Anatoly Karpov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anatoly KarpovАнатолий Карпов |
|
|---|---|
Karpov in 2017
|
|
| Country |
|
| Born | May 23, 1951 Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Title | Grandmaster (1970) |
| World Champion |
|
| FIDE rating | 2617 (June 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2780 (July 1994) |
| Peak ranking | No. 1 (January 1976) |
| Member of the State Duma for Tyumen Oblast's Party List | |
| Assumed office 21 December 2011 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Political party | United Russia |
Anatoly Karpov (born May 23, 1951) is a famous Russian chess player and former World Chess Champion. He was the 12th World Chess Champion from 1975 to 1985. He also won the FIDE World Champion title three times (1993, 1996, 1998). Karpov helped the Soviet Union team win the Chess Olympiad six times. He also won the "Chess Oscar" award nine times for being the best chess player.
Karpov has won over 160 chess tournaments. His highest Elo rating was 2780, which is a very high score. He was ranked the world's number one player for 102 months. This is the third-longest time anyone has held that spot. Today, Karpov is also a politician. He is a member of the State Duma in Russia.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Early Life and Chess Beginnings
Anatoly Karpov was born on May 23, 1951, in Zlatoust, a city in the Urals region of the Soviet Union. He started playing chess when he was just four years old. He quickly became very good at the game. By age 11, he was a candidate master.
When he was 12, Karpov joined Mikhail Botvinnik's famous chess school. Botvinnik, a former world champion, first thought Karpov had no future in chess. But Karpov worked hard and learned a lot from Botvinnik. He became the youngest Soviet master ever at age 15, tying a record set by Boris Spassky.
Chess Career Highlights
Rising Through the Ranks
.jpg)
Karpov won his first international tournament in Třinec. In 1967, he won the Niemeyer Tournament in Groningen. He studied mathematics and economics at universities. His coach, Grandmaster Semyon Furman, helped him become a world-class player.
In 1969, Karpov won the World Junior Chess Championship. This made him an International Master. In 1970, he became an international grandmaster. This is the highest title a chess player can achieve.
Becoming a Grandmaster
In 1971, Karpov won the Alekhine Memorial tournament in Moscow. This was his first big win as an adult. His Elo rating quickly went up. In 1973, he shared second place in the Soviet championship. This helped him qualify for the Leningrad Interzonal tournament.
The Path to World Champion
Karpov played in the 1974 Candidates Matches. This was a series of games to decide who would challenge the current world champion, Bobby Fischer. Karpov won against Lev Polugaevsky. Then he faced former champion Boris Spassky. Karpov won this match too.
In the final match, Karpov played against Victor Korchnoi. Karpov took an early lead. After many draws, Karpov won the match. This meant he had earned the right to challenge Bobby Fischer for the world title.
The 1975 World Championship Match That Never Was
The chess world was excited for Karpov to play Bobby Fischer. But the match never happened. Fischer had special rules he wanted for the match. He wanted to keep his title if the score was tied 9-9. FIDE, the world chess organization, did not agree to this rule.
Fischer did not agree to play by FIDE's rules. So, on April 3, 1975, FIDE declared that Fischer had given up his title. This made Anatoly Karpov the new World Champion. Karpov became champion without playing the reigning champion.
Many people wondered who would have won. Karpov and others believed he had a good chance. Fischer had not played for three years, while Karpov was a strong new player.
Proving Himself as World Champion
Karpov wanted to show everyone he was a true champion. For the next ten years, he played in almost every major tournament. He won many of them, including his first Soviet title in 1976. He had a record of nine straight tournament wins. Because of his amazing play, most chess experts agreed that Karpov was a rightful world champion.
In 1978, Karpov defended his title against Victor Korchnoi in the Philippines. Karpov won the match. Three years later, Korchnoi challenged him again in Italy. Karpov won this match easily. It was called the "Massacre in Merano."
Karpov also played for the Soviet Union in six Chess Olympiads. The Soviet team won the gold medal every time. Karpov rarely lost games in these events. He showed great skill against other top players.
Rivalry with Garry Kasparov
Karpov had a famous rivalry with Garry Kasparov. They played many intense matches for the world championship. Their games were often long and exciting. This rivalry is one of the most famous in chess history.
FIDE Champion Again (1993–1999)
In 1993, Karpov became the FIDE World Champion again. This happened when Kasparov and Nigel Short left FIDE to create their own championship. Karpov defeated Jan Timman to win the FIDE title.
In 1994, Karpov played in the Linares chess tournament. This was a very strong tournament with many top players. Karpov played incredibly well. He finished first without losing a single game. He scored 11 points out of 13. This was one of the best tournament performances ever.
Karpov defended his FIDE title against Gata Kamsky in 1996. In 1998, FIDE changed its championship format. Karpov won the final against Viswanathan Anand. In 1999, Karpov decided not to defend his title under the new rules. He stopped being the FIDE World Champion.
Later Chess and Political Life
Since 1997, Karpov has played fewer classical chess tournaments. He became more involved in Russian politics. He has been a member of the State Duma, Russia's parliament.
Karpov still plays chess in exhibition events. He is very good at rapid chess, which is played with less time. In 2002, he won a rapid match against his old rival, Kasparov. In 2009, they played another match, which Kasparov won. Karpov continues to play and promote chess around the world.
Professional and Political Career
In 2003, Karpov opened his first chess school in the United States. He has been a member of the Russian State Duma since 2011. He has also worked on humanitarian causes.
In November 2022, Karpov had a head injury from an accidental fall. He made a full recovery.
Candidate for FIDE Presidency
In 2010, Karpov ran for the president of FIDE. He had support from Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen. But he lost the election to Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.
Playing Style
Karpov's chess style is often called "boa constrictor." This means he plays very carefully and takes few risks. He waits for his opponent to make a small mistake. Then he takes advantage of it. He is known for his strong positional play. This means he focuses on controlling the board and improving his pieces' positions. He is often compared to José Raúl Capablanca, another former world champion.
Karpov once said that if he had to choose between a risky tactical move and a clear positional move, he would always choose the positional one. He enjoys games that follow the rules of strategy and logic.
Notable Games
- Viktor Korchnoi vs. Anatoly Karpov, Moscow 1973 Karpov gives up a pawn to get a strong attack.
- Anatoly Karpov vs. Gyula Sax, Linares 1983 Karpov makes a sacrifice that leads to a win later in the game.
- Anatoly Karpov vs. Veselin Topalov, Dos Hermanas 1994 This game shows Karpov's clever play. He appears to sacrifice pieces but then gets them back with a winning position.
Hobbies
Anatoly Karpov has a very large collection of Belgian stamps. He also collects chess stamps and chess books. His private chess library has 9,000 books! Karpov also enjoys playing Backgammon.
Honours and Awards
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 3rd class (2001)
- Order of Friendship (2011)
- Order of Lenin (1981)
- Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1978)
- Order of Merit, 2nd class (Ukraine) (2006)
- Chess Oscar (9 times)
- Asteroid 90414 Karpov is named after him.
- The Anatoly Karpov International Chess Tournament is held every year in his honour.
Books
Karpov has written or co-written several books about chess. Many of them have been translated into English.
- Karpov, A.E. Ninth vertical. 1978. Moscow: Molodaya Gvardia.
See Also
In Spanish: Anatoli Kárpov para niños
