Summary: 1945 - 1975 How to use this page
Duration: covering

Most Dominant Player between 1945 and 1975 See more details
   Bobby Fischer: 9.1 years as #1 (between February 1964 and July 1974)
The player who was ranked #1 most often between 1945 and 1975 was Bobby Fischer, with 109 different months as the top-ranked player (a total of 9.1 years). Next on the list were Mikhail Botvinnik (6.4 years) and Vassily Smyslov (4.9 years).

Highest-Rated Player between 1945 and 1975 See more details
   Bobby Fischer: 2895 (October 1971)
The player who achieved the highest peak rating between 1945 and 1975 was Bobby Fischer, with a rating of 2895 on the October 1971 list. The next-highest peak ratings between 1945 and 1975 were achieved by Mikhail Botvinnik (2885 on the October 1945 list) and Anatoly Karpov (2803 on the December 1974 list).

Strongest Tournament between 1945 and 1975 Summary only | Top 5 | Top 10 | Top 20 | Top 50 | Top 100
   Zurich (Candidates), 1953: Class 18 (#1, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10)
The strongest tournament held between 1945 and 1975 was Zurich (Candidates) 1953. This was a Class 18 tournament, including nine of the top ten players in the world (from the August 1953 rating list). The next-strongest tournaments were Moscow (Alekhine Memorial) 1956 (Class 15) and Amsterdam (Candidates) 1956 (Class 15).
     Event       Class       Top Ten Participation    Specific participants from top ten on rating list
 #1    Zurich (Candidates), 1953      18      #1, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10    #1 Samuel Reshevsky (2781), #3 Vassily Smyslov (2765), #4 Miguel Najdorf (2753), #5 Efim Geller (2734), #6 Alexander Kotov (2727), #7 David Bronstein (2724), #8 Isaak Boleslavsky (2722), #9 Gideon Ståhlberg (2722), #10 Paul Keres (2721) from August 1953 rating list

 #2    Moscow (Alekhine Memorial), 1956      15      #1, #2, #3, #4, #9    #1 Vassily Smyslov (2793), #2 Paul Keres (2782), #3 David Bronstein (2770), #4 Mikhail Botvinnik (2756), #9 Mark Taimanov (2714) from January 1956 rating list

 #3    Amsterdam (Candidates), 1956      15      #1, #2, #3, #5, #7, #8    #1 Vassily Smyslov (2793), #2 Paul Keres (2782), #3 David Bronstein (2770), #5 Tigran Petrosian (2755), #7 Efim Geller (2720), #8 Boris Spassky (2714) from January 1956 rating list

 #4    Moscow (URS Championship), 1952      15      #1, #2, #3, #6, #7, #8    #1 Vassily Smyslov (2776), #2 David Bronstein (2774), #3 Paul Keres (2769), #6 Mikhail Botvinnik (2748), #7 Isaak Boleslavsky (2719), #8 Efim Geller (2712) from January 1952 rating list

 #5    Moscow (URS Championship), 1955      15      #1, #2, #3, #6, #7, #9    #1 Vassily Smyslov (2793), #2 Mikhail Botvinnik (2778), #3 Paul Keres (2766), #6 Tigran Petrosian (2739), #7 Mark Taimanov (2732), #9 Viktor Korchnoi (2711) from February 1955 rating list

 #6    Budapest (Candidates), 1950      15      #2, #3, #4, #5, #7, #9, #10    #2 Vassily Smyslov (2760), #3 David Bronstein (2754), #4 Alexander Kotov (2753), #5 Miguel Najdorf (2741), #7 Gideon Ståhlberg (2732), #9 Isaak Boleslavsky (2722), #10 Paul Keres (2722) from April 1950 rating list

 #7    Moscow (URS Championship), 1973      15      #2, #3, #4, #6, #7, #9, #10    #2 Anatoly Karpov (2778), #3 Mikhail Tal (2755), #4 Viktor Korchnoi (2752), #6 Lev Polugaevsky (2743), #7 Tigran Petrosian (2733), #9 Efim Geller (2723), #10 Boris Spassky (2721) from October 1973 rating list

 #8    Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade (Candidat, 1959      14      #1, #2, #3, #5, #7    #1 Mikhail Tal (2766), #2 Vassily Smyslov (2762), #3 Tigran Petrosian (2753), #5 Paul Keres (2743), #7 Svetozar Gligoric (2736) from September 1959 rating list

