who do you think is the best chess player of all time?

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/vote-for-your-favourite-chess-player-of-all-time?ncc=11#first_new_comment

Obviously, a computer program is now the 'greatest chess player of all time'!

Kasparov and Carlsen are the two best human players of all time. I don't think Carlsen has peaked yet.

At his best, Ivanchuk is incredible. He's beaten Kasparov, Carlsen, Kramnik, Anand and all the other top players of the last 30 years.

At his worst, he can lose on time to anyone.

Perhaps Ivanchuk, when he feels absolutely no pressure, is the best ever.

But when there's pressure to perform, Kasparov's done the best. He faced several must-win situations and almost always came through with a memorable victory.

Carlsen is going down.

"But when there's pressure to perform, Kasparov's done the best. He faced several must-win situations and almost always came through with a memorable victory"

That first match against Karpov was also quite impressive after the horrible start. Not many players could face Karpov at his peak 21 games in a row, where one mistake would lose you the match, and not only avoid losses but score three wins.

Elvis Presley, great singer, lousy chess player.

Bobby Fischer or Jose Raul Capablanca

Capablanca. He plays like classical music. Serene.

I fell in love with Mikhail Tal, and bought his best games book but it is so so dangerous to try to play like him. A tightrope walker on electrified wire.

I love love love you Mikhail but Capa is the best.

Capablanca v anyone today? Easy.

"Capablanca v anyone today? Easy"

How easy was it against Alekhine 90 years ago?

Capa vs. Fischer?? hm.. great endgame skills . I am not sure who wins??

Fischer once said in response to the claim that Capa had studied 200 rook endgames, if he really studied 200 rook endgames, he studied the wrong ones! Alekhine showed that Capa's technique deserted him when his opponent fought hard for every move, game after game. Fischer seemed to get stronger when his opponent fought harder.

Capablanca's great skill wasnt really in pure technique. It was in recognizing which positions were winning long before his opponents did.Capa did win some truly memorable endgames, but I'd rate Fischer far ahead of Capa in just about every phase of the game, especially the endgame. 

Staunton is the GOAT brahs followed by Draw master Anish girly.

Whatever is the best computer program at the moment is the best, until beaten by a human, ANY human.

Just as a forklift is the best weightlifter!

Not only is this and others that claim engines are the best players boring, it's also wrong. 

Engines are not self-aware, and therefore don't understand that they are playing. Therefore, they are disqualified from the start because they aren't players. But even when engines do become self-aware, the question will still refer to human players by common inference.

Tell it to Kasparov.

I can't decide between Gaios Nigalidze and Zurab_Azmaiparashvili. They are both great chess players from Georgia.

Bump, also Carlsen

.

Five years later, Carlsen is the only player over 2800, is the only player ever to hold the blitz, rapid and classical titles at the same time, is the current holder of the triple crown, had the highest individual rating in history and the highest sustained (5years) rating in history.

Carlsen has clearly surpassed Kasparov not only as the best ever, but also as the greatest ever.