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Kasparov and Karpov go at it again
21 September 2009
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Long-time chess rivals Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov will be sitting down for another match, this week, in Valencia, Spain. In a story on the BBC website, this week's 12-game rematch takes place 25 years after the two the-Soviet chess legends first competed. That historic match was for the world title.
But the two have aged. Kasparov, now one of Russia's opposition leaders, is 58. Karpov is 46. This reminds me of the great matches in the late 19th and early 20th century when players like Lasker and Steinmetz continued to fight at matches long into their senior years. Over the years, world champions have gradually been getting younger. Kasparov was was only 21 when he took on the 33-year-old Karpov, in the 1984 match.
That match was both exciting and controversial. Karpov looked to be the sure winner with a 4-0 lead, but a series of draws followed. Kasparov won his first match in game 32 nad slowly crawled back to close the gap at 5-3. But the match was inexplicably stopped by the head of FIDE (World Chess Federation) on alleged health grounds.
Although both players wanted to continue, the five-month long match was over, with victory awarded to Karpov.
The two squared off again in a 1985 rematch, when Kasparov beat Karpov, an in turn becoming the youngest world champion to date.
In 1993, Kasparov broke away from the FIDE to form his own, independent chess association, while Karpov remained FIDE's world champion from 1993 to 1999. After lengthy negotiations, the chess world title was united again, in 2006.
This match isn't for a title, however. Kasparov calls it "a ceremonial tournament". But it still has the attention of the chess world. You can check out the news and game updates on the official web site.
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But the two have aged. Kasparov, now one of Russia's opposition leaders, is 58. Karpov is 46. This reminds me of the great matches in the late 19th and early 20th century when players like Lasker and Steinmetz continued to fight at matches long into their senior years. Over the years, world champions have gradually been getting younger. Kasparov was was only 21 when he took on the 33-year-old Karpov, in the 1984 match.
That match was both exciting and controversial. Karpov looked to be the sure winner with a 4-0 lead, but a series of draws followed. Kasparov won his first match in game 32 nad slowly crawled back to close the gap at 5-3. But the match was inexplicably stopped by the head of FIDE (World Chess Federation) on alleged health grounds.
Although both players wanted to continue, the five-month long match was over, with victory awarded to Karpov.
The two squared off again in a 1985 rematch, when Kasparov beat Karpov, an in turn becoming the youngest world champion to date.
In 1993, Kasparov broke away from the FIDE to form his own, independent chess association, while Karpov remained FIDE's world champion from 1993 to 1999. After lengthy negotiations, the chess world title was united again, in 2006.
This match isn't for a title, however. Kasparov calls it "a ceremonial tournament". But it still has the attention of the chess world. You can check out the news and game updates on the official web site.
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The two men plan to hold further exhibition matches over the next six months in a range of countries, including the UK, where they played one another in the 1980s.