I know the title contains the ranking given by us titled as the best players of all the time. It is not that we are judging someone and it’s not quite a shock that every player is best in its respective place.
But according to the game they played and laurels they have won they have been listed as best of 5 U.S players. So let’s take a look at them.
1. GM BOBBY FISCHER
PEAK RATING- 2785
No doubt this person is always going to be no.1 in our best of 5 forever. He is one of the most massive player chess world would ever have. He is still being missed and loved with the same intensity as before and will stay alive forever.
Bobby Fischer stands as the most legendary U.S. chess player ever and is universally considered one of the three greatest world champions, along with Carlsen and Kasparov.
Fischer was responsible for a renaissance in American chess in the 1970s as he racked up ridiculous winning streaks on his way to the world title over GM Boris Spassky in 1972. Fischer elevated the game of chess to geopolitical philosophy, representing American individualism against the Soviet chess machine.
The most striking aspect of Fischer's chess was how far ahead he was of his competition. His peak rating of 2785, earned before the considerable rating inflation in the 50 years since would place him near the top of the chess world even today.
Computer studies have confirmed Fischer's strength and accuracy as other-worldly for his time. His style was universal, elegant and above all, accurate. His fierce competitive spirit is something the computer engines can't measure; Fischer had one of the strongest wills to win in chess history.
Fischer's career was cut short by disagreements with chess organizers along with mental and physical health problems. Nonetheless, in the short time he spent at the top of the game, he changed it forever with the millions of American players he inspired.
Almost as a side note, Fischer invented Fischer random chess (chess 960), which is considered one of the most creative chess variants. Fischer also held a patent for a chess clock with an increment, which is the preferred time control today of many players.
2. GM FABIANO CARUANA
PEAK RATING-2844
Fabiano Caruana is currently at the top of his career and sits just 28 rating points behind Carlsen on the live list. Caruana and Carlsen are the only players above 2800. The pair fought a close battle in the 2018 world chess championship, with Carlsen needing the tiebreaks to retain his title.
Caruana is still in contention for the next world championship whenever that process resumes, with the American one game off the lead of the 2020 candidates' tournament at the time of its postponement halfway through the schedule.
Caruana's chess highlight reel is too extensive to fully appreciate in this space. He won the U.S. chess championship on his first try in 2016, and he was the four-time Italian chess champion before transferring to the U.S. federation.
Why pick a draw for Caruana's showcase game, when all the other players get wins?
On a deeper level, there is a beautiful and inscrutable endgame lurking in this game that astounded everyone who analyzed it. The chess super-computer "Sesse" found a forced checkmate for Caruana in 30 moves in real-time, as millions watched the game around the world. The legendary former world champion GM Garry Kasparov said no human could ever spot the win. Yet it was in there, on the board as surely the 64 squares themselves.
3. GM WESLEY SO
PEAK RATING- 2822
Wesley So transferred to the United States federation six years ago, and since then he has established himself as one of the world's best players.
So is 26 years old and it's reasonable to think that his chess peak is just getting started. So's style of play is precise and safe, rarely getting himself into trouble. This less-risky approach has been cited (mostly unfairly) as evidence that So is not an exciting chess player.
That argument went right out the window last November when So destroyed the classical world chess champion, Carlsen, in the finals of the first FIDE world Fischer random chess championship. So ran up the score, winning the match 13.5-2.5, putting to rest any doubts of his brilliance and creativity.
4. GM HIKARU NAKAMURA
PEAK RATING-2816
Hikaru Nakamura, while quite a formidable traditional chess force, is truly a chess player of the modern age.
Nakamura has made his mark as unquestionably the best American blitz chess player ever, and also the best American online chess player ever. Since most chess games in 2020 are both played online and at fast time controls, these are fairly important arenas.
Nakamura has also established a tremendous following on the live-streaming site Twitch and was called "the grandmaster who got Twitch hooked on chess" by Wired magazine. On Chess.com, Nakamura has won the two most recent editions of the Speed Chess Championship (2018-2019).
Of course, Nakamura has enjoyed solid over-the-board success as well, winning the U.S. championship five times.
No game quote captures the modern, fun, and online-friendly nature of Nakamura's style like his thorough trolling of the computer engine Crafty back in 2007, when Crafty was one of the world's strongest engines and Nakamura was just 20 years old.
5. PAUL MORPHY
PEAK RATING-2811 (estimated by Edo)
It's not a stretch to call Paul Morphy the father of American chess.
A true prodigy, Morphy was not just a chess force at an early age. His game was also about 100 years ahead of its time in terms of style and even tactical strength.
GM bobby Fischer called Morphy "the most accurate player who ever lived," which should tell you something because many chess fans give that title instead to Fischer.
Morphy's game peaked quite early, and the apex was his European tour in 1858 at age 21. Morphy pretty much destroyed every strong player the European continent could throw at him, and by the time he returned to the United States, he was recognized as the unofficial world champion.
Morphy retired from competitive chess a year later to begin his law practice, never returning to the game before his death at age 47.
Let us know in the comment section down below if you think that there must be other player as well so that we can mention them apart from this best 5.
Till then stay safe and play chess!