Anatoly Karpov is a world-famous chess player. One of the best Soviet intellectual athletes, who became a symbol of victories and achievements, has not retired from work in modern reality. And now he takes an active position in social and political activities. In this material we will tell you how Anatoly Karpov (chess player) achieved success. The biography, personal life, and achievements of this person will be described below.
A hobby that has become the meaning of life
The boy began to get involved in chess almost from the cradle, because his father quite often spent time playing games with friends. And of course, little Tolik was very interested in these figures. Already at the age of four, the father began teaching the boy the basics of the game. A little later, he became a regular at the circle at the factory house, and there it immediately became clear how talented Anatoly Karpov was. The chess player whose biography interests us, already at the age of 10 could fight with adult and experienced opponents. And notes about his undeniable intelligence and skills have been published more than once in major publications in the country dedicated to this sport.
Phenomenal boy Anatoly Karpov
The chess player, whose biography is in front of you, very early began to travel around the country to various competitions. And this greatly contributed to the development of his talent. Already at the age of 11 he becomes a candidate for master. And when the boy reached the age of 14, he was awarded the title of Master of Sports of the USSR.
As for studying at school, Anatoly Karpov became the best student in his class in any subject. The chess player (photos are given in the article) easily comprehended any science, especially the exact disciplines. In addition, the boy was diligent, and as he himself admits, he always tried to do his homework as quickly as possible, so that after that he could devote himself to his passion for the game. As a result, a gold medal for graduating from Tula School No. 20, where Anatoly Karpov studied. The chess player continued to master science as a student of Mechanics and Mathematics at Moscow University, but after some time, he had to transfer to the Faculty of Economics of the State University (Leningrad), from which he graduated with honors. After this, the young man works as a research assistant in Moscow and Leningrad.
Biography of a chess player
The future world champion was born in the city of Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk region, on May 23, 1951. Mother and father were working people - they worked at a machine-building plant. When the boy turned 14 years old, the family changed their place of residence to Tula, where Evgeny Stepanovich Karpov was sent to hold the position of chief engineer at a defense enterprise.
Little Tolik began to get involved in chess in preschool age - his father gave the boy his first lessons in the game. After entering school, the future champion enrolled in the chess club of the House of Pioneers. All this became the basis for the development of the grandmaster's talent - when Anatoly turned 11 years old, he was already a candidate for master of sports, and at the age of fourteen he received the title of master of sports of the Soviet Union.
Anatoly’s schooling was also excellent. In 1968, the guy graduated from school, received a gold medal, after which he decided to enroll in Mechanics and Mathematics at Moscow State University. But the competition at this prestigious university was so high that Anatoly did not pass. Almost immediately, the future grandmaster was offered a place at the Leningrad Military Mechanical Institute without exams, but fate decreed otherwise. The first world chess champion from the USSR, Mikhail Botvinnik, personally influenced the country's Minister of Education, after which they decided to enroll Karpov at Moscow State University. Botvinnik did this because he was sure that the guy would not be able to develop his chess talent if he lived outside the capital. Anatoly received a free schedule for visiting the university and could devote himself completely to chess.
Karpov (center) with other talented juniors - Gennady Timoschenko and Yuri Balashov
Already in 1969, Karpov won the junior championship title and the USSR championship, after which he was awarded the title of grandmaster. Anatoly’s next and main task is the world chess crown. Preparation for qualifying tournaments is carried out with the involvement of the best chess specialists from all over the USSR. Before the fight with Bobby Fischer, Karpov, one after another, without any problems beat powerful opponents - Polugaevsky, Spassky , Korchnoi - the entire chess elite of the Soviet Union. And then the long-awaited 1975 came - everyone was looking forward to the chess match for the world crown.
Anatoly Karpov in the final match against Viktor Korchnoi (standing)
Fischer was the strongest chess player of his time and a very extraordinary personality, capable of performing extravagant and unexpected actions. In 1972, he won the championship match against Soviet grandmaster Boris Spassky in a scandalous match, after which the USSR lost its dominance in world chess, which had been observed for many years.
