Karpov was washed up as a player by around 2000. At his peak he was a good blitz player, but this is one area where he as been totally overtaken by the modern genertion. All of today's top 50 blitz players would crush him in a match
This is a accurate comment.
I'm not defending GPE's knee-jerk hagiography of Karpov. But I have a feeling that Karpov could still play a good game of blitz against some of the top 50. Gelfand is in the top 50, and I have a feeling Karpov might be able to take him in blitz. Many of the Old Guard are still high up on the blitz rating lists.
I once watched an ICC blitz match between a young Nakamura and Ulf Andersson. Andersson won handily and Naka (who was young) accused him of cheating! If there was a blitz match between Wei Yi and Karpov, I think I'd make money betting for Karpov at odds. I don't know whether Karpov would actually win, but he'd surely beat whatever line the oddsmakers came up with.
Karpov's old and has lost some speed, but he still knows how to play the game. A short blitz match won't fatigue him too much. Heck, if Dreev is currently in the top 50 in the world in blitz, Karpov would almost certainly also be in the top 50 if he wanted to be.
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Edit: I'm not dissing Dreev. He's one of my favorite players. I modelled much of my repertoire on Dreev's choices and own his My One Hundred Best Games. He's an exceptionally strong player.
Rueben fine was a strong rapid/blitz player. We know he was beaten by fischer in several speed games. We also know that he once made a comment that whenever he played Capa, the former WC would "beat him mercilessly." I'm leaning towards capa, but who knows.
We also know that when he played Capa in the very early 1930s, he was a decade from his peak (in the 1940s) and when he lost to Fischer in the early 1960s, he hadn't played serious chess, or much chess at all really, in well over a decade plus Fine played fixed-time rapid transit while Fischer played x-moves/game... which are very different in several respects. While both Fischer and Capa may have been better speed players than Fine, his speed interactions with them doesn't necessarily prove it and Fine's extraordinary blindfold rapid-transit simuls possibly (or possibly not) to put into a different category. I'm of the opinion that once someone reaches the level of phenomenal, my evaluations of their skill levels hardly matter one iota.
I'm not defending GPE's knee-jerk hagiography of Karpov. But I have a feeling that Karpov could still play a good game of blitz against some of the top 50. Gelfand is in the top 50, and I have a feeling Karpov might be able to take him in blitz. Many of the Old Guard are still high up on the blitz rating lists.
I once watched an ICC blitz match between a young Nakamura and Ulf Andersson. Andersson won handily and Naka (who was young) accused him of cheating! If there was a blitz match between Wei Yi and Karpov, I think I'd make money betting for Karpov at odds. I don't know whether Karpov would actually win, but he'd surely beat whatever line the oddsmakers came up with.
Karpov's old and has lost some speed, but he still knows how to play the game. A short blitz match won't fatigue him too much. Heck, if Dreev is currently in the top 50 in the world in blitz, Karpov would almost certainly also be in the top 50 if he wanted to be.
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Edit: I'm not dissing Dreev. He's one of my favorite players. I modelled much of my repertoire on Dreev's choices and own his My One Hundred Best Games. He's an exceptionally strong player.
The scary thing about a player like Ulf Andersson in blitz is if you don't have any winning tactics, then he's extremely likely to be able to produce an advantage many moves before you even realize it's on the board. The positional ju jitsu (and endgame technique) would be overwhelming. I can imagine why a young tactical wizard would feel outclassed.
GPE, I certainly did not say that Karpov would easily destroy any of the top players now.
Karpov would be in the top 50, but he would have a very difficult time breaking the top 20. I would have loved to see Kasparov and Karpov compete in the world blitz championships. I would expect Kasparov to finish in the top ten and Karpov in the top half. But I would be surprised to see either of them win.
Anand finished 22nd in the 2015 blitz championship. Karpov would finish behind Anand.
