Anatoly Karpov
Notable Games

Anatoly Karpov

20 celebrated games · 1712 in the full archive
Player Index ◈ Biography 1712 CURATED GAMES

Notable Games

  • 1971.12.08 Karpov, Anatoly vsHort, Vlastimil 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Keres Attack 33 moves Alekhine Memorial-02 Alekhine Memorial, Moscow 1971 — the 20-year-old Karpov's breakthrough onto the world stage, where he shared first place with Leonid Stein. A model Sicilian, Keres Attack: Karpov rolled his kingside pawns forward (6.g4, then h4–h5) to prise open Vlastimil Hort's king. After White's 33rd move Hort, in a hopeless position, lost on time, and the game was judged the best of the tournament.
  • 1973.12.11 Karpov, Anatoly vsUhlmann, Wolfgang 1-0 French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Main Line 42 moves Madrid International Madrid 1973 — from the tournament the rising Karpov won outright. Against Wolfgang Uhlmann's French Defence he liquidated into a superior endgame, doubled his rooks on the seventh rank (26.Re7, then Rae1–e7), and squeezed out the full point in 42 moves.
  • 1974.05.03 Karpov, Anatoly vsSpassky, Boris Vasilievich 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Modern Variation 35 moves Candidates sf Karpov-Spassky +4-1=6 Candidates semifinal, Leningrad 1974 — a decisive win over former World Champion Boris Spassky, whom the 22-year-old Karpov beat 7–4 to reach the Candidates final. A crisp Sicilian in which Karpov seized the initiative and never let it go.
  • 1974.06.17 Karpov, Anatoly vsUnzicker, Wolfgang 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Closed, Chigorin Defense 44 moves Olympiad-21 Final A Nice Olympiad 1974 — one of the most admired positional games ever played, a textbook Ruy Lopez squeeze. Karpov manoeuvred every piece to its ideal square, gained space on both wings, and reduced Wolfgang Unzicker to helpless shuffling until zugzwang forced resignation on move 44.
  • 1974.09.18 Karpov, Anatoly vsKorchnoi, Viktor Lvovich 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack, Main Line 27 moves Candidates f Karpov-Kortschnoj +3-2=19 Candidates final, Moscow 1974 (game 2) — a celebrated Sicilian Dragon win. Karpov used the Yugoslav Attack with a pawn storm (h4–h5, g4–g5), landed his knight on d5, and won after 27.Qh8+. Winning this final earned Karpov the title match with Fischer.
  • 1976.12.07 Karpov, Anatoly vsDorfman, Josif D 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Keres Attack 50 moves URS-ch44 Final 44th USSR Championship, Moscow 1976 — from the event that gave the reigning World Champion his first Soviet title. Another razor-sharp Keres Attack: Karpov sacrificed a knight with 14.Nd5 to tear open the long diagonal and hunted down Josif Dorfman's king.
  • 1978.10.17 Karpov, Anatoly vsKorchnoi, Viktor Lvovich 1-0 Pirc Defense: Classical Variation, Quiet System 41 moves World-ch28 Karpov-Kortschnoj +6-5=21 World Championship, Baguio 1978 — the dramatic final game (game 32) of a match played to six wins. Level at 5–5, Karpov won this Pirc to take the game and the match 6–5, retaining his title against Viktor Korchnoi.
  • 1979.04.25 Timman, Jan H vsKarpov, Anatoly 0-1 English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line 31 moves Montreal International Montreal 'Tournament of Stars' 1979 — the super-tournament Karpov won jointly with Tal. Playing Black in an English, Karpov grabbed material with a sharp knight raid (15...Nxh2) and converted the extra pawns to beat Jan Timman in 31 moves.
  • 1981.11.18 Karpov, Anatoly vsKorchnoi, Viktor Lvovich 1-0 Ruy Lopez: Open, Bernstein Variation 41 moves World-ch29 Karpov-Kortschnoj +6-2=10 World Championship, Merano 1981 — the final game (game 18) of Karpov's second title defence against Korchnoi. A model Open Ruy Lopez: his rook invaded on d7, his passed pawns advanced with f5–f6, and the win sealed the match 6–2.
