[chessmind] Dennis Monokroussos: Kasparov on the first two Kasparov-Karpov matches: A review of a must-buy volume

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Posted by Dennis Monokroussos:
Kasparov on the first two Kasparov-Karpov matches: A review of a must-buy volume
http://chessmind.powerblogs.com/posts/1221354542.shtml


   Garry Kasparov, with the participation of Dmitry Plisetsky, Garry
   Kasparov on Modern Chess, Part Two: Kasparov vs. Karpov 1975-1985.
   Everyman Chess, 2008. Reviewed by Dennis Monokroussos.
   Why do we play chess? Is it for the competition? That might be one
   reason, but if thatâs all weâre after we could engage in hundreds of
   other activities instead. Maybe itâs for the social aspect, the fun of
   seeing friendly acquaintances week after week at the local club? That
   too is part of the story, but here too chess is hardly unique. And it
   certainly canât be for the money. I submit that at least two other
   elements are present for most chess fans: the beauty of the game at
   its best, and the gripping drama of its historical moments. When we
   see chess â fighting chess â at its best, weâre inspired and amazed,
   energized to go forth and do likewise in our games. (Or at least try
   to.) And just like sports, the great battles in chess history arouse
   our passions as fans, watching the heroes of the game beat the odds
   and fight their way to the top.
   If thatâs what inspires you, too, then the decision to get Garry
   Kasparovâs brand new work covering his games with Anatoly Karpov
   through their second world championship match almost defines the
   expression âno brainerâ. The Kasparov-Karpov matches were the greatest
   in chess history, for many reasons. First, it was an epic battle: two
   players enduring five full matches for the world chess championship in
   six years is unprecedented. All five matches were very closely
   contested, with two of them coming down to the final game. Four of the
   matches went the distance â 24 games â and the one that didnât went an
   insane 48 games. Further, one of the players (Kasparov) is widely
   recognized as the greatest player of all time, while the other
   (Karpov) is easily a candidate for the top five ever, and at least
   arguably the greatest player ever prior to his rival. Add to this the
   high level of their play, the clash of styles and personalities, the
   vicissitudes of the matches, and the intrigue (and how!) and, taking
   the matches as a whole, we have perhaps the greatest event in the
   history of chess.
   As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the first two matches
   (comprising 72 games) are covered in the book, as well as four games
   played in earlier years. The first match, like Karpovâs title defenses
   in 1978 and 1981, was a race to six wins. After nine games of this
   match, played in 1984, Karpov had won four and lost none. Match over,
   right? Incredibly, no. Kasparov started a strategy of grimly hanging
   on, and managed to regain his equilibrium. While he assumed of course
   that the match would eventually be lost, he survived the immediate
   disaster and drew the next seventeen(!) games. At that point, Karpov
   won yet another game, and a 6-0 whitewash looked imminent. It didnât
   happen. Kasparov won game 32, and after fourteen more draws and the
   start of a new year (1985), won games 47 and 48 as well.
   What happened next was unprecedented and remains controversial to this
   day. Florencio Campomanes, then the FIDE President, made the decision
   to stop the match. On what basis, you might wonder, and for whose
   benefit? For the answer to that question, you should read Kasparovâs
   bookâ¦and other works as well. But Kasparov certainly lays out the
   case that this, as well as other events that occurred before the
   match, were done by leading members of the Soviet Chess Federation for
   the benefit of Karpov. (Needless to say, Karpov tells a different
   story, which is why I suggest multiple accounts of this episode.) The
   upshot was that the match was terminated and the players started anew
   in a traditional 24-game match.
   That second match was a thriller: it went back and forth, featured
   some exquisite chess and the occasional blunder, and came down to the
   last game. Kasparov led by a point, but if Karpov won (with White),
   the match would be drawn and Karpov, as champion, would keep his
   title. Karpov had his chances too, but Kasparovâs defense and
   subsequent counterattack won the day, the game, the match and the
   title. (And then they played three more times, including a rematch the
   very next year â but for that weâll have to wait for the next volume.)
   Those two matches are the centerpiece of this volume, and Kasparovâs
   coverage is worthy of them. The games are deeply annotated (but not to
   forbidding, Hübnerian depths), and the biographical and match
   narratives make for interesting and occasionally riveting reading.
   Karpov fans might cringe every now and then, both because of the way
   the matches went and because of Kasparovâs pointed statements, but
   they wonât be bored!
   I have one minor criticism concerning Kasparovâs coverage of the
   second match. There are updates to the analysis and theoretical
   comments, of course, but both the analysis and especially the text
   closely follow the material in Kasparovâs 1986 Pergamon Press book New
   World Chess Champion. There are new remarks, of course, but after
   twenty-three years it would have been nice to see a fresh text rather
   than a reworking of the original. This is only a minor point, however,
   as almost no one has the earlier book, the material on the first match
   is wholly new to English readers, and the analysis of the second match
   has been expanded and very carefully checked. So while more original
   narrative and retrospective material on the second match would have
   been welcome, this only slightly dims my great enthusiasm for this
   volume.
   Very highly recommended.
   Note: the book is available through the usual outlets (the publisher,
   chess book outlets that overcharge, Amazon and its copycats), but
   [1]itâs worth considering buying it as an e-book. I enjoy reading
   physical volumes more than texts on a computer, but itâs conversely
   easier to go through well-annotated games in (e.g.) Fritz or ChessBase
   than on a board. (Full disclosure: I purchased the book long ago on a
   pre-order, but received, upon request, a copy of the e-book from the
   publisher.)

References

   1. http://www.everymanchess.com/display.php?id=462