 #9    Groningen (Staunton Memorial), 1946      14      #1, #2, #4, #5, #10    #1 Mikhail Botvinnik (2864), #2 Miguel Najdorf (2767), #4 Isaak Boleslavsky (2738), #5 Vassily Smyslov (2732), #10 Alexander Kotov (2704) from August 1946 rating list

 #10    Curacao (Candidates), 1962      14      #1, #3, #4, #5, #7, #8    #1 Tigran Petrosian (2782), #3 Viktor Korchnoi (2769), #4 Mikhail Tal (2769), #5 Bobby Fischer (2761), #7 Paul Keres (2743), #8 Efim Geller (2741) from May 1962 rating list

 #11    Moscow, 1967      14      #2, #3, #4, #6, #7, #9    #2 Tigran Petrosian (2764), #3 Mikhail Tal (2761), #4 Boris Spassky (2753), #6 Efim Geller (2746), #7 Leonid Stein (2744), #9 Vassily Smyslov (2737) from May 1967 rating list

 #12    Rovinj/Zagreb, 1970      13      #1, #2, #4, #5    #1 Bobby Fischer (2797), #2 Viktor Korchnoi (2776), #4 Vassily Smyslov (2746), #5 Tigran Petrosian (2746) from April 1970 rating list

 #13    Palma de Mallorca (Interzonal), 1970      13      #1, #3, #5, #6, #9, #10    #1 Bobby Fischer (2827), #3 Bent Larsen (2747), #5 Lev Polugaevsky (2737), #6 Lajos Portisch (2737), #9 Mark Taimanov (2726), #10 Vassily Smyslov (2722) from November 1970 rating list

 #14    Tbilisi (URS Championship), 1959      13      #1, #4, #5, #7, #8, #9, #10    #1 Mikhail Tal (2773), #4 Paul Keres (2755), #5 David Bronstein (2747), #7 Tigran Petrosian (2738), #8 Viktor Korchnoi (2724), #9 Efim Geller (2718), #10 Mark Taimanov (2715) from January 1959 rating list

 #15    Moscow (URS Championship), 1961      12      #2, #3, #5, #6, #7    #2 Tigran Petrosian (2782), #3 Vassily Smyslov (2760), #5 Viktor Korchnoi (2754), #6 Boris Spassky (2747), #7 Efim Geller (2745) from January 1961 rating list

 #16    Sousse (Interzonal), 1967      11      #1, #2, #6, #9    #1 Bobby Fischer (2797), #2 Viktor Korchnoi (2760), #6 Leonid Stein (2749), #9 Efim Geller (2731) from October 1967 rating list

 #17    Stockholm (Interzonal), 1962      11      #1, #2, #7, #8, #10    #1 Tigran Petrosian (2788), #2 Viktor Korchnoi (2777), #7 Bobby Fischer (2738), #8 Efim Geller (2738), #10 Svetozar Gligoric (2715) from January 1962 rating list

 #18    Moscow (URS Championship), 1951      11      #1, #3, #5, #6    #1 David Bronstein (2780), #3 Vassily Smyslov (2754), #5 Alexander Kotov (2747), #6 Paul Keres (2738) from January 1951 rating list

 #19    Moscow (Chigorin Memorial), 1947      11      #1, #3, #5, #7, #10    #1 Mikhail Botvinnik (2823), #3 Paul Keres (2776), #5 Isaak Boleslavsky (2739), #7 Vassily Smyslov (2725), #10 Alexander Kotov (2702) from November 1947 rating list

 #20    Budapest, 1952      11      #1, #3, #6, #8, #10    #1 Vassily Smyslov (2776), #3 Paul Keres (2769), #6 Mikhail Botvinnik (2748), #8 Efim Geller (2712), #10 Gideon Ståhlberg (2708) from January 1952 rating list

 #21    Bled, 1961      11      #1, #3, #6, #8, #9    #1 Tigran Petrosian (2789), #3 Mikhail Tal (2772), #6 Paul Keres (2761), #8 Efim Geller (2741), #9 Bobby Fischer (2730) from September 1961 rating list

 #22    Palma de Mallorca, 1969      11      #2, #3, #4, #9    #2 Viktor Korchnoi (2780), #3 Boris Spassky (2771), #4 Tigran Petrosian (2748), #9 Bent Larsen (2732) from January 1969 rating list

