Nigel Short said that Emmanuel Lasker should be considered as the GOAT of chess. Nigel is a former challenger to the World Championship, I would never beat him in a chess a game.
Normally I would simply take his word for it. Lasker is a great player. Lasker has contributions to chess especially the psychological aspect of the game. Lasker has produced beautiful chess games. Unfortunately Nigel's argument for Lasker as being the GOAT is the length of Lasker's reign as World Champion of 27 ( (1894-1921)) long years. Nigel, Being great is just a prerequisite to being the GOAT not the other way around.
I flat out laugh at it. Gheez does Nigel remember that World Chess Champions during Lasker's time can cherry pick both opponent and the terms and conditions of the match? WWI suspended many Chess activities not just by four years but few years after that.
Why did he not played Akiba Rubinstein for the title for example? OK Supposedly they are to play in 1914 but WW1 happened. That match against Carl Schlechter has some dubious conditions in which Lasker retained the title after the Lasker -Schlechter match ended in draw. Lasker's defeat in 1921 is long overdue and in that title match with Jose Raoul Capablanca, the challenger was not in danger of losing any of the games. OK Capa has some inferior positions but still fairly comfortable match win for Capa.
During Lasker's reign he has some good results and his career is pretty long; only Victor Korchnoi and Vassily Smyslov could have matched Lasker's long career, BUT comparing to those results to Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen tournament's results, not even close.
The competition today (Carlsen is the undisputed King today and even few years before he became official World Champion in 2013), during Fischer's (1958-1972) era, and during Kasparov's (1982-2005) prime are way tougher than during Lasker's bygone times. Chess is not yet Global during Lasker's times.
What is my point here? Just because a so-called expert say something, you would accept without question. Look at the expert's reasoning and argument. Apply this not just to chess but also real life. Especially in these days when both Covid fear porn group and their arch nemesis the Covid skeptics are coming up with statements regarding anything about this Pandemic. Be critical at the statements, information, data, hypothesis, theorem, numbers, and facts they present.