Greatest Chess of All Time

Rank	Athlete	Sport	Nation	Honours	Honours
1	Anish GiriChess	Chess	Netherlands	Dutch Championx3	3
2	Magnus CarlsenChess · Grandmaster	Chess	Norway	World Chess Championx6	6
3	Hikaru NakamuraChess · Grandmaster	Chess	United States	U.S. Chess Championx4	4
4	Ian NepomniachtchiChess · Grandmaster	Chess	Russia	World Blitz Chess co-championx10	10
5	Viswanathan AnandChess · Grandmaster	Chess	India	World Chess Championx7	7
6	Levon AronianChess · Grandmaster	Chess	Armenia	FIDE World Cupx8	8
7	Ding LirenChess · Grandmaster	Chess	China	World Chess Championx6	6
8	Maxime Vachier-LagraveChess · Grandmaster	Chess	France	World Blitz Championx5	5
9	Garry KasparovChess · Grandmaster	Chess	Russia	World Chess Championx4	4
10	Alireza FirouzjaChess	Chess	Iran	Iranian Chess Championx5	5
11	Judit PolgarChess	Chess	Hungary	Grandmasterx4	4
12	Bobby FischerChess	Chess	United States	World Chess Championx4	4
13	Vladimir KramnikChess	Chess	Russia	Classical World Chess Championx3	3
14	PraggnanandhaaChess	Chess	India	Arjuna Award for Chessx4	4
15	Fabiano CaruanaChess · Grandmaster	Chess	Italy	U.S. Chess Championx4	4
16	Nodirbek AbdusattorovChess	Chess	Uzbekistan	World Rapid Chess Championshipx4	4
17	Wesley SoChess · Grandmaster	Chess	Philippines	U.S. Chess Championx4	4
18	Daniel NaroditskyChess	Chess	United States	World Youth Championshipx3	3

Methodology: compiled from each athlete's documented honours, records and public estimates on their AthleteWiki profile. All 18 eligible athletes ranked. Updated 2026-07-14.