In preparation for the meeting with Anatoly Karpov, Fischer sends a whole list of demands to FIDE, forcing them to change the rules of the match, and is stalling for time. Another outstanding chess player Garry Kasparov gave an interview about this many years later:
“Bobby Fischer recognized the strength of Anatoly Karpov in those years. Therefore, he did not want to go down in history as the person who lost to the grandmaster from the USSR. Fischer used any tricks to avoid a chess match. Unfortunately for millions of chess fans around the world, he succeeded – not a single game was played between him and Karpov.”
On April 3, 1979, Bobby Fischer refused in writing to fight Karpov, and FIDE recognized the Soviet grandmaster as the twelfth world champion. This news spread throughout the USSR, and the newly-crowned “king” of chess was personally congratulated by L. I. Brezhnev. 1978 and 1981 were marked by two matches for the championship title, in which Karpov defended the title against Viktor Korchnoi, who fled the country to Switzerland in 1976. The political tension at these two meetings was simply incredible, but Karpov survived and did not give up the world chess crown.
See also: Alexander Ryub
Confrontation between Karpov and Kasparov
In 1984, the famous rivalry between the two grandmasters began. During the first match for the chess crown, which lasted a little less than six months, Anatoly had only one point left for triumph. But the match was stopped early, and Karpov himself repeatedly stated that this was done due to the influence of the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan G. Aliyev, who was clearly on the side of Garry Kasparov .
In 1985, the second match between these two grandmasters took place, in which Harry won, becoming the 13th world champion. In the future, three more fights took place in which Kasparov was stronger. At that time, the political situation in the USSR was heated to the limit, so the confrontation between the two grandmasters had a political background. Although it seemed to ordinary people that both represented the Soviet Union, the chess players had nothing to divide, since the championship title would not leave the USSR in any case.
But this confrontation was not simple. The meeting began to be interpreted as a confrontation between two systems - the old Soviet and the new perestroika. Karpov, who won the world title in 1975, attracted the attention of the authorities. He constantly traveled abroad, drove around the capital in a brand new Mercedes, and dressed immaculately. Anatoly personified a living example of the advantages of the Soviet system over the “decaying” West. Garry Kasparov is a symbol of the opposition government, which was gaining strength in those days.
Historically, these two great grandmasters found themselves at the forefront of political confrontation against their own will. The personal relationship between Karpov and Kasparov also left much to be desired - the grandmasters did not hide this, repeatedly making harsh statements about their opponent. The chess world is quite narrow, so they often had to intersect at different tournaments. Because of this, there are a lot of pictures of them together in the press. In the future, Anatoly Karpov won the FIDE chess crown three more times.
This happened in 1993, 1996 and 1998. It is noteworthy that the grandmaster was recognized as the best chess player of the year 9 times during his career and was awarded Oscar prizes. About 50 games played by Anatoly Karpov were named the best games of the year or specific competitions. The grandmaster has been awarded numerous orders and certificates of honor, and has medals and badges from Russia and foreign countries (Le Havre, La Rochelle, Cannes, Belfort, Lyon, Cuba, etc.).
Politics and popularization of chess
Anatoly Karpov began to engage in politics back in the USSR in 1988, when he became a deputy of the country's Supreme Council. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, he supported Boris Yeltsin; now he is a deputy from the United Russia faction. He is actively promoting chess in the country. He is the director of the White Lady chess tournament, heads the organizing committee of the Chess in Schools festival, and is one of the leaders of the Russian Chess Federation. Since 1998, Anatoly Karpov has been a regional UNICEF ambassador.
Anatoly Karpov gives a session in one of the Russian colonies
Throughout Russia there are “Karpov Chess Schools”, which are unofficially considered the strongest in the world. The grandmaster visits places of detention, where he often conducts simultaneous games with the administration and prisoners, and travels a lot around the country, doing charity work. Karpov is fond of philatelicism and owns one of the most expensive stamp collections, the value of which, according to unofficial information, is estimated at more than 10 million euros.
