Alekhin Alexander Alexandrovich, the only world chess champion who died undefeated. What died the youngest world chess champion Ivan Bukavshin Chess player who died in the rank of champion
Alexander Alekhine, whose 65th death anniversary we celebrate this year, is rightly considered a chess legend. He not only the only champion of the world chess world, who passed away with this title, but also the owner of the most turbulent and tortuous biography of all world chess celebrities. In this regard, I would like to say a few words about the events of the last period of his life, which are usually hushed up or misinterpreted, namely, his relations with Nazi Germany.
Born in 1892 into a Moscow noble-merchant family, Alekhine entered the world chess elite at the age of 21, taking third place at the St. Petersburg tournament in 1914 after Emmanuel Lasker and José Raul Capablanca. The Bolshevik Revolution nearly ended his career at its peak. In the autumn of 1918, he moved from Soviet Moscow to Odessa, occupied by the Germans. After the capture of Odessa by the Reds in April 1919, Alekhin was arrested by the Cheka and sentenced to death. He was saved from certain death only by the intervention of one of the Bolshevik bosses, who was fond of chess. Released and returned to Moscow, Alekhine was arrested there in 1920 for the second time by the Cheka on suspicion of being an employee of Denikin's counterintelligence. Once again freed and determined not to tempt fate again, Alekhine in 1921, with the help of his wife, a Swiss journalist, managed to escape from Soviet Russia to Latvia. From there he went to Germany, from which a few months later he moved to France, where he settled, having received French citizenship in 1925.
In 1927, Alekhine won a world title match against the considered invincible Jose Raul Capablanca and then dominated the competition for several years, winning the biggest tournaments of his time by a wide margin. Twice (in 1929 and 1933) Alekhine defended the title in matches against Efim Bogolyubov, in 1935 he lost the match to Max Euwe, but two years later he won the rematch and held the title of world champion until his death.
Alekhine with his Siamese cat Chess
Upon Alekhine's return to Paris after the victory over Capablanca in 1927, a banquet was held in his honor at the Russian Club. The next day, some emigre newspapers published articles citing Alekhine's speech, who wished that "... the myth of the invincibility of the Bolsheviks was dispelled, as the myth of the invincibility of Capablanca was dispelled." Soon, an article by Nikolai Krylenko appeared in the Chess Bulletin magazine, which said: “After Alekhine’s speech in the Russian Club, everything is over with citizen Alekhine - he is our enemy, and from now on we must interpret him only as an enemy.” However, relations between Alekhine and the Soviet authorities were not completely interrupted - the question of his possible arrival at the tournament in Moscow or the match with the leading USSR chess player Mikhail Botvinnik was periodically discussed. An agreement with the latter was reached in 1938, but the events that broke out soon canceled the plans of the parties.
Alekhine in the late 1930s
In 1939, Alexander Alekhin's elder brother Alexei was shot in the USSR. About the fate of his sister, who also remained in Soviet Russia, Alekhin could not get any information. When on September 1, 1939 the Second World War, Alekhine was in Argentina, where, as part of the French team, he participated in Chess Olympiad. In January 1940, he returned to France and, after the German attack on it, volunteered for the French army as an interpreter. After the end of hostilities, he left the territory occupied by the Germans and settled in the south of France. At this moment, Alekhine's cooperation with the German authorities begins. In an interview given somewhat later to the Spanish press, he mentioned the simulcasts he gave in Paris in the winter of 1940-1941 for the benefit of the German army.
