Top 10 & Top 20 Greatest, Strongest, Best, Most Brilliant Chess Players in the World of All Time Ever in History

Note: This list is subjective.

Top 10:
1. Garry Kasparov
2. Bobby Fischer
3. Anatoly Karpov
4. Emanuel Lasker
5. Alexander Alekhine
6. Mikhail Botvinnik
7. José Raúl Capablanca
8. Vladimir Kramnik
9. Boris Spassky
10. Tigran Petrosian

Top 20:
11. Wilhelm Steinitz
12. Max Euwe 
13. Vasily Smyslov
14. Mikhail Tal
15. Paul Morphy
16. Viswanathan Anand
17. Howard Staunton
18. Siegbert Tarrasch
19. Viktor Korchnoi
20. Paul Keres


Top 10 Chess Players with the Longest Reign of Championship:

Years as
Champion -- Rank ----- Name, Country of the World Champion

 27 --------- 1 --- Emanuel Lasker (longest chess champion), Germany
 17 --------- 2 --- Alexander Alekhine, Russia, France
 16 --------- 3 --- Anatoly Karpov, Russia
 15 --------- 4 --- Garry Kasparov, Russia, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union
 13 --------- 5 --- Mikhail Botvinnik, Finland, Soviet Union
 8 ---------- 6 --- Wilhelm Steinitz, USA & Bohemia *
 7 ---------- 7 --- Vladimir Kramnik, Russia, USSR
 6 ---------- 8 --- Tigran Petrosian, Georgia, USSR
 6 ---------- 9 --- José Raúl Capablanca, Cuba
 4 --------- 10 --- Viswanathan Anand, India

Bohemia * --> Czech Republic/Germany/Austria


Top 10 Chess Players with their Highest/Best Elo Ratings Ever Recorded:

Highest/Best
ELO Ratings --- Name of Grandmaster Chessplayer & (Country)

1. 2851 ------- Garry Kasparov (Russia, Azerbaijan, Soviet Union)
2. 2826 ------- Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
3. 2813 ------- Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)
4. 2809 ------- Vladimir Kramnik (Russia)
5. 2803 -------    Viswanathan Anand (India)
6. 2788 -------    Alexander Morozevich (Russia)
7. 2787 -------    Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine)
8. 2786 -------    Levon Aronian (Armenia)
9. 2785 -------    Bobby Fischer (United States of America)
10. 2780 ------    Anatoly Karpov (Russia)