Personal life of Anatoly Karpov
A few words about my personal life. Anatoly Karpovy was married twice. The first wife is Irina Kuimova; she has a son, Anatoly, who is now a leading specialist in the field of information technology. The second wife is Natalya Bulanova, with whom she shares a daughter, Sofia, who was born in 1999.
World recognition
In the early 70s of the last century, the entire world community already knew who Anatoly Karpov was. The chess player (nationality - Russian) had already won the title of world champion among youths, having won the 1969 competition. In 1970, Anatoly won the championship of the Soviet Union and earned the title of grandmaster. To become the holder of the world chess champion title, he needed to defeat the American Bobby Fischer. This fight would become the most interesting battle of the century, because the champions were representatives of warring countries: America and the Soviet Union.
Anatoly Karpov's car was stolen because of unique chess
Last weekend, two famous people became victims of car thieves in Moscow - chess player Anatoly Karpov and bard Alexander Rosenbaum. The world champion's car could have been stolen because of the unique chess set that was in the trunk.
Last Saturday, the personal driver of world chess champion Anatoly Karpov reported to the police that a BMW-745 car was stolen in the courtyard of his house. Karpov's driver parked the BMW car near house No. 16 on Snezhnaya Street. At 14.00 he did not find the car at the scene and filed a report of theft with the Sviblovo police department.
During operational search activities, detectives found a car in the Northern District of the capital, law enforcement agencies told Gazeta.Ru. The police organized an ambush not far from the car and were later able to detain two carjackers, against whom a criminal case had already been opened.
In the trunk of the car there was a unique handmade chess set worth $50,000, which Anatoly Karpov was going to give to a friend for his anniversary.
“The car hasn’t been returned to me yet, they’re still sorting it out,” the chess player told Gazeta.Ru. “It’s in the police parking lot as evidence.” Previously, the press reported that the hero of the day already had chess, but this is not so. They are still in the police custody - the chess is also evidence.”
Meanwhile, experts on anti-theft systems point out that traditionally BMW 7 Series are not popular with criminals, so their main target could be valuable chess pieces made from elephant ivory.
“This is not a risky car, and it is not easily stolen,” says Igor Heresh, an expert at Echelon Geolife Group of Companies. “Most likely, this was a contract theft, and this person may have known the chess player and knew about the valuable gift in the trunk of the car.”
Another victim of car thieves last weekend was the famous bard Alexander Rosenbaum, whose luxury SUV Lexus LX570 was stolen. The car is registered to his producer, however, according to media reports, it is the artist who uses the car.
The car was stolen on Sunday night on Suvorov Square, near house No. 2, next to the building of the Soviet Army Theater, where Rosenbaum’s solo concert was taking place, RIA Novosti reports, citing a source in law enforcement. In hot pursuit, the attacker could not be detained; the car was put on the wanted list. Based on this fact, a criminal case was initiated under the article “theft”.
Experts believe that it is unlikely that the artist will be able to return the car unless the criminals bow to the name of the bard, who is also known as the author of works in the “thieves’ song” genre, which is traditionally popular among representatives of the criminal world.
“The Lexus LX570 is the most stolen luxury SUV in Moscow, so its theft is not surprising,” says expert Igor Heresh. — If the police did not find the car within an hour, then the chance of its return to the owner tends to zero. However, if the thieves find out who stole this car, they can return it. And then the car will be found in some vacant lot with a note of apology.”
Awarding the title
But on the eve of the match, Fischer began to make difficult demands. For example, he proposed a new battle scheme of up to 10 victories, and if the tournament score reached 9:9, then the enemy automatically lost. Apparently, he was very frightened by Anatoly Karpov. The chess player, of course, was refused, because no one would agree to such unfair demands. After this, Fischer announced his retirement from the sport and did not play with his opponent. As a result, Max Euwe, the head of FIDE, declared Anatoly Karpov the 12th world champion, and this happened on April 3, 1975.
The match that never happened
Despite the fact that Anatoly became the champion, he did not feel satisfied, because, whatever one may say, he earned his title not by victory, but by the refusal of his opponent. Therefore, Karpov promised to become a “playing champion.” And he kept his word. For 10 years, no one could take this title away from him.
