World chess champions

championship name nationality

1866–94 Steinitz, Wilhelm Austrian

1894–1921 Lasker, Emanuel German

1921–27 Capablanca, José Raúl Cuban

1927–35 Alekhine, Alexander Russian-French

1935–37 Euwe, Max Dutch

1937–46 Alekhine, Alexander Russian-French

1948–57 Botvinnik, Mikhail Moiseyevich Russian

1957–58 Smyslov, Vasily (Smyslov, Vasily Vasilyevich) Russian

1958–60 Botvinnik, Mikhail Moiseyevich Russian

1960–61 Tal, Mikhail Nekhemyevich Latvian

1961–63 Botvinnik, Mikhail Moiseyevich Russian

1963–69 Petrosyan, Tigran Vartanovich Georgian

1969–72 Spassky, Boris Vasilyevich Russian

1972–75 Fischer, Robert (Bobby) (Fischer, Bobby) American

1975–85 Karpov, Anatoly Yevgenyevich Russian

1985–2000 Kasparov, Garry Russian

2000–07 Kramnik, Vladimir Russian

2007– Anand, Vishwanathan (Anand, Viswanathan) Indian

Other notable chess personalities:

Anderssen, Adolf

Loyd, Sam

Morphy, Paul (Morphy, Paul Charles)

Nimzowitsch, Aron

Philidor, François-André

Réti, Richard

Staunton, Howard

Tarrasch, Siegbert