Who is world chess champion now?

Question

Who is world chess champion now?

Answer 1

This is one of those questions that anyone can ask but that seven wise men can't answer. It depends whether you think the title belongs to the person who wins it -or- to the organization that grants it -or- to the world's highest rated player -or- to the last person who declined to defend it. There have been at least two concurrent World Champions since 1993.

If you believe that the title belongs to the person who wins it, then the World Champion is Vladimir Kramnik. He beat Garry Kasparov in 2000, who beat Anatoly Karpov in 1985, who was the 12th World Champion in a twice-broken chain of successive champions.

If you believe that the title belongs to the organization that grants it, then no one is World Champion. Ruslan Ponomariov held the title until September 2003, but he was stripped of it by FIDE, the organization that gave it to him.

Since May 2002, there has been a plan, called the Prague Unity Plan, to end the confusion. Unfortunately, almost nothing agreed at Prague has come to pass. Chess deserves better.