The 12th World Chess Champion

Over the years I have come to observe Anatoly Karpov's style of play, his deep and at times phenomenal strategic vision. I have enjoyed countless of his games. In Karpov's play I have always been staggered by his amazing ability to soberly and absolutely accurately evaluate the position on the board. To evaluate quickly without spending much time on analysis. This comes from his fantastic chess intuition, from innate talent.

In his time, it is primarily this that distinguishes the young Karpov among the leading grandmasters in the world. By his style of play Karpov can be compared with the Cuban genius, the great Capablanca. Although there is one important distinction. When you play through Capa's games, you begin to think: Oh, it's all so simple, even I could do that. By contrast, Karpov's games initially startle you by their strategy, which seems illogical, but soon it becomes clear that in fact his play is extremely logical.

Like the Cuban, he is extremely tenacious in defense of difficult positions. Capa and Karpov is similar in one feature -they lose extremely rarely...

Karpov throughout his best years (1974-1994), has maintained an amazingly stable results and balanced play, notwithstanding the speed with which he climbed to the chess summit. Many experts consider Karpov to be a rationalist, an uncommonly cold-blooded fighter, to whom emotions are completely alien. But the fact is, Karpov is emotional, like many people, but he masters and controls himself well, so that a false impressions is created.

Although there was a time in 1992 when he battled Nigel Short in the Candidates Semi-Finals. I saw several games, a friend of mine let me borrow a Betamax tape (the sign of the times) containing the video coverage of the match. It was terrible to have to watch Karpov in particular in the appalling time-trouble he was in, in nearly every game. His iron nerve seemed to have deserted him. I've seen videos of the young Karpov (at youtube), back then he was able to handle time trouble with poise and self-control.

But in 1992 Candidates Match with Short, I saw the slightly older Karpov wriggling with tension, his face wracked with emotion. His psychologist, Zaiganov (in the '70s and especially during his matches with Korchnoi in Baguio and Merano, Italy. Karpov employed the services of the famous Soviet para-psychologist Dr. Zukhar) was in front row. The man who should have been exuding tranquility was biting his nails and wringing his hands, as anguished as his pupil...

In his time Karpov has no equal in the art of harmoniously arranging his pieces. In this respect Karpov's style is significantly better than that of Petrosian, who, after achieving an absolutely safe position for himself, would patiently wait for mistakes by the opponent. Karpov on the contrary does not wait: he plays actively. Karpov has a simple, classic way of converting his advantage. In this way he is similar to Fischer, both are superb technician. They had perfected the art of technique.

Karpov too is fantastically purposeful. He is like a tank, which cannot be diverted from it's goal. His persistence is complete torture for the faint hearted. He puts pressure on your mind. Karpov's character is the same as his play. At critical moments he is able to control his impulses. And this made him a fearsome competitor.

Karpov is truly one of the greatest epoch-creating players of the 20th century. His contribution to our knowledge of the subtleties of the ancient game is truly invaluable. To finally end this very long article on the 12th World Champion, I would like to sum up that indeed Karpov is a genius. But in ideological sense he is similar to Botvinnik. Karpov used the support of the Party apparatus to achieved his personal aims. And later he began to justify these as being the aims of the State...

But one has to give him his due: as a chess player he is indeed great.