Testside
Foundations before the World Chess Champions
The first masters and theorists who laid the groundwork for modern chess.
Ruy López de Segura (Spain)
Ruy López de Segura (Spain) Influential early master and chess theorist.
Read & Replay
1559
Leonardo di Bona and Paolo Boi (Sicily)
Leonardo di Bona and Paolo Boi (Sicily) Rivals at the heart of chess’s first major tournament.
Read & Replay
1575
Alessandro Salvio (Italy)
Alessandro Salvio (Italy) Leading Italian player and early chess writer.
Read & Replay
1600
Gioachino Greco (Italy)
Gioachino Greco (Italy) Master of elegant play and sharp combinations.
Read & Replay
1620
Legall de Kermeur (France)
Legall de Kermeur (France) Legendary tactician and Philidor’s mentor.
Read & Replay
1730
François-André Danican Philidor (France)
François-André Danican Philidor (France) Pioneer of modern positional ideas.
Read & Replay
1755
Alexandre Deschapelles (France)
Alexandre Deschapelles (France) Unmatched in his time, innovator of bold play.
Read & Replay
1815
Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais (France)
Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais (France) Won the iconic 1834 match vs McDonnell.
Read & Replay
1823
The Romantic Era – Early World Chess Champions and Masters
Celebrating beauty, sacrifice, and daring attacks that set the stage for later World Chess Champions.
Howard Staunton (England)
Howard Staunton (England) Leading figure and promoter of modern chess.
Read & Replay
1843
Adolf Anderssen (Prussia)
Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) Victorious in the first international tournament.
Read & Replay
1851
1858
Adolf Anderssen (Prussia)
Adolf Anderssen (Prussia) Still a top player a decade after 1851.
Read & Replay
1862
Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria )
Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria ) New positional style, beating Anderssen in 1866.
Read & Replay
1866
Johannes Zukertort (England)
Johannes Zukertort (England) Triumphed at the strong 1883 London tournament.
Read & Replay
1883
Undisputed World Chess Champions
The official lineage begins—every match counts.
Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria)
Wilhelm Steinitz (Austria) Defeated Zukertort to become 1st World Champion
Read & Replay
1886
1889
1890 – 1891
1892
Emanuel Lasker (Germany)
Emanuel Lasker (Germany) Won against Steinitz, becoming the 2nd Official World Chess Champion.
Read & Replay
1894
Emanuel Lasker (Germany)
Emanuel Lasker (Germany) Retained title in return match vs Steinitz
Read & Replay
1896 – 1897
Emanuel Lasker (Germany)
Emanuel Lasker (Germany) Defeated Marshall in successful title defense
Read & Replay
1907
1908
Emanuel Lasker (Germany)
Emanuel Lasker (Germany) Drew Schlechter to remain World Champion
Read & Replay
1910 – 1st
Emanuel Lasker (Germany)
Emanuel Lasker (Germany) Won match against Janowski to keep crown
Read & Replay
1910 – 2nd
José Raúl Capablanca (Cuba)
José Raúl Capablanca (Cuba) Defeated Lasker to become 3rd World Champion
Read & Replay
1921
Alexander Alekhine (France)
Alexander Alekhine (France) Dethroned Capablanca to become 4th World Champion
Read & Replay
1927
Alexander Alekhine (France)
Alexander Alekhine (France) Defeated Bogoljubov to retain world title
Read & Replay
1929
Alexander Alekhine (France)
Alexander Alekhine (France) Beat Bogoljubov again to remain champion
Read & Replay
1934
Max Euwe (the Netherlands)
Max Euwe (the Netherlands) Dethroned Alekhine to become 5th World Champion
Read & Replay
1935
Alexander Alekhine (France)
Alexander Alekhine (France) Regained the crown in a rematch against Euwe.
Read & Replay
1937
The Onset of Soviet World Chess Champions
Soviet dominance reshapes the chess world.
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) Won FIDE event to become 6th World Champion
Read & Replay
1948
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) Drew Bronstein to retain world title
Read & Replay
1951
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) Held crown after draw with Smyslov
Read & Replay
1954
Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union)
Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union) Dethroned Botvinnik to become 7th World Champion
Read & Replay
1957
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) Bounced back to reclaim the title, by beating Smyslov
Read & Replay
1958
Mikhail Tal (Soviet Union)
Mikhail Tal (Soviet Union) Became 8th Official World Champion by beating Botvinnik
Read & Replay
1960
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) Reclaimed the title after victory over Tal
Read & Replay
1961
Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union)
Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union) Dethroned Botvinnik to become 9th World Champion
Read & Replay
1963
Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union)
Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union) Retained title after defeating Spassky
Read & Replay
1966
Boris Spassky (Soviet Union)
Boris Spassky (Soviet Union) Became 10th World Champion after beating Petrosian
Read & Replay
1969
Fischer and the World Chess Champions of the Cold War
A golden age of brilliance and rivalry.
