to secure a plethora of victories during his career in chess however his aggressiveness during chess games also highlights his willingness to implement risky strategies which is evident from his 2010 World Championship game against Viswanathan Anand in which he accepted a pawn sacrifice without having a solid plan of attack and which ultimately lost him the game. Veselin Topalov has made significant contributions to chess opening theory and his ideas in chess has influenced how chess is played at the highest levels however he is widely recognised for playing a key role in reunifying the chess world championships with the PCA and FIDE. Veselin Topalov is still active in chess today however from 2018 up until the 2020 pandemic he was less active in chess than usual although he remains an active advocate of chess and has made appearances on platforms such as the Lichess YouTube channel where he gives advice on how young chess players can improve in chess.
Conclusion
The number of young chess grandmasters is rapidly increasing however the standards that have been set by some of the titans of chess have left a long-lasting impression that has yet to be surpassed. The top ten titans of chess mentioned have many similar traits that are hard to ignore such as their dedication to the game, their ability to maintain incredibly high FIDE ratings and their love of the game. Each of the chess players mentioned have been playing chess from a very young age, many have broken records, and many have made significant contributions to chess during their careers. The success and accomplishments of the titans of chess has caused many to reassess their beliefs on how much you can achieve in chess and inspired a large number of chess players to reach for greater heights. The future of chess is certain to be full of new records being set and old records broken, innovative and creative ideas are likely to change how chess is played at the highest levels and we can expect to see a much larger, diverse, and talented pool of chess players taking centre stage.
