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    LWSed research · 1886 to today

    The world chess champions

    18 players have held the undisputed title since Wilhelm Steinitz won the first world championship match in 1886. Below, one after another: when each reigned, what they won, and a page on each with their road to the title and what they changed about chess. Then the champions ranked three ways, and every title match.

    Next: Gukesh Dommaraju defends the title against Javokhir Sindarov in Geneva, 24 November to 12 December 2026 (best of 14, tiebreaks if necessary).

    The champions in order

    1. 1st world champion · 1886–1894Wilhelm Steinitz1836–19008 years as champion4 title events wonBefore FIDE ratings
    2. 2nd world champion · 1894–1921Emanuel Lasker1868–194127 years as champion6 title events wonBefore FIDE ratings
    3. 3rd world champion · 1921–1927José Raúl Capablanca1888–19426 years as champion1 title event wonBefore FIDE ratings
    4. 4th world champion · 1927–1935, 1937–1946Alexander Alekhine1892–194617 years as champion4 title events wonBefore FIDE ratings
    5. 5th world champion · 1935–1937Max Euwe1901–19812 years as champion1 title event wonBefore FIDE ratings
    6. 6th world champion · 1948–1957, 1958–1960, 1961–1963Mikhail Botvinnik1911–199513 years as champion5 title events wonBefore FIDE ratings
    7. 7th world champion · 1957–1958Vasily Smyslov1921–20101 year as champion1 title event wonBefore FIDE ratings
    8. 8th world champion · 1960–1961Mikhail Tal1936–19921 year as champion1 title event wonBefore FIDE ratings
    9. 9th world champion · 1963–1969Tigran Petrosian1929–19846 years as champion2 title events wonBefore FIDE ratings
    10. 10th world champion · 1969–1972Boris Spassky1937–20253 years as champion1 title event wonBefore FIDE ratings
    11. 11th world champion · 1972–1975Bobby Fischer1943–20083 years as champion1 title event wonFIDE peak 2785
    12. 12th world champion · 1975–1985Anatoly Karpov1951–10 years as champion3 title events wonFIDE peak 2780
    13. 13th world champion · 1985–2000Garry Kasparov1963–15 years as champion6 title events wonFIDE peak 2851
    14. 14th world champion · 2000–2007Vladimir Kramnik1975–7 years as champion3 title events wonFIDE peak 2817
    15. 15th world champion · 2007–2013Viswanathan Anand1969–6 years as champion4 title events wonFIDE peak 2817
    16. 16th world champion · 2013–2023Magnus Carlsen1990–10 years as champion5 title events wonFIDE peak 2882
    17. 17th world champion · 2023–2024Ding Liren1992–1 year as champion1 title event wonFIDE peak 2816
    18. 18th world champion · 2024–Gukesh Dommaraju2006–2 years as champion1 title event wonFIDE peak 2794

    2026: who will be the 19th champion?

    Gukesh Dommaraju defends the title against Javokhir Sindarov in Geneva, 24 November to 12 December 2026. If the challenger wins, he becomes the 19th world champion. On FIDE's Nov 2026 list the challenger is rated 72 points higher.

    Champion since December 2024

    Gukesh Dommaraju

    Born 29 May 2006, Chennai

    FIDE rating, Nov 2026
    2710
    Peak
    2794 · Oct 2024

    FIDE rating on every monthly list since 2013, same scale for both.

    Challenger, winner of the 2026 Candidates

    Javokhir Sindarov

    Born 8 Dec 2005, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    FIDE rating, Nov 2026
    2782 · No. 4
    Peak
    2782 · Oct 2026

    FIDE rating on every monthly list since 2013, same scale for both.

    Who was the strongest? Three ways to rank them

    Ratings from different eras can't simply be compared: FIDE's ratings start in 1971, and the numbers have drifted since. So the champions are ranked three ways, each on its own scale. Pick one.

    How far each champion stood above the world's top 10 at his peak, put on today's numbers: peak − that list's top-10 average + the top-10 average on FIDE's Nov 2026 list (2777). Fischer onwards are measured on FIDE's lists; earlier champions on Chessmetrics' monthly lists. It is our estimate of dominance, not a prediction of how they would score today, and early leads are wider partly because fewer people played professionally then.