At the beginning of 1941, Alekhine wrote a series of articles under the general title "Jewish and Aryan Chess", which were published from March to July in the German newspapers published in France and the Netherlands - "Pariser Zeitung" and "Die Deutsche Zeitung in den Niederlanden", and then reprinted in the Deutsche Schachzeitung. This series of articles was subtitled "Based on Chess Experience, Psychological Study of World Chess Champion Dr. Alekhine Showing Lack of Conceptual Strength and Courage in Jews." Their main idea was to oppose the offensive Aryan style of play to the defensive Jewish one, based on waiting for the opponent's mistakes. Here are some excerpts from them:
What is Jewish chess really and what is the concept of Jewish chess? This question is easy to answer: 1. Material gain by all means. 2. Adaptation. Adaptation taken to the extreme, which seeks to eliminate the slightest possibility of potential danger and pushes through the idea (if one can use the word "idea" here) of protection as such. With this idea, which in any kind of struggle is tantamount to suicide, Jewish chess dug its own grave in the light of the real future.Alekhine cited, among others, Chigorin, Bogolyubov and Capablanca as examples of Aryan chess players, and Steinitz and Lasker as examples of Jewish ones. After the war, Alekhine claimed that the articles were distorted by German editors, but there is evidence that in 1956, texts written by his own hand were found in the things of his wife Grace Wieshard. In addition, Alekhine's authorship is confirmed by two interviews given by him to the Spanish press in September 1941 before leaving for Munich for the European Chess Tournament. In one of them, he stated that his series of articles is the first ever attempt to consider chess from a racial point of view. In another, he mentioned his intention to give a series of lectures on Aryan and Jewish chess. When asked about the chess players most honored by him, he, in particular, replied: "I will especially note the greatness of Capablanca, who was called upon to overthrow the Jew Lasker from the world chess throne."Are Jews a nation especially talented at chess? With thirty years of experience behind me, I dare to answer this question as follows: yes, the Jews have the highest ability to use their mind and practical acumen in chess. But a Jew who was a true chess artist never existed.
During the return match with Euwe in 1937, the collective chess Jewry was aroused again. Most of the Jewish masters mentioned in this review were present as reporters, trainers and seconds on Euwe's side. By the beginning of the second match, I could no longer deceive myself: I was fighting not with Euwe, but with the united chess Jewry, and my decisive victory (10:4) was a triumph over the Jewish conspiracy.
An excerpt from the article
At the Munich European Chess Tournament in September 1941, in which Alekhine participated as a representative of Vichy France, his table was decorated with a flag with a swastika. In Munich, Alekhine shared second and third place with Eric Lundin. In October 1941, he shared first place with Paul Schmidt in the 2nd General Government Chess Championship in Krakow-Warsaw, and in December he won the championship in Madrid. In June 1942 Alekhine won the chess tournament in Salzburg, in September 1942 the European chess championship in Munich. In October 1942, Alekhine won the 3rd General Government Chess Championship in Warsaw-Lublin-Krakow, and in December of the same year shared first place with Klaus Junge in the tournament in Prague. In March 1943, he shared first place with Efim Bogolyubov in a tournament in Warsaw, in April he won in Prague, and in June he shared first place with Paul Keres in Salzburg.
Alekhine gives a simultaneous game session in Munich in 1941.
In addition, Alekhine gave several simultaneous sessions for Wehrmacht officers. A great chess lover, Dr. Hans Frank, the governor-general of occupied Poland, with whom Alekhine also played several games, had a special patronage. In 1942-1943. his main place of residence was Prague. From the end of 1943, Alekhine lived mainly in Spain and Portugal, taking part in chess tournaments there as a representative of the Third Reich.
(It should be noted that the circumstances of the German period of Alekhine's life, as, indeed, of its other periods, are presented in an absolutely fantastic form in the Soviet biographical film about the great chess player "White Snow of Russia" (1980). In general, Alekhine played by Alexander Mikhailov looks like a weak-willed alcoholic who only dreams of returning to Soviet Russia (from which he actually barely escaped alive and in which his brother was killed) and cannot do this only because of his own cowardice and external circumstances. Alekhine was forced to play in Germany, either under pain of being shot, or for ration cards, so as not to starve to death.)
The end of the Second World War found Alekhine in Spain, from where he moved to the Portuguese Estoril in January 1946. In chess circles, a campaign of boycott and harassment unfolded against him for his cooperation with the Germans, but in February 1946 he received a challenge from Botvinnik for a match scheduled before the war and agreed. On March 23, 1946, the FIDE Executive Committee decided to hold the Alekhine-Botvinnik match in London in August of the same year, but the next morning Alekhine was found dead in his hotel room. According to the official medical report, he died of asphyxia caused by a piece of steak, while a number of newspapers listed angina pectoris or heart failure as the cause of death.
death scene
It is not surprising that a version immediately appeared that Alekhine was killed - by the French, who were avenging him for collaborationism, or by Soviet agents. The second assumption looks quite plausible. The possible defeat of the leading Soviet chess player, the Jew Botvinnik, from the anti-Soviet emigrant, anti-Semite and Nazi collaborator Alekhine would have caused significant damage to the prestige of the USSR. To prevent it, NKVD agents could poison the world champion, then staging death from natural causes. This version has many supporters, including the grandmaster's son, Alexander Alekhine the Younger. Even if the true cause of Alekhine's death never becomes known, the fact remains that the legendary chess player passed away undefeated.
