World Chess Champion Reigns Timeline

World Chess Champion Reigns 18

1886 – 1894 Steinitz World Champion reign First official World Chess Champion Steinitz defeated Johannes Zukertort 10-5 in the first official World Championship match, played across New York, St. Louis and New Orleans. He held the title until 1894.
1894 – 1921 Lasker World Champion reign Longest reign in chess history — 27 years Emanuel Lasker held the World Chess Championship for 27 years, the longest reign in history. He defeated Steinitz in 1894 and successfully defended against Chigorin, Marshall, Janowski, Tarrasch and Schlechter.
1921 – 1927 Capablanca World Champion reign The chess machine from Cuba Capablanca held the World Chess Championship from 1921 to 1927. During his reign he was considered virtually unbeatable, going years without losing a tournament game.
1927 – 1935 Alekhine first World Champion reign Tactical genius dominates chess Alekhine won the title from Capablanca in 1927 and dominated tournament chess through the early 1930s, winning brilliancy prizes and setting blindfold simultaneous records.
1935 – 1937 Euwe World Champion reign The only Dutch World Champion Max Euwe held the World Championship from 1935 to 1937 after defeating Alekhine. He is the only Dutch World Chess Champion and later served as president of FIDE from 1970 to 1978.
1937 – 1946 Alekhine regains and holds title Only champion to die with the title Alekhine regained the title from Euwe in 1937 and held it until his death in 1946 in Estoril, Portugal. He is the only World Chess Champion to have died while holding the title.
1948 – 1957 Botvinnik first World Champion reign Patriarch of Soviet chess Botvinnik won the 1948 FIDE World Championship tournament — held after Alekhine's death — and began his era of dominance. He championed scientific preparation and founded the Soviet chess school.
1957 – 1958 Smyslov World Champion reign A year of harmony and beauty Vasily Smyslov defeated Botvinnik in 1957 to become World Champion. Though he held the title only a year before Botvinnik won it back, his games from this period are considered among the most harmonious ever played.
1960 – 1961 Tal World Champion reign The Magician from Riga Mikhail Tal defeated Botvinnik at the age of 23 to become the youngest World Chess Champion in history at the time. His sacrificial and imaginative style captivated the chess world.
1963 – 1969 Petrosian World Champion reign Iron Tigran — impossible to beat Tigran Petrosian defeated Botvinnik in 1963 and held the title until 1969. His prophylactic defensive style made him extraordinarily difficult to defeat and he went years without losing a single game.
1969 – 1972 Spassky World Champion reign Universal player on the Soviet throne Boris Spassky defeated Petrosian in 1969 to become World Champion. Known as a universal player capable in all positions, his reign ended with the most famous chess match in history.
1972 – 1975 Fischer World Champion reign First American World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer became the first American World Chess Champion by defeating Boris Spassky in Reykjavik in 1972, ending 24 years of Soviet dominance. His reign ended when he refused to defend against Karpov in 1975.
1975 – 1985 Karpov first World Champion reign Decade of positional mastery Anatoly Karpov became champion by default in 1975 when Fischer withdrew, then proved his title convincingly across a decade of dominant tournament chess, winning the Chess Oscar nine times.
1985 – 2000 Kasparov World Champion reign Youngest undisputed champion in history Garry Kasparov became the youngest undisputed World Chess Champion in 1985 at age 22, defeating Karpov. He held the title for 15 years across four Karpov matches and a reign widely considered the most dominant in chess history.
2000 – 2007 Kramnik World Champion reign Defeated Kasparov with the Berlin Defence Vladimir Kramnik defeated Kasparov 8½-6½ in London in 2000, shocking the world. His use of the Berlin Defence neutered Kasparov's attacking style and revived an opening that became the backbone of top-level chess for decades.
2007 – 2013 Anand World Champion reign India's first World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand became undisputed World Champion in 2007 and defended the title four times, against Kramnik, Topalov, Gelfand and Carlsen. He was the first Asian undisputed World Champion.
2013 – 2023 Carlsen World Champion reign Dominant decade at the summit Magnus Carlsen defeated Viswanathan Anand in 2013 to become World Champion and held the title for a decade, defending against Anand, Karjakin, Caruana and Nepomniachtchi before vacating the title in 2023.
2023 – present Ding Liren World Champion reign China's first undisputed World Champion Ding Liren defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi in a dramatic tiebreak in Astana in 2023 to become China's first undisputed World Chess Champion, winning after being considered the underdog throughout the match.