25 Greatest Chess Lists
We at Chess.com are not immune to the "listicle," although that word doesn't really apply to our list articles. We do this type of article better than anyone in the chess world with in-depth content on each listed player, game, etc. rather than one-sentence throwaways relying on tropes like the slideshow or cheesy sentiments along the lines of "You won't believe who we have at #37!"
Over the years, Chess.com has written many articles that contain lists—the "Top 10 Best X" or the "Top 10 Worst X." This article serves as a collection and reference list for such articles. There are some hidden gems among them that you may have missed the first time around. This article will grow over time, so feel free to bookmark it for future reference.
Without further ado, here is a list of Chess.com articles with the focus of... lists. Enjoy!
- The Top 10 Chess Books Every Chess Player Should Read
- The 10 Best Chess Players Of All Time
- 10 Positions Chess Engines Just Don't Understand
- The Best Chess Games of All Time
- 10 Fastest Checkmates
- The 10 Best Chess Traps
- The 10 Best Chess Moves Of All Time
- The Youngest Chess Grandmasters In History
- 7 Chess Movies You Do Not Want To Miss
- The 7 Most Amazing Chess Records
- 20 Chess Memes That Will Make You Laugh
- The 4 Longest Chess Games In History
- Who Are The 8 Best U.S. Chess Players Ever?
- The Top 5 Best Female Chess Players Of All Time
- The 10 Most Exciting World Chess Championships Ever
- The 5 Most Dangerous Chess Players Ever
- 10 Remarkable Chess Pieces You've Never Seen
- 5 Dirty Tricks Grandmasters Use
- 7 Chess Endgame Magicians
- The 5 Most Overrated Chess Players Ever
- 64 Chess Quotes You May Not Have Heard Before
- Top 5 Historical Chess Set Designs
- The 5 Worst World Chess Championship Games Of All Time
- 5 Amazing Chess Players You've Never Heard Of
- 20 MORE Amazing Chess Memes
- 5 World-Class Chess Players Who Also Had Real Jobs
The Top 10 Chess Books Every Chess Player Should Read
The Top 10 Chess Books Every Chess Player Should Read by Colin Stapczynski
From GM Bobby Fischer and IM Jeremy Silman essential reads to chess classics like GM Alexander Kotov's Think Like A Grandmaster and Aaron Nimzowitsch's My System to rarer gems like IM Tibor Karolyi's two volumes on GM Anatoly Karpov, you can find at least one book on this list that changes the way you play chess.
The 10 Best Chess Players Of All Time
The 10 Best Chess Players Of All Time by Colin Stapczynski
In any sport, no conversation triggers more controversy than a discussion of the greatest players of all time. Chess is the same. Paul Morphy and GM Viswanathan Anand get only honorable mentions? GM Judit Polgar gets no shout-out?
No one agrees fully, but everyone's reading.
10 Positions Chess Engines Just Don't Understand
10 Positions Chess Engines Just Don't Understand by NM Sam Copeland
Humans are no longer any match for modern chess computers. Usually.
However, machines can also err sometimes, and you don't need to be The One to see it. Copeland compiled a list of positions that befuddle even the most powerful silicon monster but are easily understood by us mere organic creatures.
The Best Chess Games Of All Time
The Best Chess Games Of All Time by Chess.com
How do you even begin to pick 10 out of billions of chess games in history? You could make a legitimate top-10 list that includes none of the ones in this article.
Well, after the top five, maybe. Those games are pretty good.
10 Fastest Checkmates
10 Fastest Checkmates by Colin Stapczynski
Sometimes you don't have a lot of time to squeeze in a chess game, which is part of the reason why blitz and bullet exist. But what about when you're really in a hurry? Check out these essential checkmating patterns!
The 10 Best Chess Traps
The 10 Best Chess Traps by Chess.com
More good news for the player who is in a hurry. Traps are a good way of quickly winning a chess game. They're also spectacular ways of quickly losing if your opponent can defend, so you can definitely have a fast game if that's what you really want.
Familiarize yourself with 10 key traps here and make sure you're on the winning side when one of these positions arises.
The 10 Best Chess Moves Of All Time
The 10 Best Chess Moves Of All Time by Colin Stapczynski
Very few things are more satisfying than relishing the beauty of a brilliant chess move. This list gives you the chance to feel satisfied 10 times.
The Youngest Chess Grandmasters In History
The Youngest Chess Grandmasters In History by Chess.com
What were you doing when you were 12? Five players became grandmasters at that age, another eight at age 13, and several more at 14. Check out the list of prodigies who achieved in a little more than a decade what very few people do in a lifetime.
