Anatoly Karpov Biography

Anatoly Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster who was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 before being defeated by Garry Kasparov. He once again became the FIDE World Champion after Kasparov broke away from FIDE in 1993. Years later he resigned his title in protest against FIDE's new world championship rules. An exceptionally skilled player, he is counted amongst the greatest players of all time. Karpov began displaying his skills at the game at a young age—he started playing chess from the time he was four. Recognizing his talent, his parents arranged for his rigorous training in the game which ensured that he blossomed into a formidable player quite early on in life. Accepted into Mikhail Botvinnik's prestigious chess school, he went on to become the youngest Soviet National Master in history, at the age of 15. He developed his game quickly to become a grandmaster at the age of 19. He proceeded to win a series of international tournaments becoming the official world champion in 1975. He defeated Viktor Korchnoi, another Russian grandmaster, to retain his title in 1978 and 1981. His string of successes and reputation as the world champion not only earned him much international acclaim but also made him a millionaire. His reign as the world champion came to an end when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov in 1985.