1 Garry Kasporov: Obviously this guy was the best player of all time. He was a surgeon on the chess board. He dominated chess for 2 decades. I think every top-5 chess list on the world includes this guy. He had it all, the tactical precision of a surgeon, strategic skill comparable to Fischer, he was an endgame maestro, and he always managed to keep the initiative. This was an easy decision.
2 Bobby Fischer: At his peak, he was better than anyone, ever, by a large margin. His raw skill was so far beyond what anyone else has achieved; he was a machine. But he only stayed at his peak for about two years. A true champion withstands the test of time.
3 Jose Capablanca: This guy made chess look easy. He was a lazy player. He always played simply, he always took the safe and easy route. Yet he dominated. A computer evaluation of the moves played showed that Capablanca and Carlsen played the most accurate chess moves, with the lowest “Centipawn loss” per move throughout history. The difference is this guy did it without the use of a computer. That is true talent.
4 Magnus Carlsen: This dude introduced a new way to play the game of chess. Everyone else before him was playing for an opening advantage, memorizing thousands of lines of opening theory. Carlsen didn’t. He simply gives his opponent an equal position, and outplays them strategically. He can play the most drawish endgame that a draw could draw, and he wins somehow. He beats his opponent out of pure stubbornness, and this has made him world champion.
5 Mikhail Tal: Everyone loves the Magician from Riga. He turned chess into an art form; a violent, insane art form. He sacced pieces on pure instinct. He was easily the most aggressive player in history. He is responsible for some of the most entertaining and beautiful chess games the world has ever seen. He is not on this list by virtue of strength, he is on this list purely by virtue of style. I really want to see another Tal-like player in my lifetime.
Lastly, I would like to say that I do think modern players could beat the historic players, however they have the advantage of machines to double-check their work. This list is based on raw talent.
2 Bobby Fischer: At his peak, he was better than anyone, ever, by a large margin. His raw skill was so far beyond what anyone else has achieved; he was a machine. But he only stayed at his peak for about two years. A true champion withstands the test of time.
3 Jose Capablanca: This guy made chess look easy. He was a lazy player. He always played simply, he always took the safe and easy route. Yet he dominated. A computer evaluation of the moves played showed that Capablanca and Carlsen played the most accurate chess moves, with the lowest “Centipawn loss” per move throughout history. The difference is this guy did it without the use of a computer. That is true talent.
4 Magnus Carlsen: This dude introduced a new way to play the game of chess. Everyone else before him was playing for an opening advantage, memorizing thousands of lines of opening theory. Carlsen didn’t. He simply gives his opponent an equal position, and outplays them strategically. He can play the most drawish endgame that a draw could draw, and he wins somehow. He beats his opponent out of pure stubbornness, and this has made him world champion.
5 Mikhail Tal: Everyone loves the Magician from Riga. He turned chess into an art form; a violent, insane art form. He sacced pieces on pure instinct. He was easily the most aggressive player in history. He is responsible for some of the most entertaining and beautiful chess games the world has ever seen. He is not on this list by virtue of strength, he is on this list purely by virtue of style. I really want to see another Tal-like player in my lifetime.
Lastly, I would like to say that I do think modern players could beat the historic players, however they have the advantage of machines to double-check their work. This list is based on raw talent.