[chessmind] Dennis Monokroussos: Karpov and Kasparov; What's the difference?

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Posted by Dennis Monokroussos:
Karpov and Kasparov; What's the difference?
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1224802259.shtml


   I was reflecting on something former world champ Anatoly Karpov said
   the other day at the Anand-Kramnik match, which I mentioned [1]here.
   Karpov claimed that Anand isn't the player he was 10 years ago - he's
   more machine-like thanks to his work with computers, but he has lost
   creativity. Maybe he's right about this. It doesn't seem a
   self-evident truth, but maybe if I had Karpov's ability (and his lack
   of exposure to computers) it would seem that way to me, too.
   Maybe he's right, but earlier today I stopped to ask myself what Anand
   was up to 10 years ago. The answer: he was losing a world championship
   match...to Karpov! A more cynical interpretation of Karpov's
   statements now comes to mind. He is no longer the player he once was
   and can't compete with Anand anymore. But he compete for his legacy,
   and if Karpov 1998 (hardly the best "model year" for Karpov > Anand
   1998 and Anand 1998 > Anand 2008, then Karpov can still make the case
   that only Kasparov is his ever-so-slight superior in chess history.
   Kasparov sometimes portrays Karpov as a sneaky fellow, operating
   behind the scenes (that's certainly more than hinted at in Kasparov's
   discussion of the 1984/5 match), and the above hypothesized
   interpretation, if correct, offers some small confirmation of this.
   This is contrast with Kasparov's blunt, in-your-face, completely
   forthright and even over the top way of fighting for his legacy,
   including regular jabs at Kramnik.
   And yet, at the end of the day, both are promoting their legacy by
   disparaging their successors. In this, they are alike.

References

   1. http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1224596845.shtml