As the past system was quite informal, FIDE had laid new rules to formalize the title. Now, there was a pre-qualifying game, followed by inter-zonal tournaments, and then the last ‘knock-out matches’. The winner of this series of games would challenge the chess champion. If the champion was defeated, he could ask for a re-match after a minimum gap of one year. FIDE then set the game period to a cycle of three years.

Botvinnik was a tireless worker and an admirable engineer while playing the game.. He has defended his title brilliantly against David Bronstein and Vasily Smyslov in 1951 and 1954 only to be defeated in 1957 by Smyslov. True to the rules of re-match after a year, Botvinnik won his title back in 1958, making Smyslov the shortest time world champion of chess. Botvinnik repeated this feat against Mikhail Tal in 1960, after being defeated by him in 1959. Botvinnik lost for the third time to Tigran Petrosian and this time could not play a re-match because FIDE abolished the rule.

Tigran lost his title in 1968 to Spassky after defending it successfully against the same challenger in 1966. The Russian chess had been at its peak during this time. In 1972, the title went to an American by the name of Bobby Fischer. Fischer defeated his opponents with such grace and effortlessness that he was invariably compared to another world class champion and co-countryman, Paul Morphy.
In 1975 in a very peculiar turn of events, Fischer refused to defend his title from the challenger Anatoly Karpov. He had acted in this manner saying that his demands were not met. What the demands were is not very clear. He relinquished his membership of FIDE but remained chess champion, until 1992, when he rematched with Spassky. FIDE or the world did not really take heed to this match.
On the other hand, Karpov shot to fame in 1970 by winning a series of exceptional chess games and for the next ten years the Russian chess again reigned supreme. Karpov proved repeatedly his excellent grasp of the game when he played against some of the best chess players and came out of its unscathed. When he lost the title, he did so against one of his own compatriot, Garry Kasparov. Kasparov had remained on the top as the best ever chess player in the world.

Let’s explain a little further. Some guides will tell you have to win in chess with three moves. Sure it is possible when you play chess to win in chess with three moves. It is not always probably that you will be able to do so. A lot of factors go into the game such as the opponent, their moves, and how you have to counter. A good chess player with make you play chess on the defensive. In other words you are always a step behind in defending your position rather than attacking the opponent.

If you start off as black you go second. This is a disadvantage as white moves first. Right there you are already on the defensive if you are black when you play chess. However you can turn the tide by studying your opponent’s moves for error and thus you can win in chess no matter how you start. All players have errors; it is just whether you notice them are not.

The ultimate win in chess comes from a check mate of the king. So let’s describe that for when you play chess. To play chess the king must be protected. This is where you need to create a defensive line that if it is gotten through your king will not be in checkmate. Check mate is when the king does not have any more possible moves without still being in check. This is the end of the game and if you are not the one in checkmate how you win in chess.
New players to the chess game tend to play chess with a false assumption. They will closely surround the king so that the king has only one or two methods of retreat. While it is a good defensive line the wrong piece taken out can end the game with a loss.

So when you play chess to win in chess have a strategy that is adjustable. By being able to change your mind based on the errors or moves of the other player you can move your pieces. You can’t have a five step plan and expect to keep it because the opponent can usually see this plan and counteract against it.
Your other option in chess is going to be a stalemate. While no one wins you are at least safe from losing the overall round.

The chess strategy also requires short term adjustments called tactics. These moves are essential to make adjustments to the overall game plan in relation to opponent?s performance. To achieve this, one should evaluate each and every move made by the opponent, analyze its implication on the chess strategy and make necessary changes, if warranted.
Phases of chess game
Chess can be classified into three distinct stages as given below. Good chess strategy should address all these stages.
1. Opening game
2. Middle game
3. End game
Opening game
The chess strategy in the opening game is to achieving a position of strength by trying to place the pieces in the best possible positions on the board.
The best possible position aims at achieving the following essential position on the board:
1. Safeguard the king from exposure to opponent attacks
2. Achieving decent mobility to all the pieces on the board that can help to make offensive moves in the middle game
3. Sound pawn structure on the board without restricting movement of other pieces
Opening chess strategies can be formulated to suit one?s preferences. Ranging from defensive opening to very aggressive beginning, standard options are well documented and analyzed in many good chess books.
Middle game
The middle game in chess develops when the actual attack on the opponent is initiated after gaining positional advantage on the board through the opening game chess strategy. Trading off of pieces, sacrifice of pieces to get advantage on the board, pinning the opponent mobility are some of the motives of the middle game chess strategy.