Every few years a new world chess champion appears. We have collected all the champions in one place and made a small description of each.
This article contains full list all world chess champions to date. If the article is not relevant, it means that we have not yet added new information. Please write in the comments. Here is a list for faster navigation:
| Title | Who did win | Year |
| 1 world chess champion | 1886 – 1894 | |
| 2 World Chess Champion | 1894 -1921 | |
| 3 World Chess Champion | 1921 – 1927 | |
| 4 World Chess Champion | 1927 – 1935, 1937 – 1946 | |
| 5 World Chess Champion | 1935 – 1937 | |
| 6 World Chess Champion | 1948 – 1957, 1958 – 1960, 1961-1963 | |
| 7th world chess champion | 1957-1958 | |
| 8 World Chess Champion | 1960-1961 | |
| 9 World Chess Champion | 1963-1969 | |
| 10 World Chess Champion | 1969-1972 | |
| 11 World Chess Champion | 1972-1975 | |
| 12 World Chess Champion | 1975-1985 | |
| 13th world chess champion | 1985-1993 | |
| 14 World Chess Champion | 2006 - 2007 | |
| 15 World Chess Champion | 2007 - 2013 | |
| 16th world chess champion | 2013 - present in. |
Chess has been played for over 125 years. During this long time, the conditions of the game have changed many times, and sometimes even her. Therefore, it is quite natural that the criteria for becoming world chess champions in different eras also differed. For example, in the days of Steinitz, tournaments were simultaneously held in several cities at once. Or, for example, the strongest chess player might not agree to accept a challenge to a chess match from a potential new champion if, in his opinion, the opponent does not yet have enough skills to take over the title.
As for today, the conditions and criteria for the inclusion of participants in the fight for the championship title have changed in many ways. A variety of qualifying tournaments are held in several stages, after which the two strongest players meet and compete with each other. Well, now let's look at the list of world chess champions and a brief information about each of them about who went through what on the way to the championship.
1 world chess champion
The first chess champion Wilhelm Steinitz. Place of birth - Prague, year - 1836. Steinitz won this title in 1886, after which he won the game against his main rival - I. Zukertort. Steinitz created a fundamentally new positional game of chess, and also made a great personal contribution to the development of this area.
V. Steinitz began to play at the age of twelve, but the young man did not have the opportunity to show his gift. The first success in chess for Wilhelm was the victory over his father's constant playing partner, a rabbi revered by many. Seriously, the future champion began to play chess only after reaching the age of 23 after graduating from the Polytechnic Institute in Vienna.
2 World Chess Champion
The second world chess champion was Emanuel Lasker. He was born in Poland in 1868 and gained the title of champion in 1894. Lasker was the best player on the planet for 27 years. In addition, he is the author of numerous books on chess.
E. Lasker took over the love for this amazing game from his older brother Berthold Lasker, having started playing at the age of 12. However, truly, professionally, the future chess king began to play only during his first year at the university. Endgame and positional flair were considered the strongest sides of the chess player. During his career as a chess player, he repeatedly abandoned the game for several years to study philosophy and mathematics.
He became the world champion based on the results of a match that took place for a long period (from mid-March to the end of May) in 1894 in Philadelphia, Montreal and New York, where, after playing 19 games, he defeated the first champion, Steinitz.
3 World Chess Champion
The third world chess champion was Jose Raul Capablanca who was born in Cuba in 1888. He won his title by defeating Emanuel Lasker during a match in 1921. Often they spoke of him as an outstanding chess machine, since Capablanca was distinguished by his brilliant chess technique. The third champion learned to play already at the age of four just in the process of watching his father's games.
4 World Chess Champion
The fourth world chess champion was Alexander Alekhin, born in 1892. He learned the rules of the game and the basic moves of Alekhine at the age of seven thanks to his mother and older brother. A. Alekhine was the greatest master of combination and considered chess an art. The chess player achieved his first success during the St. Petersburg tournament in 1909, it was then, at the age of sixteen, that a gymnasium student from Moscow won and was awarded the title of maestro.
