EZoto wrote in message ws.com...

My apologies. This is my second misread today.

EZoto

Ity's just another flu season :-)

Regards,

Wlod

My top 20 players of the 20th century:

1. Kasparov
2. Fischer
3. Lasker
4. Capablanca
5. Alekhine
6. Botvinnik
7. Karpov
8. Tal
9. Spassky
10. Korchnoi
11. Keres
12. Petrosian
13. Rubinstein
14. Smyslov
15. Nimzowitsch
16. Anand
17. Bronstein
18. Reshevsky
19. Geller
20. Euwe

A few notes:

a. I have restricted my list arbitrarily to the 20th century. It is simply
too difficult to compare modern greats with 18th- or 19th-century geniuses
like Petrosian and Morphy. The 20th-century focus also explains the
omission of Kramnik, who leapt to greatness around the year 2000.

b. My main criterion is strength of play, as measured by dominance over
contemporaries for a prolonged period. No one was more dominant over a
two-year span than Fischer in 1970-71, but his relatively short career means
he falls short of no. 1 Kasparov. Similarly, my emphasis on consistency
over a long period explains why Capa is ranked slightly above Alekhine, who
beat him in a WC match, and why Lasker is ranked slightly above Capa, who
beat him in a WC match.

c. Creative influence on the game, including through writings, can give a
player a minor boost on my list. That explains the presence in the top 20
of Bronstein, a player whose practical results were world-class only from
1948-58 or so, but whose writings and ideas are brilliant and influential.

d. My list ranks Korchnoi just ahead of Keres as greatest player never to
be WC.

e. Some near misses: Tarrasch, Maroczy, Schlechter, Reti, Spielmann,
Bogoljubow, Fine, Flohr, Najdorf, Boleslavsky, Gligoric, Polugaevsky, Stein,
Larsen, Portisch, Timman, Ivanchuk.

"Frank" wrote in message
om...
Hello,

here is the result after nearly 100 votes:
Kasparov, Fischer and Aljechin lead with 15 votes, then Tal with 14.
Always tactically players!!

Where are the fans of the strategically players like Karpov or Capablanca
;-)??

Kind regards
) Frank

oops -- read *Philidor* for "Petrosian" in note "a" below. Time to get
some sleep....


a. I have restricted my list arbitrarily to the 20th century. It is
simply
too difficult to compare modern greats with 18th- or 19th-century geniuses
like Petrosian and Morphy. The 20th-century focus also explains the
omission of Kramnik, who leapt to greatness around the year 2000.

1. Kasparov
2. Fischer
3. Lasker
4. Capablanca
5. Alekhine
6. Botvinnik
7. Karpov
8. Tal
9. Spassky
10. Korchnoi
11. Keres
12. Petrosian
13. Rubinstein
14. Smyslov
15. Nimzowitsch
16. Anand
17. Bronstein
18. Reshevsky
19. Geller
20. Euwe


Good list. I'd personally rank Petrosian, Smyslov, Euwe, and Reshevsky a
little higher and Korchnoi, Keres, Karpov and Bronstein a little lower. Most
noteworthy omission to my mind is Fine, the co-winner of the AVRO tournament
and for several years a world championship quality player when Alekhine was
hoarding the title. I'd put Fine in there ahead of Geller. But all of those
opinions are of course arguable, and your list is a good, thoughtful one.

I'd accept a substitution of Fine for Geller as a friendly amendment.

"EWOH27" wrote in message
...

1. Kasparov
2. Fischer
3. Lasker
4. Capablanca
5. Alekhine
6. Botvinnik
7. Karpov
8. Tal
9. Spassky
10. Korchnoi
11. Keres
12. Petrosian
13. Rubinstein
14. Smyslov
15. Nimzowitsch
16. Anand
17. Bronstein
18. Reshevsky
19. Geller
20. Euwe


Good list. I'd personally rank Petrosian, Smyslov, Euwe, and Reshevsky a
little higher and Korchnoi, Keres, Karpov and Bronstein a little lower.
Most
noteworthy omission to my mind is Fine, the co-winner of the AVRO
tournament
and for several years a world championship quality player when Alekhine
was
hoarding the title. I'd put Fine in there ahead of Geller. But all of
those
opinions are of course arguable, and your list is a good, thoughtful one.

I have little disagreement to the original list.
Truth be told, the one that I have least knowledge of his games is actually
Kasparov.
Why is that??