World Champions by Edo Rating

If the world championship could be awarded retrospectively using Edo ratings (!?), the list would look like this one.

YearsEdo Rating World Champion
1820      Deschapelles, A.L.H.L.
1821      Deschapelles, A.L.H.L.   /   de la Bourdonnais, L.C.M.
1822      de la Bourdonnais, L.C.M.   /   Deschapelles, A.L.H.L.
1823 - 1827      de la Bourdonnais, L.C.M.
1828 - 1831      de la Bourdonnais, L.C.M.   /   Deschapelles, A.L.H.L.
1832 - 1834      Deschapelles, A.L.H.L.   /   de la Bourdonnais, L.C.M.
1835 - 1840      de la Bourdonnais, L.C.M.
1841      Deschapelles, A.L.H.L.
1842 - 1846      Staunton, H.
1847 - 1848      von der Lasa, T.
1849 - 1867      Morphy, P.C.
1868      Steinitz, W.   /   Morphy, P.C.
1869 - 1889      Steinitz, W.
1890      Tarrasch, S.   /   Steinitz, W.
1891      Tarrasch, S.   /   Lasker, Em.
1892 - 1912      Lasker, Em.
1913      Lasker, Em.   /   Capablanca, J.R.
1914 - 1923      Capablanca, J.R.
1924 - 1925      Lasker, Em.
1926      Alekhine, A.A.
1927      Alekhine, A.A.   /   Capablanca, J.R.
1928 - 1934      Alekhine, A.A.
1935      Botvinnik, M.M.
1936      Botvinnik, M.M.   /   Capablanca, J.R.
1937      Alekhine, A.A.   /   Botvinnik, M.M.   /   Fine, R.
1938 - 1939      Botvinnik, M.M.   /   Fine, R.
1940 - 1946      Botvinnik, M.M.


Note: Rating uncertainties are not taken into account in making this list. However, all players with ratings within 5 rating points of the highest rated player are considered essentially equal and share the championship (though they are still listed here with the highest first).

Observations:
  • Before 1820 we do not have sufficient information.
  • Deschapelles appears as late as 1841 because of his reappearance for brief matches with de Saint-Amant and Schulten in 1836 and 1842, and with Brooke Greville in 1846. Deschapelles played little chess after 1821 and de la Bourdonnais dominated, but the evidence of Deschapelles' brief reappearances is that he was still close in strength to de la Bourdonnais, at least at the odds games that he favoured, throughout the latter's career. Though Deschapelles' rating is uncertain, he appears to be even stronger than Staunton up to 1841.
  • Morphy appears as early as 1849 because of strong results in early matches with Rousseau and Lowenthal.
  • Morphy appears as late as 1868 because of his friendly matches with Maurian in 1869, for whom we have some independent rating evidence.
  • Interestingly, Anderssen never appears as Edo World Champion. He was always overshadowed by someone.
  • Although never official world champions, Tarrasch and Fine appear as at least joint Edo World Champions.
  • Although official world champion, Euwe does not appear as an Edo World Champion.