Yes, indeed, as SMyslov's fan acurately observed, Karpov would easily destroy any of the top players now because they are silly computer kids and dont have deep understanding of the game. Only Anand and Gelfand have any chance against Karpov, although very tiny,
"Very tiny" like your brain
Yes, indeed, as SMyslov's fan acurately observed, Karpov would easily destroy any of the top players now because they are silly computer kids and dont have deep understanding of the game. Only Anand and Gelfand have any chance against Karpov, although very tiny,
Players are only getting stronger with computers if they use it properly and they are. It doesn't make any sense that players are getting weaker using computers. Computers can easily crush any past or present GM 10-0 easily. Top players are only getting better adapting to higher quality play. Engines have helped us improve a lot from the past. The future GMs will only be getting better. The quality of play at the top is getting better and it is better than the time of Karpov. For this reason people today like Carlsen are better at chess than Karpov.
Modern time GM. Hikaru Nakamura is the highest blitz player 2884, while Carlsen comes second place 2878, GM. Carlsen might be slightly better in blitz than Nakamura. Past master would be Capablanca, it would interesting to see Capablanca play Carlsen or Nakamura.
Capa's best endgames are remembered, and his errors forgotten.
I think some people would be in for a big surprise if they could see some of the historical WCs vs today's top GMs...
And to contrast the near deification of players like Capablanca and Morphy, today's top GM games, which are instantly marked with errors by engines, are ridiculed by players who don't even know what was going on during the game.
Today's players are not only more knowledgeable, but preform better too.
But yes, it would be interesting to see :)
0110001101101000 wrote:
Capa's best endgames are remembered, and his errors forgotten.
Carlsen, Fischer, Karpov, Smyslov Lasker,Rubinstein,Botvinnik, Alekhine and Kramnik have made blunders in the endgame, doesn't make them lesser player just human, just like Capablanca's mistakes. They were or are great because they would be able to see the oportunities obivious to others grandmasters. Carlsen is the modern Capablanca. 
AlexandraThessa wrote:
Karpov was by far the best blitz player ever. He would easily crush weaker players like Kasparov, Fischer and Karlsson.
Its her opinion and she has a right to them. Karpov at one time was a great player, he did dominate in the tournaments, his amazing victories of 160 tournaments is a testimony to his greatness. Alexandra is slight passionate about Karpov, if she study Karpov's games diligently she will become a master, not bad pick for a player to study.
Modern time GM. Hikaru Nakamura is the highest blitz player 2884, while Carlsen comes second place 2878, GM. Carlsen might be slightly better in blitz than Nakamura. Past master would be Capablanca, it would interesting to see Capablanca play Carlsen or Nakamura.
Anatoly Karpov, the man who dug the Suez Canal by hand and invented gravity, was also the strongest chess player who ever lived. When he was born, three wise men followed a star to the place the baby Anatoly lay and declared him World Chess Champion for the next century. He will cease being World Champion in May of 2051. Until then, all others who claim the crown are imposters.
Magnus Carlsen, on the other hand, in the many-horned beast described in the Book of Revelations!
:)
Anatoly Karpov, the man who dug the Suez Canal by hand and invented gravity
Anatoly Karpov invented gravity? Comrade, don't you know that gravity is a capitalist invention for the oppression of the masses? As clearly demonstrated here by the heroes of the Red Army: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WpYWpN0VXU
P.S. don't be impatient, even the Red Army needs a minute to warm up.
Did I say "invented gravity?" I meant to say "invented gravy," which improved the lives of the workers by making their potatoes and blini more delicious
In his latest report of the Hikaru vs MVL death match, NM SamCopeland said, - "Prior to the start of the bullet portion of the match, commentator Rensch revealed a personal confession from Nakamura: he doesn't use premoves in his bullet games! This was a pretty startling revelation to most of the audience given Nakamura's legendary bullet speed.
Your humble author tried to mimic Nakamura's lack of premoves last night and rapidly lost 100 rating points."
I have watched many of Naka's online bullet games and I'm still overwhelmed by how fast Naka plays bullet without premove. :O
Did I say "invented gravity?" I meant to say "invented gravy," which improved the lives of the workers by making their potatoes and blini more delicious
Blini and gravy is a new one for me...
Probably Carlsen the best blitz player for now. I believe he is world champ at blitz.
@fabelhaft - Fischer was the best cause he did not specialize in blitz, still he won a tournement in 1971? with a 4 points margin- Tal was second, I believe.