Who is the current world chess champion?
Gukesh Dommaraju is the current classical world chess champion. His reign is listed as 2024-present, after he defeated Ding Liren in the 2024 World Championship match.
Classical champions
World Chess Champions List
This complete world chess champions list covers every classical champion from Steinitz to Gukesh, including reign dates, countries, playing styles, and famous games. Each profile includes a replayable famous-game excerpt and a path into Guess the Move training.
Last reviewed: June 28, 2026.
By IgniteChess Editorial Reviewed by Patrik Tzortzakos on
World Chess Champions Quick Facts
Classical champions listed
18
Steinitz to Gukesh
Classical title period
1886-present
Main match lineage
Champion Timeline
| Champion | Reign | Country | Famous game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilhelm Steinitz | 1886-1894 | Austria-Hungary / United States | Steinitz vs von Bardeleben |
| Emanuel Lasker | 1894-1921 | Germany | Lasker vs Bauer |
| José Raúl Capablanca | 1921-1927 | Cuba | Capablanca vs Marshall |
| Alexander Alekhine | 1927-1935, 1937-1946 | Russia / France | Alekhine vs Nimzowitsch |
| Max Euwe | 1935-1937 | Netherlands | Euwe vs Alekhine |
| Mikhail Botvinnik | 1948-1957, 1958-1960, 1961-1963 | Soviet Union | Botvinnik vs Capablanca |
| Vasily Smyslov | 1957-1958 | Soviet Union | Smyslov vs Rudakovsky |
| Mikhail Tal | 1960-1961 | Soviet Union / Latvia | Botvinnik vs Tal |
| Tigran V. Petrosian | 1963-1969 | Soviet Union / Armenia | Petrosian vs Spassky |
| Boris Spassky | 1969-1972 | Soviet Union / Russia | Spassky vs Fischer |
| Bobby Fischer | 1972-1975 | United States | Fischer vs Byrne |
| Anatoly Karpov | 1975-1985 | Soviet Union / Russia | Karpov vs Korchnoi |
| Garry Kasparov | 1985-2000 | Soviet Union / Russia | Kasparov vs Topalov |
| Vladimir Kramnik | 2000-2007 | Russia | Kramnik vs Kasparov |
| Viswanathan Anand | 2007-2013 | India | Kramnik vs Anand |
| Magnus Carlsen | 2013-2023 | Norway | Anand vs Carlsen |
| Ding Liren | 2023-2024 | China | Ding vs Nepomniachtchi |
| Gukesh Dommaraju | 2024-present | India | Ding vs Gukesh |
Classical vs FIDE World Chess Champions
The main world chess champions list on this page follows the classical championship lineage: the title that began with Wilhelm Steinitz in 1886 and now runs through Gukesh Dommaraju. During the 1993-2006 split-title era, FIDE also awarded a separate world championship title before the titles were reunified in 2006.
For a fuller explanation, read the IgniteChess guide to classical vs FIDE world chess champions.
FIDE World Chess Champions
During the split-title era from 1993 to 2006, FIDE awarded a separate world championship title alongside the classical lineage shown above. The titles were reunified in 2006.
| Years | FIDE Champion | Training |
|---|---|---|
| 1993-1999 | Anatoly Karpov | Guess the Move |
| 1999-2000 | Alexander Khalifman | Guess the Move |
| 2000-2002 | Viswanathan Anand | Guess the Move |
| 2002-2004 | Ruslan Ponomariov | Guess the Move |
| 2004-2005 | Rustam Kasimdzhanov | Guess the Move |
| 2005-2006 | Veselin Topalov | Guess the Move |
Champion Profiles
Champion 1
Wilhelm Steinitz
1886-1894
The first official world champion and the player who turned attacking chess into a game of accumulated positional advantages.
Champion 2
Emanuel Lasker
1894-1921
The longest-reigning classical champion, famous for practical resilience and unsettling opponents in positions they disliked.
Champion 3
José Raúl Capablanca
1921-1927
A natural endgame genius whose clean technique made difficult chess look almost effortless.
Champion 4
Alexander Alekhine
1927-1935, 1937-1946
A combinational giant whose best games build pressure until tactics seem to appear from nowhere.
Champion 5
Max Euwe
1935-1937
A rigorous analyst and teacher who briefly interrupted Alekhine's reign with disciplined match play.
Champion 6
Mikhail Botvinnik
1948-1957, 1958-1960, 1961-1963
The patriarch of Soviet chess, known for scientific preparation and a school that shaped later champions.
Champion 7
Vasily Smyslov
1957-1958
A harmonious positional player whose games often feel musical in their coordination.
Champion 8
Mikhail Tal
1960-1961
The magician from Riga, loved for speculative sacrifices and attacks that dragged opponents into chaos.
Champion 9
Tigran V. Petrosian
1963-1969
A defensive genius who sensed danger early and made exchange sacrifices part of positional chess.
Champion 10
Boris Spassky
1969-1972
A universal player whose balanced style could become tactical, positional, or technical as required.
Champion 11
Bobby Fischer
1972-1975
A relentless challenger whose 1972 victory ended Soviet dominance of the title.
Champion 12
Anatoly Karpov
1975-1985
A boa-constrictor positional champion who squeezed opponents with tiny improvements.
Champion 13
Garry Kasparov
1985-2000
A dominant champion whose opening preparation and attacking energy pushed elite chess into a new era.
Champion 14
Vladimir Kramnik
2000-2007
The calm strategist who dethroned Kasparov and helped reunify the classical and FIDE titles.
Champion 15
Viswanathan Anand
2007-2013
A rapid-calculation legend and India's first world champion, admired for speed, universality, and longevity.
Champion 16
Magnus Carlsen
2013-2023
A universal champion whose endgame pressure and practical decision-making defined the 2010s.
Champion 17
Ding Liren
2023-2024
China's first classical world champion, whose 2023 match victory was built on resilience after repeated setbacks.
Champion 18
Gukesh Dommaraju
2024-present
The youngest classical world champion, crowned in 2024 after defeating Ding Liren.
World Chess Champions by Country
Champions are grouped by the country labels used in their classical title profiles. Some champions appear under more than one country because their careers crossed historical or national identities.
Armenia
Austria-Hungary
China
France
Germany
Latvia
Netherlands
Norway
Soviet Union
United States
World Chess Champions FAQ
Who was the first world chess champion?
Wilhelm Steinitz became the first official world chess champion after defeating Johannes Zukertort in 1886.
Who is the youngest world chess champion?
Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest classical world chess champion when he won the title in 2024.
Who was the longest-reigning world chess champion?
Emanuel Lasker held the classical world championship from 1894-1921, the longest reign in world championship history.
Why is Magnus Carlsen no longer world champion?
Magnus Carlsen chose not to defend his classical title in the 2023 match cycle. Ding Liren won the vacant-title match, and Gukesh Dommaraju later defeated Ding in 2024.
How many classical world chess champions have there been?
There have been 18 classical world chess champions from Wilhelm Steinitz through Gukesh Dommaraju.