World Chess Champions (Domination of Soviet Union Players)
🌍 World Chess Champions
(Domination of Soviet Union Players)
🌍 World Chess Champions (before FIDE)
Following the World Chess Championship 1886 between Wilhelm Steinitz vs Johannes Zukertort match,
a tradition continued of the World Chess Championship being decided by a match between the defending champion, and a challenger.
World Chess Championship matches were privately organized,
and the champion was not formally obliged to face an opponent.
An agreement had to be reached between the champion, the challenger, and the patrons sponsoring each match, which included providing the funds for the prize pool.
FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) was founded in Paris, France on July 20, 1924.
FIDE's congresses in 1925 and 1926 expressed a desire to become involved in managing the World Chess Championship.
FIDE had been trying since 1935 to introduce rules on how to select challengers, and its various proposals favored selection by some sort of Committee.
The Royal Dutch Chess Federation proposed that The Dutch Super-Tournament of ex-champions and rising stars should be held to select the next challenger.
FIDE rejected this proposal.
Most chess writers and players strongly supported The Dutch Super-Tournament proposal and opposed the Committee processes favored by FIDE.
And the outbreak of World War II in 1939 cut short the controversy.
On March 24, 1946, Alexander Alekhine died while still holding the title of World Chess Champion.
The Title of World Chess Champion became vacant for the first time in its 60-year history.
There was no obvious means for a new player to succeed him, as the title had always been decided by matches organized between a challenger and the defending champion, and sponsored by willing patrons.
FIDE had considerable difficulties organizing early discussions about this and how to end it because problems with money and travel so soon after the end of World War II prevented many countries from sending representatives.
The situation more confusing.because The Soviet Chess Federation had long refused to join FIDE,
and by that time it was clear that about half of the credible contenders were Soviet Union citizens.
In 1947, The Soviet Chess Federation joined FIDE after decades of declining to do so.
GM. Mikhail Botvinnik
World Champion:
1948-1957, 1958-1960, 1961-1963
Peak Rating: 2630 (July 1971)
Nationality: Soviet Union
Defended Title: 2 times
Regained Title: 2 times
FIDE awarded the Grandmaster (GM) title to Mikhail Botvinnik in 1950.
Born: August 17, 1911 - Kuokkala (now Repino, Saint Petersburg), Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire
Died: May 5, 1995 - Moscow, Russia
FIDE World Championship 1948
Netherlands and Soviet Union (March 2 - May 17)
The tournament marked the passing of control of the championship title to FIDE.
Format: a quintuple round-robin
(5 players - to determine the New World Chess Champion following the death of the defending champion, Alexander Alekhine in 1946)
Competitors: Max Euwe (Netherlands), Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union), Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union), Paul Keres (Soviet Union), Samuel Reshevsky (U.S.A.)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Venues:
- The Hague, Netherlands (Mar 2-25)
(rounds 1-10)
Botvinnik: (+4, =4, -0) 6 pts.
Reshevsky: (+2, =5, -1) 4½ pts.
Keres: (+3, =2, -3) 4 pts.
Smyslov: (+2, =4, -2) 4 pts.
Euwe: (+0, =3, -5) 1½ pts.
- Moscow, Soviet Union (Apr 11 - May 17)
(rounds 11-25)
Botvinnik: (+6, =4, -2) 8 pts.
Smyslov: (+4, =6, -2) 7 pts.
Keres: (+5, =3, -4) 6½ pts.
Reshevsky: (+4, =4, -4) 6 pts.
Euwe: (+1, =3, -8) 2½ pts.
Match Results
Mikhail Botvinnik
(+1, =4, -0) 3-2 Smyslov
(+4, =0, -1) 4-1 Keres
(+3, =1, -1) 3½-1½ Reshevsky
(+2, =3, -0) 3½-1½ Euwe
Vasily Smyslov
(+1, =2, -2) 2-3 Keres
(+1, =4, -0) 3-2 Reshevsky
(+4, =0, -1) 4-1 Euwe
Paul Keres
(+1, =2, -2) 2-3 Reshevsky
(+4, =1, -0) 4½-½ Euwe
Samuel Reshevsky
(+3, =2, -0) 4-1 Euwe
Final Standings
Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) 14 pts.
