Top five male players with longest chess World No. 1 reign

A Soviet Union/Russian player tops this list.

Across various sports, we have seen rankings change at the drop of a hat. There have often been fluctuations, with players emerging at the top frequently. Cricket, badminton, tennis: barely any sport has been spared from this cycle.

In the history of chess, there have been 2088 grandmasters, with many of them actively occupying different age groups: right from children to those aged above 60. Yet, only seven players have managed to become the World No. 1 ever since the FIDE ratings were introduced in 1971. Despite India having become a global hub of the board game recently, only one India has moved to the top of the rankings: the legendary Vishwanathan Anand.

Also Read: Top five youngest male to become chess World No. 1

As a result, the number of elite individuals who have risen to the top has become very large. Two of these have occupied the summit for 15+ years: Garry Kasparov is widely regarded as the greatest ever to have played the sport, and Magnus Carlsen is the current World Number #1.

On that note, let’s take a look at the top five male chess players who have spent the longest period as World No. 1.

Also Read: Top five greatest Indian chess players of all-time

5. Veselin Topalov (Two years)

Veselin Topalov is the only player who crossed the age of 30 when he became number one. He first achieved the feat in 2006 but was overthrown by Anand the next year. However, he returned to the position in 2008 and continued his reign till the end of the next year. It is worth noting that the Bulgarian achieved his best ever rating of 2816 in July 2015.

Topalov clinched the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005. He was awarded the Chess Oscar the same year. He has participated in nine Chess Olympiads, winning board one in 2014 and scoring the best overall performance in 1994.

Also Read: ⁠FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship: Full list of winners

4. Bobby Fischer (Four and a half years)

Bobby Fischer became the first World Number #1 player in the game when the FIDE ratings were introduced in 1971. He was aged 28 at the time of the development. The player from Chicago achieved a peak rating of 2785 in July 1972.

Fischer’s greatest accomplishment is winning eight US Championship titles. The eleventh World Chess Champion, he has made many contributions to the game, including the introduction of the time increment system.

3. Anatoly Karpov (Nine and a half years)

Anatoly Karpov displaced Fischer at the top in 1976, at age 24. They continued their dominance until 1983, before making a comeback in 1985. Interestingly, the Russian (after the division of the Soviet Union) again scaled the summit in 1994 and achieved the best rating of 2780 in this period. Karpov, the 12th World Chess Champion, is a three-time FIDE World Champion.

He also earned considerable fame with the USSR team, winning two World Championships and six Chess Olympiads.

Also Read: Full list of chess Grandmasters from India

2. Magnus Carlsen (Fifteen and a half years)

Magnus Carlsen moved to the top of the rankings in 2010 when he was just 19. Vishwanathan Anand pushed him down for some time in 2010 and 2011. Since then, he has been the World’s No. 1 player. His best rating of 2882, in February 2014, has not been overhauled to date.

He has achieved five World Chess Championship and World Rapid Chess Championship titles each. He is also the reigning World Blitz Chess Champion, having clinched the title eight times overall. Carlsen also has the longest winning streak at the elite level, winning 125 consecutive games unanswered.

1. Garry Kasparov (More than 21 years)

Garry Kasparov took over from Karpov when he was just 20. From 1984 until his retirement in 2005, he was the highest-rated player for a record period of 255 months. His highest rating is 2851, achieved in July 1999. Kasparov holds the record for the most consecutive professional tournament triumphs: 15.

Also Read: ⁠FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship: Full list of winners

He has also won eleven chess Oscars. The USSR/Russian player also held the record of being the youngest undisputed World Champion for nearly 20 years before Gukesh Dommaraju eclipsed him last year. After falling out with FIDE, Kasparov founded the Professional Chess Association.

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