A little later, the chess player begins to take part in professional tournaments of a higher level. Alekhin won the match for the title of world champion against Capablanca in 1927 (Buenos Aires). After that, he defended his title two more times, holding it until his death.
5 World Chess Champion
The fifth world chess champion was Max Euwe, born in 1901 in Amsterdam. He learned the basics of the game at the age of 4, began to play in various amateur tournaments - at the age of twelve he became a member chess club in Amsterdam. He started playing professionally at the age of 18. Euwe won the championship match against Alekhine in 1935, but two years later he again lost the championship title to Alekhine.
6 World Chess Champion
The sixth champion was born in 1911. He first got acquainted with the game at the age of 12, after which he began to study from books. Numerous victories in tournaments and championships of the USSR put the young chess player among the best players in the country and soon showed that M. Botvinnik was ready to challenge the title of world champion.
A match-tournament for the championship title took place in 1948 (The Hague-Moscow), and according to its results, Botvinnik became the winner, ahead of the chess player who took second place by 3 points. During the tournament, he confidently outperformed all rivals. For achievements in the field of chess, Botvinnik was awarded numerous orders.
7th world chess champion
The Soviet chess player also became the seventh champion. He learned the rules of the game from his father at the age of six. Smyslov met Botvinnik 3 times during world championship matches. Smyslov received the title of the strongest chess player on the planet in 1957, but a year later he lost to Botvinnik in a rematch.
Smyslov was the winner of a large number of World Olympiads, European team championships, as well as one world championship.
8 World Chess Champion
The eighth world chess champion was, who was born in 1936 in Riga. From early childhood, Tal showed genius in many ways - at the age of three he knew how to read well, at 5 he multiplied three-digit numbers, had an amazing memory, after graduating from the first grade he immediately moved to the third. There were many such achievements in Tal's childhood.
Mikhail Tal learned to play chess at the age of 10, at the age of 16 he became the champion of Latvia, at the age of 21 - the champion of the USSR. Tal became the youngest ever world champion, having won the title in 1960 against Botvinnik. The distinguishing features of Tal's game were aggressiveness and constant willingness to take risks, which allowed him to achieve victory, despite the fact that soon, a year later, he lost again.
9 World Chess Champion
Tigran Petrosyan is the ninth world chess champion. Was born in 1929 in Georgia. The boy learned to play at the age of 11, at the age of 16 he becomes the champion of Georgia in chess. The chess player starts playing professionally after moving to Moscow.
Petrosyan won a victory over M. Botvinnik in 1963, he held his championship title for a period that lasted 6 years. For achievements in chess, Petrosyan was awarded numerous medals and orders.
10 World Chess Champion
Boris Spassky tenth world chess champion. Spassky learned the basics of the game at the age of 5. For the first time he became a participant in the championship of the Soviet Union in 1955, during the same period he was awarded the title of grandmaster (at the age of 17). Thus, the chess player at that time became the youngest grandmaster in the history of chess. In 1969, Spassky won the competition for the championship of the planet over Petrosyan and held the title of the tenth champion for 3 years.
11 World Chess Champion
He received the title of the eleventh world chess champion, who was considered a child prodigy and a genius. He learned to play at the age of six. By the age of twelve, Fischer becomes an American champion, at the age of 15 - an international grandmaster. No one before him in this early age did not achieve such high results. Fischer became world champion in 1972, after he defeated B. Spassky.
12 World Chess Champion
Anatoly Karpov- The twelfth world chess champion. The chess player, born in 1951, learned to play when he was only 4 years old. He became a strong master at the age of 15, at the age of 18 the chess player became the champion in a youth tournament, he received the title of grandmaster at 19. Before Karpov became the world chess champion, he was the winner of many international competitions. He received the title of the 12th world champion in 1975. significantly surpassed other well-known players in the history of chess in terms of the number of victories that he won in numerous international tournaments, matches and competitions.
13th world chess champion
Well-known chess player in the USSR and Russia Garry Kasparov is the thirteenth world chess champion. Place of birth - Baku, year - 1963. At the age of thirteen, he became the champion of the country in a youth tournament (in which 18-year-old chess players participated). At the age of 17, Kasparov received the title of grandmaster. The confrontation between the 12th and 13th champions - Karpov and Kasparov was one of the most powerful in the history of chess. In total, these two great chess players played as many as 5 matches for the world title. As a result, according to the results of the match, which lasted from September 1 to November 10, 1985, the chess player defeated Karpov with a score of 13:11, which brought him the title of the 13th world chess champion.
