RCC 3 — January 27, 2025
- The greatest: a raging and enraging debate in chess
Russell Harrison
It may be reasonable to assert that blanket espousing of one’s favourite candidate for the title of “greatest chess player ever” is legion in chess forums across the Internet just as much as kibitzers have discussed the relative merits of individual chess stars of the past and present for generations. The category of “greatest ever” also gets discussed in more mundane terms regarding the best in a particular style of play, time control, or method (such as blindfold chess). The debate ranges from the civil to rancorous, reasoned to shrill, and has no restriction in regards to the level of chess-playing acumen one may possess.
There is a temptation for the writer/owner of a chess history website to assert a definitive answer to the question of who is the “greatest ever” in whatever aspect of the game one is focused on. If I may partake in being Switzerland on this point, I will defer to those with a greater technical grasp of chess theory in analyzing the quality of a figure’s play, but in compiling a historical record of a player’s achievements, I will be more confident in placing them on a comparative list with their peers.
Reader opinions on this and related subjects will always be welcome as this website progresses. Who are your “greatest players” and in what domain are they so?
Posted by Russell Harrison in Chess History
(RCC 3)