    #ChampionToday's scaleMeasured at
    1Wilhelm Steinitz · 1886–18942981Chessmetrics, Apr 1876
    2Emanuel Lasker · 1894–19212938Chessmetrics, May 1894
    3José Raúl Capablanca · 1921–19272937Chessmetrics, May 1921
    4Mikhail Botvinnik · 1948–1957, 1958–1960, 1961–19632913Chessmetrics, Oct 1945
    5Bobby Fischer · 1972–19752909FIDE, Jul 1972
    6Alexander Alekhine · 1927–1935, 1937–19462906Chessmetrics, May 1931
    7Garry Kasparov · 1985–20002885FIDE, Jul 1999
    8Magnus Carlsen · 2013–20232866FIDE, May 2014
    9Anatoly Karpov · 1975–19852849FIDE, Jul 1994
    10Max Euwe · 1935–19372834Chessmetrics, Jan 1936
    11Vasily Smyslov · 1957–19582830Chessmetrics, Sep 1956
    12Mikhail Tal · 1960–19612826Chessmetrics, Sep 1960
    13Tigran Petrosian · 1963–19692817Chessmetrics, Jul 1962
    14Viswanathan Anand · 2007–20132809FIDE, Mar 2011
    15Ding Liren · 2023–20242798FIDE, Nov 2018
    16Boris Spassky · 1969–19722796Chessmetrics, Jul 1969
    17Vladimir Kramnik · 2000–20072795FIDE, Oct 2016
    18Gukesh Dommaraju · 2024–2787FIDE, Oct 2024

    The great rivalries

    Every pair of champions who met for the title, with their head-to-head record across all their recorded games.

    Gukesh v SindarovTitle match 2026

    1 wins2 draws · 7 games4 wins

    Ding v GukeshTitle event 2024

    4 wins11 draws · 19 games4 wins

    Anand v CarlsenTitle events 2013, 2014

    20 wins82 draws · 143 games41 wins

    Kramnik v AnandTitle events 2007, 2008

    32 wins144 draws · 208 games32 wins

    Karpov v AnandTitle event 1998

    12 wins49 draws · 92 games31 wins

    Kasparov v KramnikTitle event 2000

    22 wins79 draws · 122 games21 wins

    All 18 rivalries

    Honours compared

    Candidates wins, Olympiad golds, national titles, rapid and blitz titles and Chess Oscars: every champion's cabinet, counted the same way, with every year sourced.

    1. 1Anatoly Karpov36
    2. 2Garry Kasparov36
    3. 3Mikhail Tal31
    4. 4Tigran Petrosian31
    5. 5Magnus Carlsen28
    6. 6Vasily Smyslov24

    All 18 champions' honours

    The uncrowned kings

    Some of the strongest players in history never won the title: Zukertort, Chigorin, Tarrasch, Pillsbury, Rubinstein, Keres, Bronstein, Korchnoi, Ivanchuk, Topalov, Caruana and Nepomniachtchi. Their peaks, their title matches and their records against the champions.

    Meet the uncrowned kings

    Every world championship, 1886–2026

    Matches unless marked; scores are the winner's first. From 1993 to 2006 the title was split between the classical champion (Kasparov, then Kramnik) and FIDE's own champions, listed separately below.

