Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Evgenyevich Karpov was born on May 23, 1951, in Zlatoust, Soviet Union (now Russia). He began playing chess at the age of 4 and displayed incredible talent from early childhood. At the age of 12, he was admitted to the renowned chess school of Mikhail Botvinnik, who initially doubted his abilities but later acknowledged that Karpov possessed an exceptional chess mind. In 1969, Karpov won the World Youth Championship and became a Grandmaster in the same year. This marked the beginning of his rapid rise in world chess.

In 1975, Karpov became the 12th World Champion after Bobby Fischer declined to defend his title. Although he did not win the title in a direct match, Karpov quickly proved himself a worthy champion by dominating the chess world in the following years. He successfully defended his title against Viktor Korchnoi twice – in 1978 (Baguio, Philippines) and in 1981 (Merano, Italy). His matches with Korchnoi are among the most intense in chess history, filled with political tension during the Cold War.

In 1984, his epic clash with the young Garry Kasparov for the world title began. The match, played in Moscow, lasted five months (!) but was terminated with a 5:3 score in favor of Karpov without an official winner. In 1985, Kasparov defeated Karpov and took the title, marking the beginning of one of the greatest rivalries in chess. Karpov made several attempts to reclaim the crown but was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, he remained among the world’s best chess players in the subsequent years.

After losing the world championship, Karpov remained active and won several FIDE world titles during the 1990s. He triumphed in 1993, 1996, and 1998, when FIDE organized a separate championship after Kasparov split with the Professional Chess Association. In 1999, Karpov refused to defend his title against the young Viswanathan Anand, marking the end of his active career as a top competitor.