Robert James Fischer (USA)
Robert James Fischer (USA) Dethroned Spassky to become 11th World Champion
Read & Replay
1972
Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union)
Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union) Retained his title after win vs Korchnoi
Read & Replay
1978
Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union)
Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union) Defended the crown again vs Korchnoi during the «Massacre in Merano»
Read & Replay
1981
Karpov vs Kasparov I (Soviet Union)
Karpov vs Kasparov I (Soviet Union) Historic match stopped after 48 games.
Read & Replay
1984 – 1985
Kasparov vs Karpov II (Soviet Union)
Kasparov vs Karpov II (Soviet Union) Became 13th World Champion by defeating Karpov
Read & Replay
1985
Kasparov vs Karpov III (Soviet Union)
Kasparov vs Karpov III (Soviet Union) Retained the title in rematch with Karpov
Read & Replay
1986
Kasparov vs Karpov IV (Soviet Union)
Kasparov vs Karpov IV (Soviet Union) Held the title after draw with Karpov
Read & Replay
1987
Kasparov vs Karpov V (Soviet Union)
Kasparov vs Karpov V (Soviet Union) Retained crown after victory over Karpov
Read & Replay
1990
The Split of Chess: FIDE vs. PCA World Champions
Rival titles divide the chess world.
1993
1993
1995
1996
1998
1999
PCA
Kramnik (Russia)
PCA: Kramnik (Russia) Dethroned Kasparov to become 14th World Champion
Read & Replay
2000
2000
FIDE
Ponomariov (Ukraine)
FIDE: Ponomariov (Ukraine) Captured title in knockout tournament
Read & Replay
2001 – 2002
FIDE
Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan)
FIDE: Kasimdzhanov (Uzbekistan) Retained crown after KO final win
Read & Replay
2004
2004
FIDE
Topalov (Bulgaria)
FIDE: Topalov (Bulgaria) Took title by winning San Luis Round Robin event
Read & Replay
2005
Unified Title – Modern World Chess Champions
The world title is reunited—chess history continues.
Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)
Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) Unified titles to become 14th Official World Champion
Read & Replay
2006
Viswanathan Anand (India)
Viswanathan Anand (India) Became 15th World Champion in Mexico tournament
Read & Replay
2007
Viswanathan Anand (India)
Viswanathan Anand (India) The "Tiger of Madras" defended his crown vs Kramnik
Read & Replay
2008
Viswanathan Anand (India)
Viswanathan Anand (India) Retained title after beating Topalov
Read & Replay
2010
Viswanathan Anand (India)
Viswanathan Anand (India) Won rapid tiebreak vs Gelfand to stay champ
Read & Replay
2012
The Reign of Magnus Carlsen – World Chess Champion
A dominant new era of modern chess.
Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) Dethroned Anand and became the 16th World Champion.
Read & Replay
2013
Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) Retained title by winning rematch vs Anand
Read & Replay
2014
Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) Kept title after tiebreak win vs Karjakin
Read & Replay
2016
Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) Retained crown after playoff vs Caruana
Read & Replay
2018
Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
Magnus Carlsen (Norway) Defended title by defeating Nepomniachtchi
Read & Replay
2021
Ding Liren (China)
Ding Liren (China) Won title match vs Nepomniachtchi to become 17th World Champion
Read & Replay
2023
Dommaraju Gukesh (India)
Dommaraju Gukesh (India) Became 18th World Champion after win vs Ding Liren
Read & Replay
2024
FIDE WCC Match
FIDE WCC Match Gukesh’s challenger will be decided in the 2025–2026 FIDE World Championship Cycle. 🎯
Read & Replay
2026
The World Chess Champions Timeline
I’m Torbjørn Dahl, founder of Hell Chess Club and the person who has kept this project moving forward. It began in 2021 as an attempt to explore chess history and assemble the kind of timeline I always felt was missing. The focus has been on the leading players of each era—the world number ones—and on the wider story of how chess has developed through the centuries.
Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union)
Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union) Fischer forfeited, Karpov became 12th World Champion
1975