Who had the best opening, middle game and endgame ever?

I am starting this forum because I am curious if Carlsen would fall into any of these categories. If not, then who does?

I think that is very subjective. For me the best middle/endgame was the 'game of the century'. And especially, this part: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M624T3PTggU#t=15m30s

For the opening Kasparov comes to mind, with his extensive preparation. Capablanca, among others such as Rubinstein, is often famed for his endgame skills. The middlegame is hard to say, you'd probably end up with all the great players.

Magnus is definately up there in the mid- and endgame in my eyes.

Then again, I suck at chess :P 

Carlsen probably has the best ability to turn a quiet equal position into a win. I've been really impressed with his handling of double rook endings (both sides have two rooks).

In the opening, Kasparov and Kramnik are the two greatest openings experts of all time. I'll give a shout out to my namesake for creating or developing so many different systems that are still played today.

Every match-play world champion, including Tal, excelled at the endgames. Karpov and Capablanca usually come to mind, but both were beaten in the endgame by the player who beat them in a match. I was talking to one IM who argued that every player rated over 2500 today has learned to play the endgame as well as Smyslov did in his prime. That has a certain truthiness. 

Kasparov (and his team before the games), Tal (because what counts are the result then, not what Fritz think today), Botvinnik (and his team between the game sessions).

About Carlsen, reopen this post in 10 years and you can probably count me in

All of the above is IMVVHO

Cheers

If you're going for an "all-rounder" candidate, then Rubinstein looks pretty good:  a remarkable endgame grinder who also invented an amazing number of opening variations and systems.

And I think we could give a strong argument for his middlegame strength from his game against Rotelwi (sp?) alone 

Kasparov, Anand, and Kramnik (fischer too given the time period he lived in) are head and shoulders the best opening preparation players ever to be seen.

For the middlegame, there are just so many....Petrosian, Fischer, the list goes for a while.

The endgame is relatively more easy to single out. It is obviously Capablanca, or Rubinstein. Carlsen will soon join the ranks.

Carlsen has my vote for the best endgame, no one else plays with his accuracy at that point in the game.

Or Smyslov or Lasker or Flohr or...

In my personal opinion

Opener - Fischer

Middlegame - Karpov

Endgame - Tal

Well, no doubt about it, that's your personal opinion. 

lol who do you disagree with

Well, I doubt too many people would name Tal as a preeminent endgame grinder.

lol

Mihail Marin included Tal as one of the exemplars of great endgame players in his excellent book, Learn from the Legends.

Every single match-play world champion excelled at endgames. You can't win a world championship match without excellent endgame technique. When Tal had to, he could grind out endgame wins with the best of them. He even beat Botvinnik in endgames!

What makes you say that? To me Tal's endgame was really inspiring in terms of crippling a what often seems an inpenatrable defense. He has a perfect blend of positional patience yet a persistant attack plan.

maDawson, when chessplayers talk about the endgame, they aren't talking about the "end of the game". They're talking about positions where there are few pieces on the board and the king becomes a powerful piece in its own right.

Not many people nowadays would claim that Morphy played boring chess... but that's exactly what he was criticized for in his own times.