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Viktor Korchnoi
- Born: Mar 23, 1931
- Died: Jun 6, 2016 (Aged 85)
- Peak Rating: 2695
"Viktor the Terrible" is many people’s choice as the "strongest player never to become World Champion"
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Wilhelm Steinitz
- Born: May 14, 1836
- Died: Aug 12, 1900 (Aged 64)
The first undisputed World Champion and one of the first players to study rather than simply play chess
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Max Euwe
- Born: May 20, 1901
- Died: Nov 26, 1981 (Aged 80)
Often, perhaps unfairly, considered the one World Champion not to have been a great, or at least dominant, player of his time
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Mikhail Botvinnik
- Born: Aug 17, 1911
- Died: May 5, 1995 (Aged 83)
The "patriarch" of Soviet Chess - he played 7 World Championship matches and held onto the title for almost 15 years
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Vasily Smyslov
- Born: Mar 24, 1921
- Died: Mar 27, 2010 (Aged 89)
- Peak Rating: 2620
Although Smyslov only held onto the World Championship title for a year he outscored Mikhail Botvinnik over the course of their three matches
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