Structured history
Champions, reigns, events and collections remain separate, linked entities.
World ChampionsHistorical archive
World Chess
Champions
Explore the complete lineage of World Chess Champions, their title reigns, championship matches and historic games—from Wilhelm Steinitz to Gukesh Dommaraju.
- 1886
- First official match
- 18
- Official champions
- 2
- Parallel lines · 1993–2006
- 01
- Living title
The lineage
Eighteen keepers of the crown
Original portrait art and archival monograms form the archive’s visual identity. Select a champion to explore the reign, title transition, defining matches and available PGN collections.
The archive covers the recognized World Championship lineage and its major split-title era.
- Wilhelm Steinitz, 1886–1894
- Emanuel Lasker, 1894–1921
- José Raúl Capablanca, 1921–1927
- Alexander Alekhine, 1927–1935 and 1937–1946
- Max Euwe, 1935–1937
- Mikhail Botvinnik, 1948–1957, 1958–1960 and 1961–1963
- Vasily Smyslov, 1957–1958
- Mikhail Tal, 1960–1961
- Tigran Petrosian, 1963–1969
- Boris Spassky, 1969–1972
- Bobby Fischer, 1972–1975
- Anatoly Karpov, 1975–1985 and FIDE champion from 1993
- Garry Kasparov, 1985–2000 across the undisputed and Classical lineages
- Vladimir Kramnik, Classical champion from 2000 and reunification champion in 2006
- Viswanathan Anand, FIDE champion from 2000 and undisputed champion from 2007
- Magnus Carlsen, 2013–2023
- Ding Liren, 2023–2024
- Gukesh Dommaraju, 2024–present
1993–2006 · two claims, one history
The crown divided.
Kasparov and Short’s break with FIDE created concurrent Classical and FIDE title lines. The archive follows both paths until Kramnik and Topalov reunify the title in Elista.
Collection integrity
History with a clear chain of custody.
Verified collections
Reader and download actions appear only for collections cleared for public access.
Editorial identity
Original portrait art and archival monograms give every champion a consistent place in the historical line.
Historical archive
Championship matches
Follow the title chronologically across undisputed play, parallel lineages and exceptional transitions. Publication status remains visible at every event.