 #23    Moscow (Alekhine Memorial), 1971      11      #2, #3, #5, #7, #10    #2 Boris Spassky (2755), #3 Viktor Korchnoi (2749), #5 Tigran Petrosian (2735), #7 Leonid Stein (2733), #10 Vladimir Savon (2726) from November 1971 rating list

 #24    Gothenburg (Interzonal), 1955      11      #2, #5, #6, #8, #9, #10    #2 Paul Keres (2775), #5 Tigran Petrosian (2756), #6 David Bronstein (2749), #8 Miguel Najdorf (2726), #9 Boris Spassky (2720), #10 Efim Geller (2718) from September 1955 rating list

 #25    Moscow (URS Championship), 1957      11      #3, #4, #5, #6, #9    #3 Paul Keres (2774), #4 David Bronstein (2764), #5 Mark Taimanov (2742), #6 Tigran Petrosian (2741), #9 Viktor Korchnoi (2715) from January 1957 rating list

 #26    Leningrad (URS Championship), 1960      11      #3, #4, #5, #8, #9, #10    #3 Tigran Petrosian (2760), #4 Boris Spassky (2757), #5 Vassily Smyslov (2757), #8 Efim Geller (2723), #9 Viktor Korchnoi (2721), #10 Mark Taimanov (2719) from January 1960 rating list

 #27    Leningrad, 1957      11      #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10    #3 Paul Keres (2774), #4 David Bronstein (2764), #5 Mark Taimanov (2742), #6 Tigran Petrosian (2741), #7 Svetozar Gligoric (2721), #8 Efim Geller (2718), #9 Viktor Korchnoi (2715), #10 Borislav Ivkov (2713) from January 1957 rating list

 #28    The Hague/Moscow (World Champi, 1948      10      #1, #4, #6, #7    #1 Mikhail Botvinnik (2826), #4 Paul Keres (2754), #6 Max Euwe (2730), #7 Vassily Smyslov (2730) from March 1948 rating list

 #29    Palma de Mallorca, 1968      10      #2, #3, #4    #2 Viktor Korchnoi (2772), #3 Boris Spassky (2761), #4 Tigran Petrosian (2747) from November 1968 rating list

 #30    Saltsjobaden (Interzonal), 1948      10      #2, #3, #8, #9, #10    #2 Miguel Najdorf (2788), #3 Gideon Ståhlberg (2757), #8 Isaak Boleslavsky (2731), #9 David Bronstein (2723), #10 Alexander Kotov (2720) from July 1948 rating list

 #31    Leningrad (Interzonal), 1973      10      #2, #3, #8, #9, #10    #2 Mikhail Tal (2773), #3 Anatoly Karpov (2757), #8 Viktor Korchnoi (2733), #9 Robert Hübner (2730), #10 Bent Larsen (2722) from June 1973 rating list

 #32    Tbilisi (URS Championship), 1966      10      #3, #4, #6, #8, #9    #3 Viktor Korchnoi (2755), #4 Leonid Stein (2753), #6 Lev Polugaevsky (2743), #8 Efim Geller (2734), #9 Vassily Smyslov (2732) from January 1966 rating list

 #33    Riga (URS Championship), 1958      10      #3, #5, #6, #7, #9, #10    #3 David Bronstein (2763), #5 Tigran Petrosian (2734), #6 Mark Taimanov (2733), #7 Viktor Korchnoi (2730), #9 Mikhail Tal (2725), #10 Boris Spassky (2712) from January 1958 rating list

 #34    Tallinn, 1973      9      #2, #4, #5    #2 Mikhail Tal (2766), #4 Lev Polugaevsky (2747), #5 Boris Spassky (2745) from February 1973 rating list

 #35    Baku (URS Championship), 1961      9      #2, #5, #6, #7    #2 Mikhail Tal (2784), #5 Paul Keres (2765), #6 Vassily Smyslov (2756), #7 Boris Spassky (2744) from November 1961 rating list

 #36    Portoroz (Interzonal), 1958      9      #3, #4, #6, #7    #3 David Bronstein (2763), #4 Mikhail Tal (2760), #6 Tigran Petrosian (2743), #7 Svetozar Gligoric (2724) from August 1958 rating list

