| Name |
Country of
Origin |
World
Championship Reign |
| Wilhelm Steinitz |
Czechoslovakia |
1886
- 1894 |
| Emanuel Lasker |
Germany |
1894
- 1921 |
| José Raúl
Capablanca |
Cuba |
1921
- 1927 |
| Alexander
Alexandrovich Alekhine |
USSR |
1927
- 1935
1937 - 1946 |
| Machgielis (Max) Euwe |
Netherlands |
1935
- 1937 |
| Mikhail Moiseevich
Botvinnik |
USSR |
1948
- 1957
1958 - 1960
1961 - 1963 |
| Vasily Vasilievich
Smyslov |
USSR |
1957
- 1958 |
| Mikhail Nekhemievich
Tal |
USSR |
1960
- 1961 |
| Tigran Vartanovich
Petrosian |
USSR |
1963
- 1969 |
| Boris Vasilievich
Spassky |
USSR |
1969
- 1972 |
| Robert James (Bobby)
Fischer |
USA
|
1972
- 1975 |
| Anatoly Evgenievich
Karpov |
USSR |
1975
- 1985
FIDE Champion 1993 - present |
| Garry Kimovich
Kasparov |
USSR |
1985-
1993
PCA Champion 1993 - present |
International Chess