Chess history
World Chess Champions: The Complete List
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FIDE recognises eighteen champions in the main line beginning with the first official title match in 1886. The title split between rival organisations from 1993 to 2006, so neither branch is labelled undisputed during those years. Where a champion appears in the classic-games collection, the table links to a complete replayable score.
On this page
The main championship line, 1886 to today
| # | Champion | Reign | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilhelm Steinitz | 1886–1894 | Beat Johannes Zukertort in the first match recognised as an official world championship. |
| 2 | Emanuel Lasker | 1894–1921 | Beat Steinitz in 1894 and held the title for 26 years and 337 days, the longest reign. |
| 3 | José Raúl Capablanca | 1921–1927 | Beat Lasker in Havana in 1921; lost the title to Alekhine in Buenos Aires in 1927. Study: Capablanca, Jose Raul vs Marshall, Frank James, 1909 |
| 4 | Alexander Alekhine | 1927–1935, 1937–1946 | Lost the title to Euwe in 1935, won their 1937 rematch and died while still champion. |
| 5 | Max Euwe | 1935–1937 | Beat Alekhine in 1935 and lost the 1937 rematch; later FIDE president. |
| 6 | Mikhail Botvinnik | 1948–1957, 1958–1960, 1961–1963 | Won the 1948 championship tournament and regained the title in rematches with Smyslov and Tal. |
| 7 | Vasily Smyslov | 1957–1958 | Beat Botvinnik in 1957, then lost the rematch a year later. |
| 8 | Mikhail Tal | 1960–1961 | Beat Botvinnik in 1960 and lost the return match in 1961. Study: Tal, Mikhail vs Myagmarsuren, Lhamsuren, 1974 |
| 9 | Tigran Petrosian | 1963–1969 | Beat Botvinnik in 1963, defended against Spassky in 1966 and lost their 1969 match. |
| 10 | Boris Spassky | 1969–1972 | Beat Petrosian in 1969 and lost the title to Fischer in Reykjavik in 1972. |
| 11 | Bobby Fischer | 1972–1975 | Beat Spassky in 1972 and did not defend the title against Karpov in 1975. Study: Spassky, Boris V vs Fischer, Robert James, 1972 |
| 12 | Anatoly Karpov | 1975–1985 | Became champion when the 1975 match was not played; also held the parallel FIDE title from 1993 to 1999. |
| 13 | Garry Kasparov | 1985–2000 | Beat Karpov in 1985 at age 22 and lost the classical title to Kramnik in 2000. Study: Kasparov, Garry vs Karpov, Anatoly, 1985 |
| 14 | Vladimir Kramnik | 2000–2007 | Beat Kasparov in 2000 and won the 2006 reunification match against Topalov. |
| 15 | Viswanathan Anand | 2007–2013 | Won the 2007 championship tournament, then defended in matches against Kramnik, Topalov and Gelfand. |
| 16 | Magnus Carlsen | 2013–2023 | Beat Anand in 2013, defended four times, and declined to defend in 2023. |
| 17 | Ding Liren | 2023–2024 | Beat Ian Nepomniachtchi in rapid tiebreaks after their 2023 classical match finished 7–7. |
| 18 | Gukesh Dommaraju | 2024–present | Beat Ding Liren 7½–6½ in Singapore in December 2024; at 18, he became the youngest champion. |
The split years, 1993–2006
In 1993 the championship split. Kasparov and then Kramnik held the classical title by match succession, while FIDE ran a parallel championship won in turn by Anatoly Karpov (1993–1999), Alexander Khalifman (1999–2000), Viswanathan Anand (2000–2002), Ruslan Ponomariov (2002–2004), Rustam Kasimdzhanov (2004–2005) and Veselin Topalov (2005–2006). Kramnik beat Topalov in the 2006 reunification match; the numbered table follows the classical branch through the split.
Before the title existed
There was no official world championship before 1886. Adolf Anderssen won the 1851 London tournament and played the Immortal Game during the same year. Paul Morphy then defeated leading European masters during his 1858 tour; his Opera Game was a consultation game against the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard, not an official title match.
Quick answers
Sources and scope
The reign dates and split-era account follow FIDE's World Champions Timeline. The exact length of Lasker's reign comes from the FIDE Chess Museum. Gukesh's age, match score and status as the eighteenth champion come from FIDE's report on the 2024 match; FIDE's 2026 match announcement confirms that he remains champion and names Javokhir Sindarov as challenger. The page uses the conventional main match lineage and names the parallel FIDE titleholders separately rather than merging the two lists.