  • 1983.02.14 Karpov, Anatoly vsSax, Gyula 1-0 Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation, Keres Attack 39 moves Linares-04 Linares 1983 — winner of the tournament's brilliancy prize. In yet another Keres Attack, Karpov sacrificed to strip Gyula Sax's king of cover, then finished with the rook thrust 35.Re7! and a mating queen hunt.
  • 1984.10.05 Karpov, Anatoly vsKasparov, Garry 1-0 Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line 70 moves World-ch30-KK1 Karpov-Kasparov +5-3=40 World Championship 1984/85, Moscow (game 9) — from the first, unlimited match against Garry Kasparov, which Karpov led 5–0 before it was controversially halted after 48 games. A classic Karpov Queen's Gambit Declined: he outplayed Kasparov into a won ending and ground it out over 70 moves.
  • 1985.09.12 Karpov, Anatoly vsKasparov, Garry 1-0 Queen's Gambit Declined 63 moves World-ch31-KK2 Kasparov-Karpov +5-3=16 World Championship 1985, Moscow (game 4) — Karpov scored his first win of the second match, winning this Queen's Gambit Declined in 63 moves. Kasparov would ultimately take the match 13–11 to become the 13th World Champion.
  • 1988.06 Karpov, Anatoly vsKasparov, Garry 1-0 Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Seville Variation 38 moves World Cup Belfort World Cup 1988 — a prized win over the reigning World Champion in their individual game. In the Grünfeld Exchange Karpov unbalanced the position with 12.Bxf7+ and outplayed Kasparov in 38 moves.
  • 1990.12.05 Karpov, Anatoly vsKasparov, Garry 1-0 Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation 40 moves World-ch34-KK5 Kasparov-Karpov +4-3=17 World Championship 1990, New York and Lyon (game 17) — from the fifth and final Karpov–Kasparov title match. Karpov won this Grünfeld with the white pieces; Kasparov retained the crown by the narrowest margin, 12½–11½.
  • 1991 Karpov, Anatoly vsAnand, Viswanathan 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Stoltz Variation 43 moves Candidates qf4 Candidates quarterfinal, Brussels 1991 — Karpov eliminated the 21-year-old Viswanathan Anand, a future undisputed World Champion, on his march back toward the title. A sharp Semi-Slav decided by Karpov's relentless queenside play.
  • 1994 Karpov, Anatoly vsKramnik, Vladimir 1-0 Semi-Slav Defense: Meran Variation, Reynolds' Variation 40 moves Linares 12th Linares 1994 — a win over the 18-year-old Vladimir Kramnik, another future World Champion, at one of the strongest tournaments ever held. In a Semi-Slav Meran, Karpov broke open the centre with 15.e5, won the exchange on e6, and Kramnik lost on time after 40.Re8 in a difficult position.
  • 1994.02 Karpov, Anatoly vsTopalov, Veselin 1-0 English Opening: Symmetrical Variation, Anti-Benoni Variation, Spielmann Defense 39 moves Linares 12th Linares 1994 — from the greatest result of his career (11/13, a 2985 performance, finishing 2½ points clear of Kasparov). Against future FIDE World Champion Veselin Topalov, he unleashed a stunning combination — 18.Nc5, 20.Rxe6 and 21.Rxg6+! — sacrificing material to lay the king bare and forcing resignation on move 39. The game won the Chess Informator prize for the best game of its volume.
  • 1987 Karpov, Anatoly vsSokolov, Andrei 1-0 Queen's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Check Variation, Intermezzo Line 63 moves Linares cf Linares 1987 — a 63-move win with White against Andrei Sokolov. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part V, game 91 (PDF page 407).
  • 1996.06.16 Kamsky, Gata vsKarpov, Anatoly 0-1 Petrov's Defense: Modern Attack, Center Variation 29 moves FIDE-Wch Elista 1996 — a 29-move win with Black against Gata Kamsky. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part V, game 104 (PDF page 461).
  • 1998.01.06 Anand, Viswanathan vsKarpov, Anatoly 0-1 Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack 49 moves FIDE-Wch k.o. f Lausanne 1998 — a 49-move win with Black against Viswanathan Anand. Selected in Garry Kasparov, My Great Predecessors, Part V, game 106 (PDF page 470).
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