How We Selected the 18 Games for Each Player

1. Core Philosophy

The goal is to offer a representative snapshot of a player's career through their most meaningful victories. We prioritize games that demonstrate strategic brilliance, tactical creativity, and historical importance—while ensuring a diverse and balanced collection.

2. Structure: 18 Total Games

Each player’s selection includes:

• 15 curated wins:
  • 3 Early Career Wins
    From the earliest stage of the player's development. These games highlight the rise of a future star—often played against strong opposition while the player was still establishing their reputation.
  • 7 Peak Career Wins
    From the years when the player reached their highest competitive level (typically based on peak Elo ratings and tournament performances). To ensure variety, these wins are chosen against unique opponents and feature some of their strongest performances in classical formats.
  • 5 Recent Career Wins
    From the player’s latest competitive years (e.g., 2022–2024). These games highlight how the player continues to evolve and perform at a high level.
• 2 Bonus Games:
  • 1 Blitz Win
  • 1 Rapid Win
    These are selected from the player’s peak period to capture excellence in faster time controls. If not available, extra classical games are substituted.
• A maximum of 2 games may come from online-only events (e.g., Titled Tuesday), ensuring most selections are from over-the-board or elite events.

3. Famous Games on Top

To complete the experience, 3 of the player’s most famous or historically celebrated games are added at the top of the file, regardless of date. These are carefully sourced from chess communities, major chess websites, and historical commentary. If one of the famous games already overlaps with the 15 selected, we replace it with another equally famous but distinct game.

4. Sorting and File Format

Games are sorted from recent to oldest, except the 3 iconic games, which always appear first.