Sviatoslav Richter. Greatest pianist of the last century?

As Frank Zappa once said...sort of..."It's not a pushup contest."

+1

... and yet, for many, these "best of" competitions appear to be irresistible. 

I'd rather listen to Petrucciani, Evans, Hancock, Corea, Barron, etc. 

Seriously, though, I see the value of GOAT questions not so much as a ranking mechanism, which can get a bit too masturbatory for me, but rather as a way of learning from colleagues about great new resources.

I agree and suggest a more effective way to get around the competitive "My guy is better than your guy" dynamic would be to ask a different question: "Who are some of your favorite classical pianists and why?"

Or, "Who are some of your favorite interpreters of Chopin Nocturnes and why?"

My 2 cents.