(+10, =8, -2)
Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union) 11 pts.
(+6, =10, -4)
Paul Keres (Soviet Union) 10½ pts.
(+8, =5, -7)
Samuel Reshevsky (U.S.A.) 10½ pts.
(+6, =9, -5)
Max Euwe (Netherlands) 4 pts.
(+1, =6, -13)
FIDE awarded the Grandmaster (GM) title to Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, Paul Keres, Samuel Reshevsky in 1950.
In 1950 FIDE officially introduced
the Grandmaster (GM) title
and first awarded it to 27 players:
- Top World Class Players at the time,
- Players still living who, though past their best, were recognised as having been World Class Players when at their peak.
World Class Players who died prior to 1950, including former World Champions:
Wilhelm Steinitz, Emanuel Lasker, José Raúl Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine, never received the title.
Defended Title
FIDE World Championship 1951
Moscow, Soviet Union (March 15 - May 11)
FIDE World Championship 1951 was the first to use a qualifying system to choose a challenger (a system which stayed in place until 1993).
The result of the 1950 Candidates Tournament was GM. David Bronstein (Soviet Union), thus earned the right to challenge the World Chess Champion.
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) vs GM. David Bronstein (Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12 - 12
(Botvinnik: +5, =14, -5)
FIDE awarded the Grandmaster (GM) title to David Bronstein in 1950.
In 1950 FIDE officially introduced
the Grandmaster (GM) title
and first awarded it to 27 players,
one of whom was David Bronstein.
FIDE World Championship 1954
Moscow, Soviet Union (March 16 - May 13)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) vs GM. Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12 - 12
(Botvinnik: +7, =10, -7)
Regained Title
FIDE World Championship 1958
Rematch
Moscow, Soviet Union (March 4 - May 9)
Although GM. Mikhail Botvinnik lost the title to GM. Vasily Smyslov in 1957,
the FIDE rules at that time allowed a Rematch.
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) vs GM. Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12½ - 10½
(Botvinnik: +7, =11, -5)
FIDE World Championship 1961
Rematch
Moscow, Soviet Union (March 15 - May 13)
Although GM. Mikhail Botvinnik lost the title to GM. Mikhail Tal in 1960,
the FIDE rules at that time allowed a Rematch.
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union) vs GM. Mikhail Tal (Soviet Union)
Final Score: 13 - 8
(Botvinnik: +10, =6, -5)
GM. Vasily Smyslov
World Champion: 1957-1958
Peak Rating: 2620 (July 1971)
Nationality: Soviet Union
Born: March 24, 1921 - Moscow, Russian SFSR
Died: March 27, 2010 - Moscow, Russia
FIDE World Championship 1957
Moscow, Soviet Union (March 5 - April 27)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Vasily Smyslov (Soviet Union) vs GM. Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12½ - 9½
(Smyslov: +6, =13, -3)
GM. Mikhail Tal
World Champion: 1960-1961
Peak Rating: 2705 (January 1980)
Nationality: Soviet Union
Born: November 9, 1936 - Riga, Latvia
Died: June 27, 1992 - Moscow, Russia
FIDE World Championship 1960
Moscow, Soviet Union (March 15 - May 7)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Mikhail Tal (Soviet Union) vs GM. Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12½ - 8½
(Tal: +6, =13, -2)
GM. Tigran Petrosian
World Champion: 1963-1969
Peak Rating: 2645 (July 1972)
Nationality: Soviet Union
Defended Title: 1 time
Born: June 17, 1929 - Tiflis (Tbilisi), Georgian SSR, Soviet Union
Died: August 13, 1984 - Moscow, Soviet Union
FIDE World Championship 1963
Moscow, Soviet Union (March 23 - May 20)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union) vs GM. Mikhail Botvinnik (Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12½ - 9½
(Petrosian: +5, =15, -2)
This time there was no provision in the FIDE rules for a Rematch,
so the new World Chess Champion could hold the title for the full 3-year cycle until a challenger emerges from the Candidates Tournament.
