The Greatest Chess Players of All Time, and How Each One Played
Twelve of the greatest players in chess history, from Paul Morphy in the 1850s to Gukesh Dommaraju, world champion at 18. Each page explains how the player won, which openings and games to study, and whether your own style is close to theirs.
The list below follows the champions the Chess DNA style match uses. Every player has a different "shape": Tal leans on tactics and calculation, Petrosian on defence and positional play, Carlsen on endgames and resilience. Chess DNA scores the same 8 skills from your own games and tells you which champion your play is closest to, for free.
The champions
Who they are, how they played, and what to copy.
- Magnus CarlsenWorld Champion 2013–2023
Universal grinder who squeezes wins out of dry endgames.
- Garry KasparovWorld Champion 1985–2000
Relentless attacker armed with deep opening prep.
- Mikhail TalWorld Champion 1960–1961
The Magician, all fearless sacrifices and pure chaos.
- Tigran PetrosianWorld Champion 1963–1969
The python, all prophylaxis and airtight defense.
- José Raúl CapablancaWorld Champion 1921–1927
Effortless technique and crystal-clear endgames.
- Bobby FischerWorld Champion 1972–1975
Precise, universal, ruthless at converting.
- Anatoly KarpovWorld Champion 1975–1985
Boa constrictor of slow positional squeezes.
- Hikaru NakamuraSuper-GM · Speed king
Speed demon with tactics and time-scramble wizardry.
- Viswanathan AnandWorld Champion 2007–2013
Lightning calculation and razor-sharp prep.
- Paul MorphyUnofficial champion 1858
Romantic-era development and open-board tactics.
- Gukesh DommarajuWorld Champion 2024–
Ice-cold calculator with a champion's nerve.
- R PraggnanandhaaSuper-GM · Prodigy
Fearless tactician who thrives in sharp positions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the greatest chess player of all time?
Most lists name Magnus Carlsen (highest rating ever, 2882, world champion 2013–2023) or Garry Kasparov (world champion 1985–2000, number one for about 20 years). Bobby Fischer, Paul Morphy and José Raúl Capablanca are often named for how far ahead of their contemporaries they were.
Who has the highest chess rating ever?
Magnus Carlsen, with a peak classical FIDE rating of 2882 in May 2014.
Which champion do I play like?
Enter your Chess.com or Lichess username on any player page. Chess DNA analyses your recent games and matches your style to one of these 12 champions, for free.
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