Best player never to win the World Championship

[Colin Patterson]

I often read in books, online, and in magazines, that the author rates one of the above players to be the best never to have won the World Championship.

Of course there are many different criteria that we might use to make such a judgment; natural giftedness, creative genius, fighting spirit, longevity at the top, periods of tournament domination, most world champion scalps etc. The list is pretty endless.

It would however be good to see and hear what forum users think. You might even want to venture a different candidate altogether - the choice is yours ...

[Jonathan Bryant]

Rubinstein deserves consideration

[PeterFarr]

Bronstein for me as he was so desperately close in 1951. That's a rather biased view as he's my favourite player; Keres and Korchnoi were nearer the top for longer. Then there's Schlechter of course..

[Matt Mackenzie]

Add on Rubinstein in place of Larsen (never *quite* there, IMO) and that would be my shortlist too.

Though some who consider he never won a "legitimate" title may wish to include Topalov?

[Barry Sandercock]

How about Samuel Reshevsky ?

[James Hooker]

Jimmy White

[Andrew Bak]

Who Keres?

[Ronnie Burton]

Paul Morphy. Sadly no World Championship around his time of playing. Would have won it and probably would have kept him playing longer.

[Paolo Casaschi]

According to Elo ratings, it's most likely Fabiano Caruana.

[JustinHorton]

Paul Morphy. Sadly no World Championship around his time of playing. Would have won it and probably would have kept him playing longer.

I was considering nominating Morphy, but if we go down that road don't we also end up saying Philidor and everybody else back to Greco?

[Ronnie Burton]

You have to Paul Morphy in the list ! His play over the board and blindfold games clearly show he was ahead of his time and certainly could hold his own with players from 1860 to 1900 when world championship matches were played. Bobby Fisher rated him one of the greatest player ever to play Chess

[Carl Hibbard]

The choices are too limited.

[IM Jack Rudd]

I'd probably go with Caruana.

Best relative to his era never to have won the title is a different matter.

[LawrenceCooper]

So it's not only at ECF elections when "None of the Above" can win

[Matt Mackenzie]

No, I *don't* think the list should include Morphy, Philidor and other pre-Steinitz de facto if not de jure champs

Reshevsky is a good one, though.....