Defended Title
FIDE World Championship 1966
Moscow, Soviet Union (April 9 - June 9)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union) vs GM. Boris Spassky (Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12½ - 11½
(Petrosian: +4, =17, -3)
GM. Boris Spassky
World Champion: 1969-1972
Peak Rating: 2690 (January 1971)
Nationality: Soviet Union
Born: January 30, 1937 - Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
FIDE World Championship 1969
Moscow, Soviet Union (April 14 - June 17)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Boris Spassky (2690, Soviet Union) vs GM. Tigran Petrosian (2650, Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12½ - 10½
(Spassky: +6, =13, -4)
GM. Bobby Fischer
World Champion: 1972-1975
Peak Rating: 2785 (July 1972)
Nationality: U.S.A.
Born: March 9, 1943 - Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
Died: January 17, 2008 - Reykjavik, Iceland
1970 Interzonal Tournament
Palma de Mallorca, Spain (November and December)
Fischer had not qualified to play in this event, as he had not participated in the 1969 Zonal Tournament (U.S. Championship).
However, GM. Pal Benko (U.S.A.) who had already qualified for this event, gave up his spot to Fischer, and also the reserve for this event, GM. William Lombardy (U.S.A.),
and FIDE President 1970-1978, GM. Max Euwe (Netherlands, World Champion: 1935-1937) controversially allowed Fischer to participate instead.
Fischer is in first place with 18½ points (+15, =7, -1), 3½ points ahead of second to fourth with 15 points.
The top 6 players out of 24 players qualified for the 1971 Candidates Tournament.
1971 Candidates Tournament
(May - October)
Quarter Final (the best of 10 games),
Fischer defeated GM. Mark Taimanov (Soviet Union) 6-0 (+6, =0, -0)
Semi Final (the best of 10 games),
Fischer defeated GM. Bent Larsen (Denmark) 6-0 (+6, =0, -0)
Final (the best of 12 games),
Fischer defeated World Champion: 1963-1969, GM. Tigran Petrosian (Soviet Union) 6½-2½ (+5, =3, -1)
Fischer's victory earned him the right to challenge defending World Champion GM. Boris Spassky (Soviet Union) for the title.
By the end of 1971, a record amount of 15 bids had come in to host the World Championship match:
Amsterdam, Athens, Belgrade, Bled, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Dortmund, Montreal, Paris, Reykjavik, Rio de Janeiro, Sarajevo, Zagreb and Zurich.
FIDE World Championship 1972
Reykjavik, Iceland (July 11 - September 1)
The match has been dubbed
"The Match of The Century".
The match was played during the Cold War between the U.S.A. and the Soviet Union and their respective allies.
FIDE Rating on July 1972, Fischer's 2785 was a record and as the world number one at that time and Spassky's 2660 as the world number two.
However, noted that Fischer had never won a game against Spassky.
Fischer had played five games against Spassky, drawing two and losing three.
A few months before it started,
Fischer began to make a number of demands, such as a larger prize fund, a percentage of television and film rights, and all manner of conditions covering everything from the lighting to the chair cushions. Fischer insisted that a new Staunton chess set from Jaques of London be used.
According to the schedule, the Opening Ceremony would be held on July 1 and the first game would be played the following day, but Fischer did not arrived in Iceland in time.
FIDE President GM. Max Euwe finally postponed the match.
Fischer arrived in Iceland at 7 am on the morning of July 4 and he surrounded by reporters, but he left and he got a police escort to Iceland's capital, Reykjavik.
Sparks excitement throughout the world grew as the match was postponed and people questioned whether Fischer would appear to play or not.