The understatement in the match with the American put a lot of pressure on the champion’s pride, so great efforts were made to hold the Fischer-Karpov duel. The chess player, whose photo can be found in this material, agreed to almost any conditions, which aroused the indignation of the Soviet authorities. But, despite the prize fund, which reached a fabulous 5 million dollars, he failed to seat the American at the table. As experts comment on this situation: Fischer really did not want to become the one who loses to the Soviet chess player.
Relations with Kasparov
The confrontation between the two chess players has become a legend. Anatoly Karpov still remembers the early termination of their first match, which lasted 5 months. According to the chess player, the decision about Kasparov’s victory was made “from above”, and came from Heydar Aliyev and Alexander Yakovlev, who did not hide their sympathy for Kasparov. From then on, irreconcilable relations bound them together for the rest of their lives, and the confrontation resulted in enmity not only at the chessboard, but also beyond it. Kasparov and Karpov made their antipathy clear more than once, but over time their aggressiveness subsided a little, and the two champions learned to coexist peacefully, and even provide each other with support. For example, in 2010, Harry Karimovich, who wanted to remove Kirsan Ilyumzhinov from the post of FIDE president by any means, supported Karpov’s candidacy. But this “adventure” failed. And Ilyumzhinov was re-elected for a second term.
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The 70s and 80s were the peak of Anatoly Karpov’s career. And at the same time, the peak of the worldwide popularity of chess. The participants in the championship matches were greeted by crowds of fans. They were provided with the best concert venues. Chess was an integral part of big politics.
Chess players in the USSR are a special elite caste. They were loved and appreciated. Both among the people and at the very top of the party. On their huge, at that time, foreign currency fees, taxes were minimal.
“How much did I earn then? By today’s standards, this is the level of very serious millionaires,” admits the famous grandmaster. In those days, few could afford to drive around Moscow in a Mercedes. Among these few was our hero. What were the fees spent on? What could you afford in those years with that kind of money? Anatoly Evgenievich Karpov still remembers this with trepidation. Here, for example, is a unique collection of stamps. During the Soviet years, he spent thousands of dollars on this collection. Karpov assures that he never calculated what the market value of his entire collection was. He still says about some of his brands: “I have one brand, the only one in the world, it might cost 100 thousand dollars.”
Karpov never counted money; his head “calculated” only chess moves. As his eternal rival Garry Kasparov said, “at any stage of each game, Karpov always has perfectly placed pieces.”
And it all started with nothing. Five-year-old Tolya fell ill, and in order to somehow keep the boy from outdoor outdoor games, his father showed his son several chess combinations on the board. A light hobby turned into the meaning of life. Of course, then, in addition to my favorite chess, there were also family and friends. But it turned out that the wife of a chess player should be ready for the tests of a real fighting friend. Incredible psychological stress, intrigue, betrayal. Not every woman could cope with such a flow of negativity. Newsreel footage has been preserved. 1980, Anatoly is walking with his young wife. Nearby in a stroller is one-year-old Anatoly Anatolievich Karpov. Voice-over announcer: “What kind of great chess player will Anatoly Karpov Jr. grow up to be? Would it be interesting to watch how a game of chess would go between father and son?” A year after this shooting, Karpov would separate from his wife and son. Anatoly Karpov, who carefully conceals his private life, nevertheless agreed to talk about the reasons for the painful breakup for our film.
The new family turned out to be more tolerant and patient. The second wife and daughter of Anatoly Evgenievich support Karpov in everything. The viewer will have the opportunity to look into today's private life of one of the most private world champions. We will visit him at home. It so happened that Anatoly’s father, Evgeniy Stepanovich, would pass away a few months after his son’s main championship match. It is still difficult to remember this, but Anatoly Evgenievich admits what he still regrets and why he still remembers what turned out to be his father’s last look.
Anatoly Karpov, chess player: personal life
Anatoly dated his first wife, Irina Kuimova, the daughter of a high-ranking military official, for five years. In 1979, the couple registered their relationship, and after some time, a child appeared in their family - a son named Anatoly. But the idyll did not last long, and in 1982 Irina filed for divorce. The reason was the constant travel, in which Karpov often spent time.
