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World Chess Champions Trivia Quiz

This quiz focuses on universally recognized World Chess Champions before the year 2000.

A multiple-choice quiz by kingofmates. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
kingofmates

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
333,518

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
420

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which Russian Grandmaster became world champion 3 different times? Hint

Boris Spassky

David Bronstein

Mikhail Botvinnik

Alexander Alekhine

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Question 2 of 10

2. Which player won his title by default after Bobby Fischer failed to come to terms for his title defense? Hint

Anatoly Karpov

Mikhail Tal

Garry Kasparov

Boris Spassky

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which man was recognized as the first official world champion in 1886? Hint

Adolf Anderssen

Paul Morphy

Wilhelm Steinitz

Johann Zuckertort

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which American superstar player won the world title playing in Reykjavik, Iceland? Hint

Robert Byrne

Max Euwe

David Bronstein

Bobby Fischer

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Question 5 of 10

5. Before World War II, which grandmaster won, and then lost the world title to the same man? Hint

Vasily Smylov

Alexander Alekhine

Mikhail Tal

Max Euwe

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which Cuban world champion seemed unbeatable until losing to a Russian great in 1927? Hint

Emanuel Lasker

Jose Capablanca

Tigran Petrosian

Paul Keres

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which Russian lost the title, regained the title, and held the title until his death in 1946? Hint

Emanuel Lasker

Mikhail Botvinnik

Alexander Alekhine

Max Euwe

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which man was the world champion of longest duration - 27 years? Hint

Jose Capablanca

Anatoly Karpov

Mikhail Botvinnik

Emanuel Lasker

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Question 9 of 10

9. Who won the world chess championship in 1960 at age 23? Hint

Mikhail Botvinnik

Tigran Petrosian

Vasily Smyslov

Mikhail Tal

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which man finally ended the reign of Mikhail Botvinnik by winning the world title in 1963? Hint

Mikhail Tal

Boris Spassky

Vasily Smyslov

Tigran Petrosian

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which Russian Grandmaster became world champion 3 different times?

Answer: Mikhail Botvinnik

Botvinnik became world champion by winning a special tournament after Alexander Alekhine died as the title holder. He lost the title to Vasily Smyslov in 1957, but regained the title in a rematch in 1958. He lost the title in 1960 to Mikhail Tal, but again regained the title in a rematch in 1961.

2. Which player won his title by default after Bobby Fischer failed to come to terms for his title defense?

Answer: Anatoly Karpov

Criticized because he gained the title without defeating Fischer, Karpov demonstrated his resilient strength in strong tournament results and tenacious title defenses.

3. Which man was recognized as the first official world champion in 1886?

Answer: Wilhelm Steinitz

Steinitz sought out and played the strongest players of his time to establish his recognized dominance. His 1886 match with Zuckertort was a cash match with the winner to be recognized as world champion.

4. Which American superstar player won the world title playing in Reykjavik, Iceland?

Answer: Bobby Fischer

Bobby Fischer was an incredible genius of chess analysis who played to create winning positions....always playing to find a way to win. He truly "walked the walk." In his later years, his politically incorrect rants cost him friends and popular support, but his body of work in chess remains unassailable.

5. Before World War II, which grandmaster won, and then lost the world title to the same man?

Answer: Max Euwe

Max Euwe was a true statesman of world chess. When he defeated Alekhine to win the world title, many thought it to be a result of lack of preparation by the world champion. Analysis of their games show differently with an ongoing battle over certain lines of the Dutch Defense.

6. Which Cuban world champion seemed unbeatable until losing to a Russian great in 1927?

Answer: Jose Capablanca

Capablanca was so strong that people suggested that he would be the end of chess by reducing it to its basic elements. Alekhine surprised the chess world by defeating him and introducing exciting new depths to the middle game.

7. Which Russian lost the title, regained the title, and held the title until his death in 1946?

Answer: Alexander Alekhine

Alekhine raised the bar for the strength of chess play. During World War II, he was widely shunned for publishing Nazi propagandist chess articles, but he may have been coerced in this to obtain documents to allow him to leave German controlled Portugal.

8. Which man was the world champion of longest duration - 27 years?

Answer: Emanuel Lasker

Lasker was a published author on mathematics, philosphy, chess, and other games and also was a close friend of Albert Einstein.

9. Who won the world chess championship in 1960 at age 23?

Answer: Mikhail Tal

Throughout his life, Tal demonstrated an ability to conjure attacks in games. Chess players wanting to improve their combination skills would be well served by studying that games of "Mischa" Tal.

10. Which man finally ended the reign of Mikhail Botvinnik by winning the world title in 1963?

Answer: Tigran Petrosian

Petrosian played within his comfort zone, content to play mistake free chess and waiting to capitalize on errors of his opponents. His style was not flamboyant, but the "Iron Tigran" wrote his chapter in chess history as world champion.

Source: Author kingofmates

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
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