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Bobby Fischer
- Born: Mar 9, 1943
- Died: Jan 17, 2008 (Aged 64)
- Peak Rating: 2785
Robert James Fischer was a lone genius who took on and defeated the might of the Soviet chess machine, winning the World Championship in 1972
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José Raúl Capablanca
- Born: Nov 19, 1888
- Died: Mar 8, 1942 (Aged 53)
The third World Champion and perhaps the greatest natural talent chess has ever known
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Tigran Petrosian
- Born: Jun 17, 1929
- Died: Aug 13, 1984 (Aged 55)
The 9th World Champion, famous for being perhaps the hardest man to beat in world chess
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Emanuel Lasker
- Born: Dec 24, 1868
- Died: Jan 11, 1941 (Aged 72)
The second World Champion and a universal genius described by Albert Einstein as one of the most interesting people he knew
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Mikhail Tal
- Born: Nov 9, 1936
- Died: Jun 27, 1992 (Aged 55)
The 8th World Champion, nicknamed the "Magician from Riga", overwhelmed opponents with dazzling attacking chess
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Vugar Gashimov
- Born: Jul 24, 1986
- Died: Jan 11, 2014 (Aged 27)
- Peak Rating: 2761
A wonderfully gifted and popular grandmaster who lost his battle against a brain tumour at the age of only 27
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Alexander Alekhine
- Born: Oct 31, 1892
- Died: Mar 24, 1946 (Aged 53)
The fourth World Champion was one of the game’s greatest attacking players
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Walter Browne
- Born: Jan 10, 1949
- Died: Jun 24, 2015 (Aged 66)
- Peak Rating: 2590
- Blitz Rating: 2448
- Rapid Rating: 2428
Grandmaster Walter S. Browne was a six-time U.S. Champion and a World Chess Hall of Famer.
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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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