7 Chess Movies You Do Not Want To Miss
7 Chess Movies You Do Not Want To Miss by Chess.com
Many who read this list may wonder why The Queen's Gambit is not on it. First of all, it's a miniseries. Secondly, it came out after this article—which is the real reason behind its absence. However, it goes without saying the show is more than good enough to be on this list.
The 7 Most Amazing Chess Records
The 7 Most Amazing Chess Records by NM Sam Copeland
Playing one game while seeing every piece is hard enough for some of us. Imagine playing 48 blindfold games at once. That unbelievable record and other seemingly impossible feats are described in this article.
20 Chess Memes That Will Make You Laugh
20 Chess Memes That Will Make You Laugh by Pedro Pinhata Nami
Chess is a serious game, so there's no way we can make you laugh about it, right? Think again. This collection of memes never gets old (especially how hard the guy is thinking in #10).
The 4 Longest Chess Games In History
The 4 Longest Chess Games In History by Chess.com
Have you ever played a chess game that was so fun you wished it would never end? Well, something like that happened in these games.
Who Are The 8 Best U.S. Chess Players Ever?
Who Are The 8 Best U.S. Chess Players Ever? by Pete Cilento
You'd think that a "Best Players" list could be less controversial if you reduced it to a single country, right? Well, it seems like if you did, you'd be wrong.
The Top 5 Best Female Chess Players Of All Time
The Top 5 Best Female Chess Players Of All Time by Nathaniel Green
You'll never believe who we have at #1. Wait, that was for the previous article. You totally will believe it this time.
The 10 Most Exciting World Chess Championships Ever
The 10 Most Exciting World Chess Championships Ever by FM Mike Klein
Back in 2018, eight of Chess.com's brightest minds voted on the subject of exciting world championships. Every world championship is exciting in its own way, but these certainly deserve to be highlighted.
The 5 Most Dangerous Chess Players Ever
The 5 Most Dangerous Chess Players Ever by Pete Cilento
Some people swim with sharks; others go for extreme sports... But if you want to experience true danger while going through the games, then this article is a must.
10 Remarkable Chess Pieces You've Never Seen
10 Remarkable Chess Pieces You've Never Seen by Pedro Pinhata Nami
Whether they're historical artifacts or used in a chess variant, there are more pieces to chess than just the king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, and pawn.
5 Dirty Tricks Grandmasters Use
5 Dirty Tricks Grandmasters Use by Colin Stapczynski
Great chess players are not always great sportsmen. Check out these dirty tricks that grandmasters have used in over-the-board games.
7 Chess Endgame Magicians
7 Chess Endgame Magicians by Colin Stapczynski
Siegbert Tarrasch once said, "Before the endgame, the gods have placed the middle game." Maybe that's why he didn't make this list, while contemporaries like Jose Capablanca and GM Akiba Rubinstein did.
The 5 Most Overrated Chess Players Ever
The 5 Most Overrated Chess Players Ever by Pete Cilento
Yeah, I bet that Emanuel Lasker guy wouldn't even beat Stockfish. And he's not the only one who made the list! Read this article and we hope you are as outraged as we are by the so-called "greats" of chess history.
64 Chess Quotes You May Not Have Heard Before
64 Chess Quotes You May Not Have Heard Before by Nathaniel Green
Wit and wisdom in quote form. Whether you're in the mood for deep chess advice or smart remarks by different players, this list is for you.
Top 5 Historical Chess Set Designs
Top 5 Historical Chess Set Designs by Colin Stapczynski
As much as we love Chess.com's "Neo" pieces, nothing compares to the look and feel of real-life chess sets. Check out this list of five classic chess set designs and see the pieces up close and personal!
The 5 Worst World Chess Championship Games Of All Time
The 5 Worst World Chess Championship Games Of All Time by Nathaniel Green
Just because it's a match between (hopefully) the two best players in the world doesn't mean that every game is a masterpiece.
5 Amazing Chess Players You've Never Heard Of
5 Amazing Chess Players You've Never Heard Of by Colin Stapczynski
History is not always kind to the greats. You can share first place with a world champion and beat another, break the record for most simultaneous blindfold games, and even reach the number-three spot in the world—and still remain unknown.
20 MORE Amazing Chess Memes
20 MORE Amazing Chess Memes by Pedro Pinhata Nami
What's the difference between a 500 Elo and 1500 Elo? Rakes, apparently. If the first memes article isn't enough for you, we have these 20 others ready for you.
5 World-Class Chess Players Who Also Had Real Jobs
5 World-Class Chess Players Who Also Had Real Jobs by Nathaniel Green
Do you want to feel bad about not having the "I don't have time to study chess, I have to work!" excuse anymore? We've got you covered! In this article is a list of five elite players who made a name for themselves playing chess—while also having another profession.
This list was compiled by Chess.com staff writers Pedro Pinhata and Nathaniel Green. What are your favorite articles from this list? Let us know in the comments below!
