Kasparov and Karpov during the 1985 World Chess Championship

The Karpov-Kasparov rivalry was a chess rivalry that existed between grandmasters Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov, who were the 12th and 13th World Chess Champions respectively. The rivalry started in the mid 80s and culminated in Karpov and Kasparov playing five world championship matches. Considered not only the greatest rivalry in chess,[1] but, in the words of Leontxo García, in all of sports. The rivalry involved controversy, like the 1984 meeting which ended without a winner, with Karpov leading, political elements, and extremely close matches, like the 1987 meeting where Kasparov had to win the last game to retain the title.

Overview

Karpov had cemented his position as the world's best player and world champion by the time Garry Kasparov arrived on the scene. In their first match, the World Chess Championship 1984 in Moscow, the first player to win six games would win the match. Karpov built a 4–0 lead after nine games. The next 17 games were drawn, setting a record for world title matches, and it took Karpov until game 27 to gain his fifth win. In game 31, Karpov had a winning position but failed to take advantage and settled for a draw. He lost the next game, after which 14 more draws ensued. Karpov held a solidly winning position in Game 41, but again blundered and had to settle for a draw. After Kasparov won games 47 and 48, FIDE President Florencio Campomanes unilaterally terminated the match, citing the players' health.[2] Karpov is said to have lost 10 kg over the course of the match.[3] The match had lasted an unprecedented five months, with five wins for Karpov, three for Kasparov, and 40 draws.

A rematch was set for later in 1985, also in Moscow. The events of the so-called Marathon Match forced FIDE to return to the previous format, with a match limited to 24 games (with Karpov remaining champion if the match finished 12–12). Karpov needed to win the final game to draw the match and retain his title, but lost, surrendering the title to his opponent. The final score was 13–11 (+3−5=16) in favour of Kasparov. Karpov remained a formidable opponent (and the world No. 2) until the mid-1990s. He fought Kasparov in three more world championship matches in 1986 (held in London and Leningrad), 1987 (in Seville), and 1990 (in New York City and Lyon). All three matches were extremely close: the scores were 11½–12½ (+4−5=15), 12–12 (+4−4=16), and 11½–12½ (+3−4=17). In all three matches, Karpov had winning chances up to the last games. In particular, the 1987 Seville match featured an astonishing blunder by Kasparov in the 23rd game. In the final game, needing only a draw to win the title, Karpov cracked under time pressure at the end of the first session of play, missed a variation leading to an almost forced draw, and allowed Kasparov to adjourn the game with an extra pawn. After a further mistake in the second session, Karpov was slowly ground down and resigned on move 64, ending the match and allowing Kasparov to keep the title.

According to chessgames.com, as of 2022, in Classical games, Kasparov leads Karpov with 28 wins, 20 losses, and 119 draws in 167 games. Including rapid/exhibition games, Kasparov leads Karpov with 39 wins, 25 losses, and 129 draws in 193 games.[4]

Results of World Championship Matches

1984

World Chess Championship Match September 1984 – February 1985: Games 1-24
Rating123456789101112131415161718192021222324
Soviet Union Anatoly Karpov2700 ½½1½½11½1½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½
Soviet Union Garry Kasparov2710 ½½0½½00½0½½½½½½½½½½½½½½½
World Chess Championship Match September 1984 – February 1985: Games 25-48
Rating252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748WinsTotal
Soviet Union Anatoly Karpov2700 ½½1½½½½0½½½½½½½½½½½½½½00525
Soviet Union Garry Kasparov2710 ½½0½½½½1½½½½½½½½½½½½½½11323


The championship match between Karpov and Kasparov had many ups and downs, and a very controversial finish. Karpov started in very good form, and after nine games Kasparov was down 4–0 in a "first to six wins" match. Fellow players predicted he would be whitewashed 6–0 within 18 games.

But Kasparov dug in and battled Karpov to 17 successive draws. He lost game 27, then fought back with another series of draws until game 32, his first-ever win against the World Champion. Another 14 successive draws followed, through game 46. The previous record length for a world title match had been 34 games, the 1927 match between José Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine, which also followed the "first to 6 wins" format. Games 47 and 48 were both won by the challenger, making the score 5–3 in favor of Karpov and the eventual outcome far less certain.

Then the match was ended without result by Florencio Campomanes, the President of the World Chess Federation, and a new match was announced to start a few months later. The termination was controversial, as both players stated that they preferred the match to continue. Announcing his decision at a press conference, Campomanes cited the health of the players, which had been strained by the length of the match (5 months: 10 September 1984 to 8 February 1985).

The restarted match (the World Chess Championship 1985) was best of 24, with the champion (Karpov) to retain his title if the match was tied 12–12. Because Karpov's two-point lead from the 1984 match was wiped out, Karpov was granted the right of a return match (the World Chess Championship 1986) if he lost.