 #37    Kislovodsk, 1966      8      #1, #4, #9    #1 Mikhail Tal (2761), #4 Leonid Stein (2754), #9 Efim Geller (2733) from July 1966 rating list

 #38    Zurich, 1959      8      #1, #5, #6    #1 Mikhail Tal (2777), #5 Paul Keres (2740), #6 Svetozar Gligoric (2733) from May 1959 rating list

 #39    Moscow (URS Championship), 1945      8      #1, #5, #8, #10    #1 Mikhail Botvinnik (2817), #5 Vassily Smyslov (2749), #8 Isaak Boleslavsky (2689), #9 Salo Flohr (2678), #10 Alexander Tolush (2669) from June 1945 rating list

 #40    Tallinn (URS Championship), 1965      8      #1, #6, #9, #10    #1 Viktor Korchnoi (2776), #6 Leonid Stein (2741), #9 Lev Polugaevsky (2731), #10 Paul Keres (2730) from November 1965 rating list

 #41    Mar del Plata, 1948      8      #2, #4, #10    #2 Miguel Najdorf (2795), #4 Gideon Ståhlberg (2760), #10 Erich Eliskases (2713) from January 1948 rating list

 #42    Zurich, 1961      8      #2, #4, #10    #2 Tigran Petrosian (2782), #4 Paul Keres (2758), #10 Svetozar Gligoric (2722) from January 1961 rating list

 #43    Garga (URS Training), 1953      8      #3, #5, #7, #8, #10    #3 Vassily Smyslov (2765), #5 Efim Geller (2736), #7 Alexander Kotov (2734), #8 Paul Keres (2732), #10 Isaak Boleslavsky (2723) from January 1953 rating list

 #44    Leningrad (URS Championship), 1947      8      #4, #5, #6, #7    #4 Paul Keres (2746), #5 Vassily Smyslov (2729), #6 David Bronstein (2719), #7 Isaak Boleslavsky (2718) from February 1947 rating list

 #45    Hastings, 1954      7      #1, #4    #1 Vassily Smyslov (2790), #4 Paul Keres (2758) from December 1954 rating list

 #46    Buenos Aires, 1970      7      #1, #4    #1 Bobby Fischer (2808), #4 Vassily Smyslov (2748) from July 1970 rating list

 #47    Monte Carlo, 1967      7      #1, #5, #9    #1 Bobby Fischer (2803), #5 Efim Geller (2751), #9 Vassily Smyslov (2731) from March 1967 rating list

 #48    Buenos Aires/La Plata, 1947      7      #2, #3    #2 Miguel Najdorf (2772), #3 Max Euwe (2762) from January 1947 rating list

 #49    Mar del Plata, 1947      7      #2, #3    #2 Miguel Najdorf (2772), #3 Max Euwe (2762) from January 1947 rating list

 #50    Wijk aan Zee (Hoogovens), 1968      7      #2, #3    #2 Viktor Korchnoi (2759), #3 Mikhail Tal (2757) from January 1968 rating list

NOTE: "Class" is a Chessmetrics formula used to rank the strength of a tournament, by using the participation of top-10 players from the rating list (rather than just using the average rating of all participants). For more details, go here.

Strongest Match between 1945 and 1975 See more details
   Karpov-Korchnoi I (Candidates final, Moscow), 1974: #1 vs #2
The strongest match held between 1945 and 1975 was Karpov-Korchnoi I (Candidates final, Moscow), 1974. This was a matchup of #1 vs #2, including #1 Anatoly Karpov (2800) and #2 Viktor Korchnoi (2765) from the September 1974 rating list. Next on the list were Fischer-Larsen Match (Candidates semifinal, Denver), 1971 (#1 vs #3) and Botvinnik-Smyslov I (World Championship, Moscow), 1954 (#1 vs #3).

Best Individual Event Performance between 1945 and 1975 See more details
   Bobby Fischer: 2887 in Fischer-Larsen Match (Candidates semifinal, Denver), 1971
The best individual event performance between 1945 and 1975 was achieved by Bobby Fischer with a Chessmetrics Performance Rating of 2887 in Fischer-Larsen Match (Candidates semifinal, Denver), 1971. The next-best individual event performances were achieved by Bobby Fischer (2870 performance) in Fischer-Taimanov Match (Candidates quarterfinal, Vancouver), 1971, and by Mikhail Tal (2869 performance) in Bled/Zagreb/Belgrade (Candidates), 1959.