Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (1951-) is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Chess Champion between 1975 and 1985. He lost the title after being defeated by Garry Kasparov.

Dala Horses and Chess Championships

In 2004 and 2005, the President’s Cup, aka the Final Four of College Chess, was held in Lindsborg, Kansas. Instead of trophies, the teams received Dala horses. More than 20 years later, participant GM Alexander Onischuk is the highest-rated player (aged 50 years and older), according to US Chess. More 🡢

The Chess World of Ben Mezrich

Mezrich invented a world championship match and gave a well-known arbiter a new last name. His book is not an accurate portrayal of the chess world. But it is a rollicking read which is slated to become a Hollywood motion picture. More 🡢

Viktor Korchnoi vs Anatoly Karpov

In the 1978 Baguio tournament, Anatoly Karpov found a way to finish the game against Viktor Korchnoi. This puzzle shows the calculated mate in three that defined their high-stakes meeting.

Alexey Root and Magnus Carlsen, October 10, 2024

My Photos with Five World Chess Champions

In early October, at the newly-renovated Saint Louis Chess Club, two former World Chess Champions participated in the first Clutch Chess: The Legends. They played Chess960, a variant where the pieces on the back rank are scrambled, in the same way, for White and Black. For example, White’s queen might begin on a1, and Black’s queen might begin on a8. GM Garry Kasparov defeated GM Viswanathan Anand in a three-day showdown that captivated fans around the world. More 🡢

Accusations by World Chess Champions Bobby Fischer and Vladimir Kramnik

Fischer was convinced that some chess players were prearranging games. For example, the ninth game of the 1984/1985 Karpov versus Kasparov World Chess Championship match included a knight retreat in a knight and six pawns versus bishop and six pawns endgame. More 🡢

Greatest World Chess Champion of All Time?

How to judge which world chess champion is the greatest of all time? One might look at the number of years that the champion held the title, inflation-adjusted peak rating, dominance over peers, or abilities as a chess ambassador. Another criterion, adopted by this article, is how many different challengers has each world chess champion faced. More 🡢

Chess and Weight Loss (part 3)

The filter “Is it true, is it necessary, is it kind?” has been attributed to Socrates and Buddhism, among other sources. Using the first two questions, Dr. Alexey Root examines one quote from Attacking the Strongpoint: The Philosophy of Chess by Grandmaster Igor Zaitsev. Then she considers diets. More 🡢

Infographic: All World Chess Champions

We all know that Magnus Carlsen is the World Chess Champion, but who was the first one? And when? Even less is known about women champions. You probably have heard about Susan Polgar, but who is the current woman chess champion? More 🡢