Quickest Classical Losses by World Champions
Garry Kasparov amazed everyone (and not exactly in a good way) by losing to Shakhriyar Mamedyarov in 7 moves yesterday. But what about world champions losing quickly in classical games?
This list is compiled from chessgames.com and may be not complete. Only serious tournament/match games are taken into account.
Wilhelm Steinitz
Before becoming world champion: 18 moves
While being world champion: 21 move
As an ex-world champion: 20 moves
Emanuel Lasker
Before becoming world champion: 14 moves
As a world champion: 30 moves (see also Pillsbury - Lasker, 1904)
As an ex-world champion: 21 move
Jose Raul Capablanca
Before becoming world champion: 25 moves
As a world champion: 31 move
As an ex-world champion: 26 moves
Alexander Alekhine
Before becoming world champion: 21 move
As a world champion: 34 moves (see also Petrov - Alekhine, 1938)
As an ex-world champion:
Max Euwe
Before becoming the world champion: 9 moves
As the world champion: 23 moves
As an ex-world champion: 13 moves
Mikhail Botvinnik
Before becoming world champion: 19 moves
As a world champion: 25 moves
As an ex-world champion: 24 moves (see also Botvinnik - Geller, 1969)
Vasily Smyslov
Before becoming world champion: 21 move
As a world champion: 41 move (see also another Botvinnik - Smyslov 1958)
As an ex-world champion: 16 moves
Mikhail Tal
Before becoming world champion: 19 moves
As a world champion: 33 moves (see also another Botvinnik - Tal 1961)
As an ex-world champion: 20 moves
Tigran Petrosian
Before becoming world champion: 13 moves
As a world champion: 15 moves
As an ex-world champion: 17 moves
Boris Spassky
Before becoming world champion: 8 moves
As a world champion: 27 moves
As an ex-world champion: 21 move
Bobby Fischer
Before becoming world champion: 20 moves (see also Fischer - Spassky 1972 no-show)
As an ex-world champion: 43 moves
Anatoly Karpov
Before becoming world champion: 19 moves
As a world champion (FIDE world champion years not included): 25 moves
As an ex-world champion: 12 moves
Garry Kasparov
Before becoming world champion: 23 moves
As a world champion: 25 moves
As an ex-world champion: 22 moves
Vladimir Kramnik
Before becoming world champion: 21 move
As a world champion: 20 moves
As an ex-world champion: 27 moves
Viswanathan Anand
Before becoming world champion: 6 moves
As a world champion: 25 moves (see also Aronian - Anand, 2011)
As an ex-world champion: 26 moves (see also Caruana - Anand 2018, So - Anand 2020)
Magnus Carlsen
Before becoming world champion: 14 moves
As a world champion: 31 move