Fischer became a worldwide celebrity, described as "The Einstein of Chess".
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Bobby Fischer (2785, U.S.A.) vs GM. Boris Spassky (2660, Soviet Union)
Game 1, whether it was a blunder, or a passion to win at all costs, Fischer lost a simple endgame that should have ended in a draw.
Game 2, after his loss Fischer made further demands on the organizers, including that all cameras be removed.
His appeal was rejected and he refused to appear for game 2, giving Spassky a default win.
Game 3, Fischer would leave Iceland, and indeed, Fischer looked to board the next plane out, but was dissuaded by GM. William Lombardy (U.S.A.) and some to another phone call from Henry Kissinger (U.S. National Security Advisor in the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon, President of the U.S.A.) and sportingly, Spassky agreed to play the third game in a small room backstage, out of sight of the spectators.
In a small room backstage, Fischer beat Spassky for the first time in his life.
Game 4, the games then returned to the main stage, but without cameras.
Game 5, Fischer won again, as well as games 6, 8, 10... Fischer had become unstoppable.
Final Score: 12½ - 8½
(Fischer: +7, =11, -3)
For a time, Fischer's victory ended the 24-year domination of Soviet Union players since 1948 in the FIDE World Championship.
Fischer made numerous lasting contributions to chess :
- His book "My 60 Memorable Games" (1969), is regarded as essential reading in chess literature.
- In the 1990s, He patented a modified Chess Timing System that added a time increment after each move.
- He also invented Fischer Random Chess, also known as Chess 960, a chess variant he announced on June 19, 1996 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
GM. Anatoly Karpov
World Champion: 1975-1985
FIDE World Champion: 1993-1999
Peak Rating: 2780 (July 1994)
Nationality: Soviet Union / Russia
Defended Title: 2 times
FIDE Defended Title: 2 times
Regained Title: 1 time
Born: May 23, 1951 - Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
FIDE World Championship 1975
Manila, Philippines
Fischer, before his match against GM. Boris Spassky (Soviet Union) in the FIDE World Championship 1972, felt that the first to 12½ points format was not fair, since it encouraged whoever was leading to play for draws instead of wins.
Instead he demanded the format be changed to that used in the first World Championship 1886, between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort, where the winner was the first player to achieve 10 wins. In the event of 9 wins each, the defending champion would defend the title.
FIDE Congress held in Nice, France 1973, delegates voted in favor of Fischer's 10-win proposal, but imposed a 36-game limit and rejected the 9–9 clause as well as the possibility of unlimited matches.
In response, Fischer refused to defend his title.
In March, 1975, an extraordinary FIDE Congress held in Bergen, Netherlands, and it was agreed to have an unlimited number of world championship games (without 36-game limit), but still refused the 9-9 clause.
Fischer, unwilling to budge, refused to defend his title.
Deadlines were extended for Fischer's (2780) reconsideration, but he did not respond.
GM. Anatoly Karpov (2705, Soviet Union)
was named World Champion by default on April 3, 1975 and this was the first forfeited World Championship match in history.
Defended Title
FIDE World Championship 1978
Baguio City, Philippines (July 18 - October 18)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to achieve 6 wins.
(an unlimited game because draws not counting)
Since 1951, winner was the first player to reach 12½ points, meaning the number of games was a 24-game limit.
The Rematch clause for the defending champion, which had been discarded since 1963, was brought back into effect.
GM. Anatoly Karpov (2725, Soviet Union) vs GM. Viktor Korchnoi (2665, FIDE)
Korchnoi had been one of the Soviet Union's top grandmasters for more than 20 years who defected from the Soviet Union in 1976,
so this World Championship filled with high political drama, tension and accusations.
Final Score: 6 - 5
(21 draws not counting, Karpov: +6, =21, -5)
FIDE World Championship 1981
Merano, Italy (October 1 - November 19)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to achieve 6 wins.
