Ruy López de Segura, ~1560, Spain

Paolo Boi , ~1575, Italy

Leonardo da Cutri , ~1575, Italy

Alessandro Salvio , ~1600, Italy

Gioacchino Greco, ~1620, Italy

Legall de Kermeur, ~1730-1747, France

Francois-André Philidor, ~1747-1795, France

Alexandre Deschapelles , ~1800-1820, France

Louis de la Bourdonnais, ~1820-1840, France

Howard Staunton, 1843-1851, England

Adolf Anderssen, 1851-1858, Germany

Paul Morphy, 1858-1859, United States of America

Adolf Anderssen, 1858-1866, Germany

Wilhelm Steinitz, 1866-1886, Austria

Wilhelm Steinitz, 1886-1894, Austria

Emanuel Lasker, 1894-1921, Germany

José Raúl Capablanca, 1921-1927, Cuba

Alexander Alekhine, 1927-1935, Soviet Union

Max Euwe, 1935-1937, Netherlands

Alexander Alekhine, 1937-1946, Soviet Union

Mikhail Botvinnik, 1948-1957, Soviet Union

Vasily Smyslov, 1957-1958, Soviet Union

Mikhail Botvinnik, 1958-1960, Soviet Union

Mikhail Tal, 1960-1961, Soviet Union

Mikhail Botvinnik, 1961-1963, Soviet Union

Tigran Petrosian, 1963-1969, Soviet Union

Boris Spassky, 1969-1972, Soviet Union

Bobby Fischer, 1972-1975, United States of America

Anatoly Karpov, 1975-1985, Soviet Union

Garry Kasparov, 1985-1993, Soviet Union/Russia

Garry Kasparov, 1985-1993, Russia

Vladimir Kramnik, 2000-date, Russia

Anatoly Karpov, 1975-1985, Soviet Union

Alexander Khalifman, 1999-2000, Russia

Viswanathan Anand, 2000-2002, India

Ruslan Ponomariov, 2002-2004, Ukraine

Rustam Kasimdzhanov, 2004-date, Uzbekistan