The chess player whose personal life interests us did not remain a bachelor for long. Already in 1983, he met his new chosen one, Natalya Bulanova. The young nineteen-year-old girl makes an indelible impression on the grandmaster with her education and beauty. In addition, they turned out to have many common hobbies, for example, a love of Japanese cuisine and ballroom dancing. After some time, the lovers realized that they could not live without each other and decided to get married. Their marriage can be called successful: the couple attends international sporting competitions together, and lives in perfect harmony to this day. In 1999, a child appeared in the family - a girl, who was named Sofia.
Political career
Everyone knows that Anatoly Karpov is a world-famous chess player. But the champion achieved success not only on the board. The grandmaster became famous as a politician and public figure. Karpov's political career began in the late 80s of the last century. Then Anatoly became a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 2011, the chess player became the people's representative to the State Duma of the sixth convocation, where he worked on the committee related to environmental management. Since 2004, the grandmaster worked in the Presidential Council of Culture, and since 2007 he joined the public council created under the Ministry of Defense. Karpov is an ardent wanderer of Vladimir Putin, and believes that this politician saved the state from imminent destruction.
Political and social activities
At one time, Anatoly Evgenievich Karpov, whose biography is full of events and interesting acquaintances, very successfully became part of the political system of the Soviet Union, becoming a real banner and pride of the country. He managed to be the Chairman of the organizing committee, the President of the All-Russian competition "White Lady" and in many other high positions.
During the union, he was the most celebrated athlete, successfully combining a chess career with politics. He was a deputy of the Supreme Council of the Soviet Union, headed and to this day holds the leading position of the Peace Fund, a peacekeeping organization that includes 17 countries. In addition, he is a Goodwill Ambassador for the Children's Fund to the United Nations. At the moment, Anatoly Karpov is a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the sixth convocation, and heads the environmental movement “Green Russia”. The chess player's political opponents, especially anti-Semites, often say that Anatoly Karpov is a Jew, which is not true.
Karpov participates in the work of the committee on entrepreneurship, implementation and development of innovation, and economic policy. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Anatoly Karpov was able to use his knowledge and skills not only in his political career, but also in business. He is a member of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation, and is the author of many books, textbooks and collections on chess, including the book “Learn Chess”. Many of them were often translated into other languages.
Social activity
Anatoly is also an active public figure. He personally oversees several chess-related projects. Karpov heads the all-Russian tournament "White Rook", the organizing committee of the International Children's Festival "Chess in Schools", and is also one of the leaders of the International Federation of Russian Chess. In addition, in 1998, the grandmaster was nominated for the post of ambassador of the world organization UNICEF Children's Fund. In addition, Anatoly often holds charity simultaneous matches with prisoners, which became available with the development of the Internet in our country.
“If we beat you, then we’ll beat you fairly.”
Even during his active career, Karpov began conducting simultaneous gaming sessions with prisoners, which he himself initiated. One of the first such sessions took place in a maximum security colony for especially dangerous criminals in Ryazan.
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“Such characters - by their faces and hands you can understand that they have been through all the bad things. I see one is cheating. I didn’t close my eyes, I said: “You made several moves in a row.” He: “No.” I had to show him what had changed on the board. Surprisingly, suddenly this man, who, I think, killed more than one in his life, became confused and blushed: “Sorry, I didn’t mean to. If they beat you, then only fairly,” Karpov recalled.
Photo: RIA Novosti
Success in the literary field
Anatoly Karpov is a chess player who has written more than fifty books, monographs and textbooks, the lion's share of which are devoted to his favorite game. “In Distant Baguio,” written from the grandmaster’s personal memoirs and diaries and describing the 1978 tournament with Viktor Korchnoi, is extremely popular among readers. From his “light pen” came the amazing textbook “Learn Chess”, in which the author explains the basics of tactics and move strategies to beginners in a playful way. Biographical works, for example, “My Sister Kaissa” and “The Ninth Vertical” are of no less interest. In these books, Karpov talks about relationships with rivals. In addition, the grandmaster is an excellent journalist, and in his “piggy bank” there are many magazine and newspaper articles on pressing socio-political, social and economic topics. For some time, Anatoly Evgenievich was the editor of the popular Chess Review magazine, dedicated to gaming topics, and also took part in the creation of the Encyclopedic Chess Dictionary.
