Product Description

This book, the fifth in Garry Kasparov's magnificent history of the World Chess Championship, catalogues what is probably the greatest ever rivalry for the ultimate chess title. Between 1984 and 1990 Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov contested five World Championship matches and played a total of more than 150 games against each other. These matches, all of which were close and very hard-fought, feature some of the greatest games of the modern era. Anatoly Karpov gained the right to challenge Bobby Fischer for the world title by winning through the Candidates series in 1974. As is well known, Fischer refused to defend the title and in 1975 Karpov became champion 'by default'. Although he did not have to contest a Championship match to gain the title, Karpov proved that he was a worthy champion by winning virtually every major tournament over the next decade. He also twice defended his title in matches against Viktor Korchnoi in 1981 and 1984. In this book, a must for all serious chessplayers, Kasparov analyses deeply Karpov's greatest games and assesses the legacy of this great Russian genius. Also under the microscope are the games of the other great, of the 1970s and 1980, Viktor Korchnoi.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #168713 in Books
• Published on: 2006-03-15
• Released on: 2006-01-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 480 pages

About the Author
Garry Kasparov is the World number one and generally regarded as the greatest chess player of all time. He made history by becoming the youngest player ever to win the World Championship and his tournament record is second to none, featuring numerous wins in the world's major events, often by substantial margins. As well as his outstanding successes, Kasparov has constantly promoted the game; he has done more than anyone to popularise chess in modern times.

Customer Reviews

My Great Predecessors
One of the greatest players of chess game ever is also very talented writer. In his pentalogy "My Great Predecessors" he describes the history of the duels for chess crown. Kasparov analyses these matches, depicts the characters of former world champions from Steinitz to Karpov and brings to the reader amazing historical material supplemented by not only his own analyses.
One of the big advantages of the author is that Kasparov himself met and played against the majority of world champions, some of them, like his trainer Mikhail Botvinnik, he knew very well and I venture to say it helped the book very much.
First volume is dedicated to the quartet of first world champions: Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine, but also some of their contemporaries are mentioned - Reti, Rubinstein, Morphy and Nimzowitsch for all.
In this volume special attention is focused on match Alekhine-Capablanca, Buenos Aires, 1927. Kasparov analyses this match from two points of view; the point of view of Capablanca and then, from point of view of Alekhine.
Second volume pays tribute to Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov and Tal; third volume to Petrosian and Spasski, fourth to Robert James Fischer and his contemporaries - Bent Larsen, Miguel Najdorf and Samuel Reshevsky. Last volume depicts Anatoly Karpov and his great adversary, the never crowned runner-up, Viktor Krochnoi.
Analysing the games of "Old Masters" Kasparov keeps his reader up-to-date so he can see the development of the chess game and its theory from history to the modern times.
Every chess afficionado who likes the history of the game or everybody who remember some of those matches (eg. Spasski-Fischer like myself) and would like to go bit more behind the curtains will appreciate this books.