The 1984 match became the first, and so far only, world championship match to be abandoned without result. Karpov would later say that, if he had won this match 6-0, Kasparov would never have become world champion, because he was too emotional.[5][6] On the other hand, Raymond Keene felt that Kasparov showed "an astonishing buoyancy and resilience of spirit".[7]

1985

The match was played as the best of 24 games. If it had ended 12–12, Karpov would have retained his title.

World Chess Championship Match 1985
Rating123456789101112131415161718192021222324Points
 Garry Kasparov (Soviet Union)2700 1½½00½½½½½1½½½½1½½1½½0½113
 Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union)2720 0½½11½½½½½0½½½½0½½0½½1½011

1986

Held in London and Leningrad.

World Chess Championship Match 1986
Rating123456789101112131415161718192021222324Points
 Garry Kasparov (Soviet Union)2740 ½½½10½½1½½½½½1½1000½½1½½12½
 Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union)2705 ½½½01½½0½½½½½0½0111½½0½½11½

1987

The match was played as the best of 24 games. It ended in a 12-12 tie, Kasparov retaining his title.

World Chess Championship Match 1987
Rating123456789101112131415161718192021222324Points
 Garry Kasparov (Soviet Union)2740 ½0½10½½1½½1½½½½0½½½½½½0112
 Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union)2700 ½1½01½½0½½0½½½½1½½½½½½1012

1990

The first twelve games were played in New York City (8 October – 7 November), the other twelve taking place in Lyon, France (26 November – 30 December).[8]

World Chess Championship Match 1990
Rating123456789101112131415161718192021222324Total
 Anatoly Karpov (Soviet Union)2730 ½0½½½½1½½½½½½½½010½0½½1½11½
 Garry Kasparov (Russia)2800 ½1½½½½0½½½ ½½½½½101½1½½0½12½

Other Matches

Karpov and Kasparov renewed their rivalry in 2009, holding Rapid and Blitz matches in Valencia.[9] Kasparov got the better of his old rival.[10] The match was set to coincide with the anniversary of their first World Chess Championship meeting.[11]

Notable Games in the Rivalry

1985 World Chess Championship

Game 11, Kasparov-Karpov, 1-0

Kasparov–Karpov, game 11, 1985
abcdefgh
8
e8 white rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black bishop
d7 black rook
f7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
h7 black king
b6 black pawn
c6 black knight
f6 black queen
h6 black pawn
e4 white bishop
a3 white pawn
f3 white knight
g3 white pawn
b2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
d1 white rook
g1 white king
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Final position after 25.Be4+

Game 11 was played with Karpov leading with 2 victories to 1 with the rest of the games drawn. The game started with the Nimzo-Indian. The game was fairly even, with Karpov defending fairly well. The decisive moment came on move 22, where Karpov blundered with 22...Rcd8, which allowed Kasparov to sacrifice his queen, gaining two Rooks for a Queen, and winning another piece as well, with a mating attack if Black attempts to protect the piece. With the game completely lost, Karpov resigned, equalizing the match at 2 victories apiece with the rest drawn:

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 O-O 5. Bg5 c5 6. e3 cxd4 7. exd4 h6 8. Bh4 d5 9. Rc1 dxc4 10. Bxc4 Nc6 11. O-O Be7 12. Re1 b6 13. a3 Bb7 14. Bg3 Rc8 15. Ba2 Bd6 16. d5 Nxd5 17. Nxd5 Bxg3 18. hxg3 exd5 19. Bxd5 Qf6 20. Qa4 Rfd8 21. Rcd1 Rd7 22. Qg4 Rcd8 23. Qxd7 Rxd7 24. Re8+ Kh7 25. Be4+ (Karpov resigned since White is already getting two rooks for the queen after 25... g6 26. Rxd7 and then even more since 26...Ba6 is refuted by 27. Bxc6 Qxc6 28. Rxf7#.)

References

  1. ↑ "The Greatest Chess Rivalry Ever!!! Kasparov vs K". chessgames.com. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  2. ↑ 1984 Karpov–Kasparov Title Match Highlights Mark Weeks' Chess Pages
  3. ↑ "Karpov vs Kasparov, 1984-85".
  4. ↑ "Listing of games played between Karpov and Kasparov". chessgames.com.
  5. ↑ "Karpov on Fischer, Korchnoi, Kasparov and the chess world today". Chessbase. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  6. ↑ "Karpov at 70: "My great blunder was I agreed to hold the match with Kasparov in the Soviet Union"".
  7. ↑ "The Centenary Match Kasparov–Karpov III", Raymond Keene and David Goodman, Batsford Books, 1986, p.20-21
  8. ↑ "Kasparov vs Karpov, 1990". Chessgames. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  9. ↑ Tremlett, Giles (2009-09-21). "Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov renew epic chess battle". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  10. ↑ "Kasparov vs Karpov Match in Valencia 2009 | The Week in Chess". theweekinchess.com. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  11. ↑ "Karpov-Kasparov: Grudge Match in Valencia". Chess News. 2009-08-30. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
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