Middle game involves lot of tactical adjustments to counter opponent?s moves. Every move of the opponent has to be watched to understand his chess strategy for effective counter action.
End game
The player who has more power and better positional advantage on the board will have distinctive advantage in the end game. The basic objective of the end game is to immobilize the opponent king and gain victory. This is the primary motive of any chess strategy.
Chess strategy in the end game can take different options depending on the position of strength obtained in the middle game. Two such situations are:
1. To score a win for the position of power
2. To salvage a game into a draw from a position of weakness, thus scoring a moral victory
Chess requires lot of home work and planning before the commencement of the actual game. Formulating an effective and flexible chess strategy and implementing it on the board in relation to the opponent?s response and reactions are crucial for success in a game of chess.

Bobby Fischer is the first name that comes to mind when comparing top chess players. Bobby Fischer was recently highlighted in a film to tell of his life and how he learned to be one of the top chess players. Bobby Fischer didn’t start out at top of the line chess tournaments. Instead he would play chess tournaments with others in a park to learn about the game and have a little fun. Still, he was the youngest of the top chess players that made it to official chess tournaments and still managed to be more brilliant than other players.
Now the system for picking the top chess players is based on the ELO system. This is how to rate the players. It was created in 1978 by Arpad Elo. Many of the top chess players on the list have not had training. Jose Raul Capablanca would be one of them. Capablanca has been in chess tournaments, but he didn’t have a private lesson teacher to help him learn the game. Currently his standings are the point system as the top chess players.

Mikhail Botvinnik and Emanuel Lasker are second on the list of top chess players as defined by the chess tournaments points and the Elo rating system. They have been in chess tournaments several times over the years, so only their top scores are listed. Bobby Fischer beat out the system with a 2780, but this record has since been beaten.

The last chess tournaments that Bobby Fischer was rated for was in 2004 with a 2785. Garry Kasparov of Russia is the current of the top chess players. Kasparov has a 2851 as of 2007. To become one of the top players you must play in the chess tournaments.
These tournaments are available every year and you can be a top qualifier once you learn the game and practice a great deal. The live tournaments are different than online tournaments which can change who the top players are if you are only concerned with online play. Kasparov and Bobby Fischer among others have played in live tournaments to be national and world champions.
When you look for the top ten best players in chess you have a list, which is shown below.
1. Garry Kasparov
2. Anatoly Karpov
3. Bobby Fischer
4. Mikhail Botvinnik
5. Jose Raul Capablanca
6. Emanuel Lasker
7. Viktor Korchnoi
8. Boris Spassky
9. Vasily Smyslov
10. Tigran Petrosian
These are the top ten chess players in the world throughout the history of the Elo system. They are more than just the best players because of their scores though. They are also the best because of their strategy and ability to play the game without becoming phased by the things around them.

Mention about the game was found at the same time in Persia where it was known by the name of Shatranj (very similar to the Indian name, Chataranga). Documented evidence of the game is found around the 7th century where there is clear mention about the description of the chess pieces – though not exactly as we know them today. First the game spread across Asia; in Japan it was called Shogi, in China Xiangqi, and in Persia Shatranj.

In the mid 9th century the chess game navigated to Europe, most like through invasions by Persian and other Moslem armies. There the name of the chess had been altered to Shah (King in Persian) alluding to the game rules, as we know them today. By 10th century the game of chess was well known all over Europe.
From Europe the chess went n to conquer new worlds, this time America – carried around by the sea-faring Vikings of Scandinavia around 1100 AD. The game was received exceptionally well wherever it went and very soon it covered the whole world. The modern chess pieces, as they are used today, are traced to the 18th century. They were designed and manufactured by Staunton who was himself a chess master.

The first documented chess tournament was held in the year 1851 at London and Adolf Anderssen, a German national, won it. This was however, an unofficial tournament and hence there was no title or any reward. Andersen was beaten by Paul Morphy (an American citizen) a little later. The first official tournament took place in London in 1856. This time Steinitz who was a Chechoslovanian national won it. Although third in the line, Steinitz entered the annals of the history as the first official champion of a chess tournament. He kept the title for four decades, till 1894 when Emanuel Lasker beat him.

In 1921 Jose Casablanca who is considered one of the best ever chess players in the world, took the title form Emanuel. Two other share the honor if being know as the best ever players, i.e. Bobby Fischer and Morphy. Fischer became a world champion at the tender age of only 14! He was the first American to claim the title.
Excellent players from Russia dominated the 19th century period. Anatoli Karpov and Gary Kasparov became world champions at the same time by a peculiar quirk of fate. The mantle was recently passed over to Vishv Anand, an Indian national. This is a very brief outline of the history of chess, just sufficient to follow the thread from the beginning to the present. However, the game and its evolution taken in depth can fill up volumes.