How the Fischer-Karpov World Championship Match Might Have Gone

Hi.  I've decided to forensically reconstruct the unplayed Fischer-Karpov match to try and see what might have occured had Fischer actually defended his title. 

I've based some of the opening choices and various middlegame/endgame decisions on each player's repertoire and style at the time, though obviously it's complete guesswork and nobody can say what would have really occured.  This is just one player's attempt at, for lack of a better term, chess fan-fiction.

Anyhow, here's the first two games.  I'll probably post more later this week.

Oops, forgot to add the games.  Here's the first:

I can't help but wonder what Fischer's reaction to this would have been if he were still alive and were shown this. It would probably have been something along the lines of "Who is this idiot? He makes up such terrible moves!" From a cursory examination, I personally see a legitimately high-level and complicated struggle that you no doubt put a lot of effort into. Well done.

I thought Fischer played pretty well actually. :)  Anyhow, if he didn't want people making terrible moves for him he should have just played the match himself!

Here's the second game:

Any predictions on this fictional match? I predict Fischer wins 10-8, assuming of course this is a first to 10 wins match like Fischer wanted.

This is such an interesting idea! Maybe an indie movie in the future or possibly a historical fiction book if you do it well enough! Bravo. Tracking.

The rules of the match are a bit of an odd compromise:

First to six wins, unless a tie occurs at five apiece, whereupon:

First to ten wins, unless a tie occurs at nine apiece, whereupon the match is declared drawn and the champion retains his title.

I don't think there's any way Fischer would have started or finished such a match. If it indeed had been possible to get him to face Karpov I wonder how long a first to ten wins match would have been. The first Kasparov-Karpov match had only reached five wins after five months. First to ten wins could have meant a match that was up to a year long, and no one would be able to organise such an event. If Fischer hadn't quit playing in 1972 I would have had him as slight favourite in 1975, but it would have been quite even. I've always been amazed at predictions like that of Alburt, that Karpov would find it hard to even draw a game and that it would be a quick 10-0 to Fischer.

By 1975 Fischer had not played one competitive game since winning the title, whereas Karpov had played top level opponents consistently. I think it would have been a terrific match had it occurred. Nice idea for a thread, well done. Cheers, John C.

My cheeky guess....."Fischer mysteriously disappears from the WC finals, having suffered 3 losses and managed 12 draws, claiming in a phone call from his hotel that "chess is dead" and "it's all the fault of those cheating commies".....

Don't take this as Gospel truth, my sisthren and brethren:)

If you look at history:

Karpov - Spassky ( 11 games) : 7-4 ( 4 Wins for Karpov, 1 Win for Spassky, and 6 games Drawn)

Karpov won when he played white 3, black 1. Spassky only won when he played black. So Karpov was drawn when either of them played Black. But Karpov was superior when played white.

Fischer - Spassky : 12.5 - 8.5. This is more interesting, because Fisher won 4 when he played black. And he won 3 when he played White. NB. Fischer forfeited game 2.

Without game 2, the score is 12.5 - 7.5.

Considering Karpov - Spassky when Karpov was superior when he played white. Then we can predict the result.

Considering Fischer played White and Black with equal strength. Then we are sure Fischer would have won at least with 2 points difference.

It takes a lot of stones to present a what-if game, since you are indirectly saying you can play like both.  All in all, it's a nice homage.  Fischer however, wasn't a people person, and would tear any of us apart for thinking we are in his wavelength.  He'd probably do a bust to the homage, and publish it in some journal, and try to make you cry for being a fan.

Looking at the stats, Karpov had a hard time beating Spassky when he played black, we can be sure he would have had a harder time when he played Fischer.

And Karpov superiority when he played white would have been negated by Fischer when the latter played Black.

This is what Alburt said (and I think it's quite nutty to say the least):

"Karpov knew he could hardly draw a game with Fischer, never mind winning one or two games. His only chance was to disrupt the match. So a whole arsenal of tricks was worked out, designed to upset the sensitive American, unaccustomed to such methods."

http://chessgames.com/perl/chessplayer?pid=15271&kpage=5

OK, games three and four are up here:

http://www.chess.com/blog/GargleBlaster/parallel-universe-matches-fischer-karpov-part-ii

Cheers,

- GB

Fischer would loose. You Americans don't see, that he was a kind of one shot wonder. He is the only world champion, that hasn't performed as world champion- and that is the TRUE FACT. You are guessing and guessing and .....

Hey, let's all calm down and just see how the match goes.  Karpov's still very much in it.

Again, games three and four are here:

http://www.chess.com/blog/GargleBlaster/parallel-universe-matches-fischer-karpov-part-ii

thats an awesome quote. I also believe Fischer would have won.