GM. Anatoly Karpov (2700, Soviet Union) vs GM. Viktor Korchnoi (2695, Switzerland)
Final Score: 6 - 2
(10 draws not counting, Karpov: +6, =10, -2)
FIDE World Championship 1984/1985
Moscow, Soviet Union (September 10, 1984 - February 8, 1985)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to achieve 6 wins.
GM. Anatoly Karpov (2700, Soviet Union) vs GM. Garry Kasparov (2710, Soviet Union)
Games 1-9, Karpov secured quick lead in the match, winning games 3, 6, 7 and 9 to take a 4-0 lead.
Game 27, Karpov just achieved his 5th win after a series of draws in 17 consecutive games.
Game 32, Kasparov beat Karpov for the first time and after a series of draws in 14 consecutive games, Kasparov won again in games 47 and 48.
Score: 5 - 3
(40 draws not counting, Karpov: +5, =40, -3)
FIDE President 1982-1995, Florencio Campomanes (Philippines), made a most unexpected and controversial decision:
The match was ended without result, cited the health of the players, which had been strained by the length of the match (5 months).
The termination was controversial, as both players stated that they preferred the match to continue.
GM. Garry Kasparov
World Champion: 1985-1993
PCA World Champion: 1993-2000
Peak Rating: 2851 (July 1999)
Nationality: Soviet Union / Russia
Defended Title: 3 times
PCA Defended Title: 1 time
Born: April 13, 1963 - Baku, Azerbaijan SSR, Soviet Union
FIDE World Championship 1985
Moscow, Soviet Union (September 3 - November 9)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Garry Kasparov (2700, Soviet Union) vs GM. Anatoly Karpov (2720, Soviet Union)
Final Score: 13 - 11
(Kasparov: +5, =16, -3)
Kasparov became the youngest World Champion at the age of 22.
Defended Title
FIDE World Championshipp 1986
Rematch
England and Soviet Union (July 28 - October 8)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
Venues:
- London, England (games 1-12)
Kasparov: +2, =9, -1
- Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), Soviet Union (games 13-24)
Kasparov: +3, =6, -3
GM. Garry Kasparov (2740, Soviet Union) vs GM. Anatoly Karpov (2705, Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12½ - 11½
(Kasparov: +5, =15, -4)
FIDE World Championship 1987
Seville, Spain (October 12 - December 19)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
GM. Garry Kasparov (2740, Soviet Union) vs GM. Anatoly Karpov (2700, Soviet Union)
Game 23, Karpov achieved an important victory to lead by 12-11 points and only needed a draw in the final game to regain the World Champion title.
Game 24, Kasparov had to win this game to defend his title, which was full of tension and dramatically he succeeded in making it happen.
Final Score: 12 - 12
(Kasparov: +4, =16, -4)
FIDE World Championship 1990
U.S.A. and France (October 8 - December 30)
Time Control: 40 moves in 2½ hours
and then 16 moves in 1 hour.
Winner: first player to reach 12½ points,
in the event of a 12-12 tie, the defending champion would defend the title.
Venues:
- New York City, U.S.A. (Oct 8 - Nov 7)
(games 1-12)
Kasparov: +1, =10, -1
- Lyon, France (Nov 26 - Dec 30)
(games 13-24)
Kasparov: +3, =7, -2
GM. Garry Kasparov (2800, Soviet Union) vs GM. Anatoly Karpov (2730, Soviet Union)
Final Score: 12½ - 11½
(Kasparov: +4, =17, -3)
Notes
Before the FIDE World Championship 1993 was held, the defending champion, GM. Garry Kasparov (Russia) and the official challenger, GM. Nigel Short (England), splitting from FIDE, and playing their World Championship title match under the auspices of the Professional Chess Association (PCA) which they created as a rival organization to FIDE.
In response, FIDE stripped Kasparov of his World Champion title.
🌍 World Chess Champions
- FIDE and PCA - Split Title
- Reunification of the Title
