| 100% | TAL | 3 | Mikhail, world chess champion of the sixties |
| 57% | TAL | 3 | Chess champion of the early 1960s |
| 53% | TAL | 3 | 1960s world chess champion Mikhail ___ |
| 53% | TAL | 3 | Former world chess champion Mikhail |
| 53% | TAL | 3 | Former world chess champion Mikhail ___ |
| 52% | TITLE | 5 | Heavyweight champion of the world, e.g. |
| 52% | TITLE | 5 | Featherweight champion of the world, e.g. |
| 49% | IBM | 3 | Creator of the chess champion Deep Blue |
| 48% | ASTRO | 5 | Member of the 2017 World Series champion team |
| 48% | ANAND | 5 | Viswanathan ---, winner of the 2008 World Chess Championship |
| 48% | KASPAROV | 8 | Garry —, 1985 winner of the World Chess Championship |
| 48% | ANATOLYKARPOV | 13 | Six-time World Chess Champion and frequent rival of 15-Across (2 wds.) |
| 47% | EUWE | 4 | Max —, winner of the World Chess Championship from 1935-37 |
| 47% | FISCHER | 7 | Bobby —, winner of the World Chess Championship from 1972-75 |
| 47% | KARPOV | 6 | Two time world chess champion with a style described as that of a "boa constrictor" |
| 46% | GASHOUSE | 8 | ___ Gang (nickname of the 1934 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals) |
| 45% | ELO | 3 | Magnus Carlsen, current world chess champion reached 2882, the highest ever, on this rating scheme in May 2014 |
| 44% | ORCHIDMAN | 9 | The —, nickname of 1920-22 World Light Heavyweight boxing champion Georges Carpentier |
| 44% | TAL | 3 | Mikhail —, 1960-61 world chess champion |
| 44% | RUS | 3 | Home country of many world chess champions: Abbr. |
| 43% | TAL | 3 | Chess champion of 1960 |
| 43% | TRIBUNE | 7 | Champion of the people |
| 43% | STL | 3 | Home of the World Chess Hall of Fame (abbr.) |
| 43% | STL | 3 | Home to the World Chess Hall of Fame: Abbr. |
| 43% | KARPOV | 6 | World Chess champion, 1975-85 |
| 43% | TAL | 3 | Chess champion of 1960-61 |
| 42% | ALI | 3 | Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1974 (10 years after he first became world champion) |
| 42% | BORIS | 5 | World chess champion from 1969-72 |
| 42% | DAHL | 4 | Author of “Danny, the Champion of the World” |