• Most long (27 years — from 1894 to 1921) was the champion Emanuel Lasker. He won the greatest number of for a title of the world champion — 7 (including a match of 1909, which some historians it isn't considered chess official).

• The only champion who died undefeated — Alexander Alyokhin.

• • The only champion who lost the title, having refused to play with the applicant — Robert Fischer. Subsequently Fischer declared that continues to consider itself the champion as it wasn't won, and the commercial match revenge with Boris Spassky in 1992 in which he won a victory, called a world-title match.

  • The only official world champion who didn't play any game with the predecessor — Anatoly Karpov. It — the only conventional champion who never won a match for this title against other world champion (apart from Steinitz who was the first official champion and not having the predecessor).

  • Vishvanatan Anand (37 years and 9 months) was more senior than all champions at the time of a gain of this title. Wilhelm Steinitz won this title in 50 years, but informally was considered as the strongest player with 30 when won Adolph Andersen's match.

  • The person who became the world champion at the youngest age — Ruslan Ponomaryov (18 years). If to consider only the conventional champions, this record belongs to Garry Kasparov (22 years).

  • The person who won a title of the world champion the greatest number of times — Mikhail Botvinnik. He became world champion three times: for the first time in 1948, then lost a title twice and returned it in a match revenge. Thus didn't win any world-title match being in the title of the world champion (a draw with D. Bronstein and V.Smyslov, losses to V.Smyslov, M.Tal and T.Petrosyan).

  • Most of all matches for a title of the world champion in chess Karpov and Kasparov among themselves carried out — this couple of grand masters five times met in matches for a chess crown (three matches Kasparov won, one came to the end in a draw, one wasn't finished). Following them — Botvinnik and Meanings between which three matches took place (besides, they met within a match tournament of 5 grand masters in 1948. One match (and also a match tournament) was won by Botvinnik, one — Meanings, one match came to the end in a draw). On parties joint account at them equal: including a match tournament of 1948, everyone won on 18 parties, and 38 ended in a draw.

  • The smallest number of years — 13 — was required to Ruslan Ponomaryov to become the world champion. He learned to play in 5 years, and the champion became in 18. If to consider only the conventional champions, the record belongs to Mikhail Tal (14 years, learned to play in 10, and the champion became in 24). For comparison: Botvinnik needed 25 years, Kasparov — 15, Fischer — 21.

  • The only chess player who won a champion title and defended it in competitions to three different formats — Vishvanatan Anand. He became a champion in a tournament on a knockout system (2000) and in a circular tournament (2007), and also defended a title in matches (2008 — with Kramnik, 2010 — with Topalov, 2012 — with Gelfand). Besides, Anand participated in world-title matches according to both versions during split, and also for an absolute title after association.