    YearWinnerScoreRunner-upWhereNote
    1886Wilhelm Steinitz12½–7½Johannes ZukertortNew York City (1–5), St. Louis (6–9), New Orleans (10–20)
    1889Wilhelm Steinitz10½–6½Mikhail ChigorinHavana
    1890–1891Wilhelm Steinitz10½–8½Isidor GunsbergNew York City
    1892Wilhelm Steinitz10–10 / 2½–½Mikhail ChigorinHavana
    1894Emanuel Lasker12–7Wilhelm SteinitzNew York City (1–8), Philadelphia (9–11), Montréal (12–19)
    1896–1897Emanuel Lasker12½–4½Wilhelm SteinitzMoscow
    1907Emanuel Lasker11½–3½Frank MarshallNew York City (1–6, 15), Philadelphia (7–8), Washington, D.C. (9), Baltimore (10), Chicago (11), Memphis (12–14)
    1908Emanuel Lasker10½–5½Siegbert TarraschDüsseldorf (1–4), Munich (5–16)
    Jan–Feb 1910Emanuel Lasker5–5Carl SchlechterVienna (1–5), Berlin (6–10)Drawn, champion kept the title
    Nov–Dec 1910Emanuel Lasker9½–1½Dawid JanowskiBerlin
    1921José Raúl Capablanca9–5Emanuel LaskerHavana
    1927Alexander Alekhine18½–15½José Raúl CapablancaBuenos Aires
    1929Alexander Alekhine15½–9½Efim BogoljubowWiesbaden (1–8, 24–25), Heidelberg (9–11), Berlin (12–17), The Hague (18–19, 23), Rotterdam (20), Amsterdam (21–22)
    1934Alexander Alekhine15½–10½Efim Bogoljubow12 cities
    1935Max Euwe15½–14½Alexander Alekhine12 cities
    1937Alexander Alekhine15½–9½Max Euwe9 cities
    1948Mikhail Botvinnik–Vasily SmyslovThe Hague (1–10), Moscow (11–20)Quintuple round-robin tournament with 5 players
    1951Mikhail Botvinnik12–12David BronsteinMoscowDrawn, champion kept the title
    1954Mikhail Botvinnik12–12Vasily SmyslovMoscowDrawn, champion kept the title
    1957Vasily Smyslov12½–9½Mikhail BotvinnikMoscow
    1958Mikhail Botvinnik12½–10½Vasily SmyslovMoscow
    1960Mikhail Tal12½–8½Mikhail BotvinnikMoscow
    1961Mikhail Botvinnik13–8Mikhail TalMoscow
    1963Tigran Petrosian12½–9½Mikhail BotvinnikMoscow
    1966Tigran Petrosian12½–11½Boris SpasskyMoscow
    1969Boris Spassky12½–10½Tigran PetrosianMoscow
    1972Bobby Fischer12½–8½Boris SpasskyReykjavík
    1975Anatoly Karpov—Bobby FischerManilaNot played: Fischer forfeited
    1978Anatoly Karpov16½–15½Viktor KorchnoiBaguio
    1981Anatoly Karpov11–7Viktor KorchnoiMerano
    1984–1985Anatoly Karpov25–23Garry KasparovMoscowAbandoned without result
    1985Garry Kasparov13–11Anatoly KarpovMoscow
    1986Garry Kasparov12½–11½Anatoly KarpovLondon (1–12), Leningrad (13–24)
    1987Garry Kasparov12–12Anatoly KarpovSevilleDrawn, champion kept the title
    1990Garry Kasparov12½–11½Anatoly KarpovNew York City (1–12), Lyon (13–24)
    1993Garry Kasparov12½–7½Nigel ShortLondonClassical title (split)
    1995Garry Kasparov10½–7½Viswanathan AnandNew York CityClassical title (split)
    2000Vladimir Kramnik8½–6½Garry KasparovLondonClassical title (split)
    2004Vladimir Kramnik7–7Peter LekoBrissagoDrawn, champion kept the title · Classical title (split)
    2006Vladimir Kramnik6–6 / 2½–1½Veselin TopalovElistaReunified
    2007Viswanathan Anand–Vladimir KramnikMexico CityDouble round-robin tournament with 8 players · Reunified
    2008Viswanathan Anand6½–4½Vladimir KramnikBonnReunified
    2010Viswanathan Anand6½–5½Veselin TopalovSofiaReunified
    2012Viswanathan Anand6–6 / 2½–1½Boris GelfandMoscowReunified
    2013Magnus Carlsen6½–3½Viswanathan AnandChennaiReunified
    2014Magnus Carlsen6½–4½Viswanathan AnandSochiReunified
    2016Magnus Carlsen6–6 / 3–1Sergey KarjakinNew York CityReunified
    2018Magnus Carlsen6–6 / 3–0Fabiano CaruanaLondonReunified
    2021Magnus Carlsen7½–3½Ian NepomniachtchiDubaiReunified
    2023Ding Liren7–7 / 2½–1½Ian NepomniachtchiAstanaReunified
    2024Gukesh Dommaraju7½–6½Ding LirenSingaporeReunified
    2026Gukesh Dommaraju v Javokhir Sindarov: 24 Nov – 12 Dec 2026GenevaReunified
    FIDE's own championships during the split, 1993–2005 (8)
    • 1993 · Anatoly Karpov beat Jan Timman 12½–8½ · Zwolle (1–3), Arnhem (4–6), Amsterdam (7–12), Jakarta (13–24)
    • 1996 · Anatoly Karpov beat Gata Kamsky 10½–7½ · Elista
    • 1998 · Anatoly Karpov won (single-elimination tournament with 100 players); Viswanathan Anand runner-up · Lausanne
    • 1999 · Alexander Khalifman won (single-elimination tournament with 100 players); Vladimir Akopian runner-up · Las Vegas
    • 2000 · Viswanathan Anand won (single-elimination tournament with 100 players); Alexei Shirov runner-up · New Delhi (rounds 1–6), Tehran (round 7)
    • 2002 · Ruslan Ponomariov won (single-elimination tournament with 128 players); Vasyl Ivanchuk runner-up · Moscow
    • 2004 · Rustam Kasimdzhanov won (single-elimination tournament with 128 players); Michael Adams runner-up · Tripoli
    • 2005 · Veselin Topalov won (double round-robin tournament with 8 players); Viswanathan Anand runner-up · Potrero de los Funes

