In this collaboration between three highly experienced authors, the eighteen best chess players of the world in the 21st century are presented to the reader with four deeply annotated games and an illuminating portrait.

These players are: Anand, Kramnik, Topalov, Morozevich, Svidler, Mamedyarov, Shirov, Leko, Ivanchuk, Aronian (the top 10 in January 2008); the stars likely to dominate in the next decade, Carlsen, Karjakin, Radjabov, Wang Yue, Ponomariov and Grischuk, the best female player ever, Judit Polgar, as well as World Championship finalist and comeback kid, American star Gata Kamsky.