Literary activity
Anatoly Karpov is the author of more than fifty books, textbooks and monographs, most of which are devoted to chess theory. One of the most popular works, “In Faraway Baguio,” written on the basis of personal diaries, is dedicated to the 1978 world championship meeting with Viktor Korchnoi. An interesting textbook “Learn Chess” is addressed to beginning chess players, revealing in a playful form the fundamentals of the great game. In the books “The Ninth Vertical” and “My Sister Kaissa” the author reveals the secrets of his biography and talks about his relationships with his rivals. The grandmaster worked as editor-in-chief of the popular magazine “Chess Review” and the Encyclopedic Chess Dictionary. Karpov is a member of the Russian Union of Journalists.
Interests and hobbies
Anatoly Karpov is a very versatile person. The chess player is known as one of the most authoritative philatelists not only in our country, but also in the near abroad. The Grandmaster has an impressive collection of rare Belgian stamps, as well as separate series dedicated to the theme of the Olympic Games and chess. He gladly displays some of the most valuable specimens at various prestigious exhibitions. The total value of the stamp collection owned by Karpov is estimated at an incredible 13 million euros. When asked why the champion became a philatelist, Anatoly Evgenievich replies that this hobby helps him take his mind off heavy chess battles.
In addition, according to the grandmaster, playing billiards helps relieve stress after a match. This activity brings considerable pleasure to the chess player, and also became an occasion for meeting such famous personalities as Mikhail Gorbachev, hockey players Valery Kharlamov and Vladimir Petrov.
Awards and achievements
The grandmaster became the owner of numerous awards reflecting his achievements in sports and social activities. It’s simply impossible to describe the entire list, so let’s focus on the most prestigious ranks and titles:
- Order of Lenin - 1981.
- Order of the Red Banner of Labor - 1978.
- Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" - 2001.
- Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of education - 2009.
- Silver Olympic Order - 2001.
- Honorary member of the All-Russian Federation - 1979.
In addition, Antaliy Evgenievich received many awards in foreign countries, such as Argentina, France, Ukraine, Cuba. Also, more than fifty of his fights were recognized as the best games of the year, or competition. The grandmaster nine times became the best chess player of the year according to the International Chess Press Association and was awarded Oscar prizes.
Awards and titles
Anatoly Evgenievich has numerous awards that reflect the great results of his sports and social activities. In his piggy bank there are the Soviet Orders of Lenin and the Red Banner of Labor, the Russian Orders of Friendship and “For Services to the Fatherland,” state awards of Argentina, Ukraine, and France. Three orders of the Russian Orthodox Church are highlighted in a separate line. Anatoly Evgenievich is an honorary citizen of Zlatoust, Tula and Orsk, as well as several foreign cities.
Interesting facts from the life of a grandmaster
- The chess player's father, who taught him the intricacies of the game, never checkmated the child. This was done so that the boy would not get upset and abandon his hobby. In memory of this nobility, Anatoly Evgenievich never finishes a fight with older people with obscenities.
- In the 70s, the grandmaster became the owner of a rare car at that time - a Mercedes E-350. Only Vladimir Vysotsky and Leonid Brezhnev could boast of the same car in the Soviet Union.
- When young Karpov was at a tournament in New York, he was lucky to meet his idol, Salvador Dali. A photo of them together was later sold on eBay for $600.
- In 2000, a “Star Auction” was held, at which many celebrities offered to purchase their personal belongings to anyone. And the most expensive lot was the chess set put up for sale by Anatoly Karpov. The chess player received 2.5 thousand dollars for this deal. This amount was paid by an anonymous buyer.
Today, Anatoly Evgenievich is not going to “retire” and continues to take an active part in political and social activities. His interests include ecology, chess education and charity. In addition, the grandmaster has become a founder and is going to start producing cars.
