Anatoly Evgenyevich Karpov was born in 1951 in the town of Zlatoust located in the Southern Ural Mountains in the USSR. He learned to play chess at four years old and earned the World Junior Championship in 1969. In 1970 he became an International Grandmaster. A World Championship Candidate in 1973 he defeated Viktor Korchnoi in the 1974 Candidates' final to earn the right to a match with World Champion Robert James Fischer. When FIDE declared Fischer forfeited, Karpov became the 12th World Chess Champion, the youngest ever at the time.
Karpov defended the championship twice against Korchnoi, but in 1985 he lost it to Garry Kasparov. He played three more matches with Kasparov in 1986, 1987 and 1990. Although he failed to defeat Kasparov in each case, all the matches were close.
In 1993 Karpov regained the FIDE title after Kasparov broke away from the organization. He successfully defended his title against Gata Kamsky in 1996 and Viswanathan Anand in 1998. In 1999 FIDE changed the rules, deciding that the World Champion would be determined by an annual knockout tournament, and Karpov retired from championship competition.
M.D. Wilson: Wealthy man indeed. There are a lot of new billionaires in Russia now. Ever since the fall of the USSR, the country has just opened up for the taking. Karpov certainly has an opportunistic bent, which is not necessarily a bad thing, so this story is totally plausible.
furrer: Thank you Brankat, not that im gonna use the debating feature of the site very much, but its always nice to have a place to get some help etc.!
jackpawn: I think it's almost sad to watch Karpov play nowadays. He's losing matches to relative unknowns. The current generation of players won't understand what a truly great player he once was.
Woody Wood Pusher: < jackpawn: I think it's almost sad to watch Karpov play nowadays. He's losing matches to relative unknowns. The current generation of players won't understand what a truly great player he once was.>
He's still rated around 2645 and has put in a number of excellent performances lately (Tal M and Cap d Agde) and I for one am still glad Karpov is playing. Fischer and Kasparov have been and gone, and I can still look forward to new games from Karpov.
Jim Bartle: Chess is different than other sports because the exact records of the players remains forever in the scores of their games. As compared to, say, people hearing how great Willie Mays was via descriptions or film.
So no matter how poorly Karpov plays (sometimes) today, everybody can still see the hundreds of great games he played in his prime.
positionalgenius: <<<<< jackpawn: I think it's almost sad to watch Karpov play nowadays. He's losing matches to relative unknowns. The current generation of players won't understand what a truly great player he once was. >>>>> My thoughts exactly.
MaxxLange: He may just need the money, he plays some kind of exhibition event every couple of years. It's almost like the Kasparov matches broke him, he's not that old
Woody Wood Pusher: < MaxxLange: He may just need the money, he plays some kind of exhibition event every couple of years. It's almost like the Kasparov matches broke him, he's not that old>
Congratulations, your post contains not just one, but two of the most ludicrous assertions about Karpov I have ever had the opportunity to laugh at.
MaxxLange: That can't be right, sincve he had great results in the early 90's
I saw him in the flesh at at the US Amateur Teams in 1997, and there was more of it to see...I guess he's just retired and past his prime. If the kiddys don't know what a giant he is, who cares, it just proves that their neophilia and ignorance has led them to folly
Joshka: Has anyone seen the video interview with Karpov from Dresden, last November? Susan Polgar asks him a question about his meetings with Fischer, and he gave a surprising answer to which Susan, seemed very astonished, and said something to the effect.."Oh , I didn't know that"..of course the interview on my computer has too much echo, and I could not make out Karpov's response to Susan's question. Anyone here, ever see it?....if you have could you maybe paraphrase what answer he gave Susan? It almost sounded as if Karpov met Fischer in Iceland!?? thanks in advance
MaxxLange: <Joshka> I have heard earlier reports of Karpov-Fischer contacts, but nothing like what you are asking about....I hope they at least got to play some blitz at one point, that would be nice
MaxxLange: check out early Karpov games for some serious tactical hammerblows - people see him as the ultimate positional purist, but look out if you gave him a chance
Joshka: <MaxxLange> Well I did hear Karpov say during the interview, that he had met Bobby a few times, but NEVER over the board.....the sound system they were using during the interview was horrible, and Karpov's English was hard to detect what exactly he was saying, but I made out something about "setting up the pieces".....so I'm presuming he was talking about a Fischer Random Match....but also know Karpov had a singed contract for a Gothic Chess Match as well with Fischer....I know Spassky visited with Fischer around 2005, but had never heard about a visit with Karpov....the interview is with Chess Vibes, on her page.
brankat: A.Karpov certainly doesn't need the money. He's got plenty as it is.
Since 1999 when he decided not to purse the Championship any more, Karpov has been working considerably less on the game, and has been, more or less, in a state of a semi-retirement, as far as Chess is concerned.
When he does play, it is mostly for purposes of the promotion of the game, or to commemorate old friends and events. Karpov has become a true "ambassador" of Chess.
Also, he is actively involved in socio-political life of his country, in business, and, internationally, in a number of humanitarian causes.
Besides, as a player, he doesn't really have anything to prove to anyone.
Despite all this, Karpov is still a very strong player. If need be, and if he wanted to, with a few month of a strict regime of preparation, I believe, he'd still be a formidable opponent for any player.
Joshka: <The Rocket><Well they did play blitz games> Do have personal knowledge? Someone told you? Or you recall reading about it? By what authority can you make a statement like this? thanks in advance
Karpova: I never heard of Karpov playing (Blitz) games against Bobby also. But I remember Susan Polgar saying that she played Blitz against him and she didn't want to reveal the result.
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(born May-23-1951) Russia
[what is this?]
Karpov defended the championship twice against Korchnoi, but in 1985 he lost it to Garry Kasparov. He played three more matches with Kasparov in 1986, 1987 and 1990. Although he failed to defeat Kasparov in each case, all the matches were close.
In 1993 Karpov regained the FIDE title after Kasparov broke away from the organization. He successfully defended his title against Gata Kamsky in 1996 and Viswanathan Anand in 1998. In 1999 FIDE changed the rules, deciding that the World Champion would be determined by an annual knockout tournament, and Karpov retired from championship competition.
a real life chess murder mystery
He's still rated around 2645 and has put in a number of excellent performances lately (Tal M and Cap d Agde) and I for one am still glad Karpov is playing. Fischer and Kasparov have been and gone, and I can still look forward to new games from Karpov.
So no matter how poorly Karpov plays (sometimes) today, everybody can still see the hundreds of great games he played in his prime.
Come on get real, he is still rated around 2645.
Congratulations, your post contains not just one, but two of the most ludicrous assertions about Karpov I have ever had the opportunity to laugh at.
I saw him in the flesh at at the US Amateur Teams in 1997, and there was more of it to see...I guess he's just retired and past his prime. If the kiddys don't know what a giant he is, who cares, it just proves that their neophilia and ignorance has led them to folly
Since 1999 when he decided not to purse the Championship any more, Karpov has been working considerably less on the game, and has been, more or less, in a state of a semi-retirement, as far as Chess is concerned.
When he does play, it is mostly for purposes of the promotion of the game, or to commemorate old friends and events. Karpov has become a true "ambassador" of Chess.
Also, he is actively involved in socio-political life of his country, in business, and, internationally, in a number of humanitarian causes.
Besides, as a player, he doesn't really have anything to prove to anyone.
Despite all this, Karpov is still a very strong player. If need be, and if he wanted to, with a few month of a strict regime of preparation, I believe, he'd still be a formidable opponent for any player.
he said he never played fischer??
As far as I remembered they played blitz games...