    Source: Wikipedia, List of World Chess Championships; champions and their order as in FIDE's World Chess Museum.

    Every champion learned the moves once

    Today's elite are in the world's top 10, and India's in India's chess grandmasters. How long the road to grandmaster usually takes is in our study of how long it takes to become a grandmaster.

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    Quick answers

    Who was the first world chess champion?

    Wilhelm Steinitz. He won the first official world championship match in 1886, beating Johannes Zukertort 12½–7½, and held the title until 1894.

    How many world chess champions have there been?

    18 undisputed world champions, from Wilhelm Steinitz (1886) to Gukesh Dommaraju (2024), as FIDE's World Chess Museum lists them. From 1993 to 2006 the title was split, and FIDE also crowned its own champions (Karpov, Khalifman, Anand, Ponomariov, Kasimdzhanov and Topalov); only Karpov and Anand are counted among the undisputed champions, for their other title wins.

    Who is the current world chess champion?

    Gukesh Dommaraju, since beating Ding Liren 7½–6½ in Singapore in December 2024. He defends the title against Javokhir Sindarov in Geneva, from 24 November to 12 December 2026.

    Which world champion had the highest rating?

    Magnus Carlsen: 2882 on FIDE's May 2014 list, the highest official rating of any champion (FIDE ratings began in 1971). On our estimate of each champion's peak on today's scale, which also covers the champions before 1971, Wilhelm Steinitz ranks first; see the method below.

    Who was world chess champion the longest?

    Emanuel Lasker, for 27 years (1894–1921), the longest reign in the title's history.

    Method

    The champions and their order follow FIDE's World Chess Museum; every champion's page links to their museum entry. Reigns and match scores are from Wikipedia's list of world championships.

    FIDE peaks are the highest rating on any official FIDE list: July 1971 to October 2001 as reprinted by OlimpBase (which names each list's printed source), and FIDE's own top-100 archive and player records after. For champions before Fischer, whose best years came before FIDE's first list, we use Chessmetrics, Jeff Sonas's historical rating system, and its monthly world list at each champion's peak.

    On today's scale takes the champion's peak, subtracts the average of that list's top 10 (the champion included) and adds the top-10 average on FIDE's Nov 2026 list, 2776.5. It measures dominance over the elite of the day; it can't say who would win a match across the centuries.