There are thousands of chess tournaments to date. In 2020, more than a thousand competitions all over the globe are expected to be held. The debate about who is the best player in history rages on.

There is no clear individual to hold a title given that players of the past and the present have proven themselves to be the best. For us, there is no way of telling who the best is now, but we can list the best chess results ever in history.

These tournament results shattered records and elevated the sports to the global movement it is today.

World Chess Championship 1972 (Bobby Fischer vs Boris Spassky)

Back then dubbed as the “Match of the Century” and is a contender for the best chess match ever in history.

Amid the Cold War, two chess masters clashed against each other in the Laugardalsholl arena in Iceland.

USA’s Bobby Fischer took on Soviet Union’s ace Boris Spassky. The match that reshaped the sport started on July 11, 1972. Spassky took the first two rounds due to a disgruntled Fischer due to the camera and media presence during the rounds.

In the third round, the cameras were shut off and Fischer started to go on the offensive. He took the third, fifth, sixth, eighth, and tenth round. Fischer then became the world champion.

Chess legend Garry Kasparov said Fischer’s victory was “a crushing moment amid the Cold War.” That’s not the only legacy Fischer left. During the 1970 Interzonal, he took down 20 opponents consecutively.

Women’s World Championship from 1978 to 1991

Maia Chiburdanidze, another USSR chess prodigy who became the Women’s World Champion at the age of 15. She was undoubtedly the best chess player of her generation including male competitors.

During the 1978 Women’s World Championship, Chiburdanidze faced off her fellow USSR prodigy, Alla Kushnir. The former made it through and then faced Georgian powerhouse and reigning champion that time, Nona Gaprindashvili.

Chiburdanidze defeated the champion and took the throne for herself. She then managed to defend the title until 1981. In 1984, the International Chess Federation or FIDE awarded her the title of Grandmaster, a title that was first given to the woman she defeated back in 1978, Gaprindashvili. She is the second to receive the title. Fischer’s and Chiburdanidze’s legacy are marked in history and will forever inspire millions of aspiring players out there. For more content like this subscribe to Euro Teams 2017’sblog.