14 World Chess Champion
Vladimir Kramnik is the fourteenth world chess champion. He was born in 1975 in the city of Tuapse ( Krasnodar region). In 1991, the chess player becomes the world champion in the youth tournament. In the late 90s, the 13th world champion Kasparov himself chose his opponent in the person of Kramnik, who at that time was second in the ratings. Their chess duel took place in 2000, as a result of which Kramnik won and received the title of the 14th champion. After that, in 2004 and 2006 he defended his title twice, defeating Peter Leko and Veselin Topalov.
15 World Chess Champion
Viswanathan Anand- A native of India, in the period from 2007 to 2013 he was the world chess champion, becoming the fifteenth holder of this title. Ananda was taught to play chess by his mother at the age of six, and since then the boy has shown good results in this sport. Already at the age of fourteen, Anand received the title of international master, becoming the youngest holder of the latter in India.
Moving quickly up the stairs chess achievements, in 2007 won the title of world chess champion. The tournament was held in Mexico. In subsequent years (2008, 2010 and 2012), the chess player confirmed his title. At the moment, Anand is the only champion in three different styles of play: knockout system, round robin and head-to-head matches with competitors.
16th world chess champion
Magnus Carlsen- Norwegian, sixteenth (and currently the last) world chess champion. He won the world title in 2013, having fought with the fifteenth world champion - Viswanathan Anand. The young champion began to play chess at the age of five with his father, and became seriously interested in the game at eight, starting to study special literature and play the game for 2-3 hours a day.
Possessing extraordinary abilities, Magnus quickly developed professional skills. Experts predicted Magnus the title of champion back in 2004. World-class grandmasters note that Magnus is not a unique strategist, but his ability to find solutions where others would agree to a draw, and to feel the opponent's psychology is amazing.
So far, it remains the first and only champion in three categories at the same time: classic game, blitz and rapid.
Good day, dear friend!
The strongest is always in sight. Everyone wants to know about him, to imitate his manners, style of behavior, methods of preparation. World Chess Champions not an exception. In today's article, we will remember who has held this title over the past 130 years.
If you want to follow the championship path, you have a lot of work ahead of you. And you can and should start with special training programs for chess players.
Why there are 16 champions
At the end of 2016 Magnus Carlsen defended the title of chess champion in a difficult match against Sergey Karjakin. Carlsen in chess world considered the 16th world champion.
And now about those fifteen outstanding chess players who were his predecessors.
It should be noted that the period 1993 to 2006. in the chess world it is customary to call it "time of troubles". At that time, the title existed in two versions - FIDE and PSHA. In addition, the title of the champion during this period was not played in matches, but in a tournament format. The winner of the tournament with the participation of contenders received the title of world champion.
No one detracts from the importance of victory in the fight for the championship.However, the value of the championship during this period of time is somewhat lower than the title won match . This is not an author's opinion, but an assessment of the chess world.
It is believed that there are 16 recognized champions in classical chess. These are the champions who won the title in a full official match. Let's talk about them in more detail. Who was champion in the 19th and 20th century, and who became champion literally today, at the end 2016.
All champions
The following is a list of men's champions in chronological order in classical chess. If you prefer detailed by year and in a more compact form, you are welcome here: history table.
1 world champion - Wilhelm STEINitz
Championship period 1886 - 1894. Represented Austria.
Steinitz - the very first official champion. The title was won as a result of winning the match with Zuckertort. Steinitz then defended his title twice. In 1889 in the first match M Chigorin and in 1892. - in the second. Between these two matches with the great Russian chess player, Steinitz beat I. Gunsberg.
Lost the title in 1894 in a match with Lasker.
Steinitz, like most chess players of the 19th century, was an adherent of the combination game. However, his approach already clearly showed a strategic approach to the game and the match as a whole. In particular, Steinitz knew how to save his strength for the final spurt and often outplayed his opponent at the very end of the match.
Last game of the match for the title against Zukertort
Steinitz,W - Zukertort,J
World Championship 1st USA (20) 3/29/1886
2 world champion - Emmanuil LASKER
Championship period 1894 - 1921. Represented Austria.
Second world champion. He is the champion in the duration of the championship - 27 years.
After the victory over Steinitz in 1894. he sat on the throne until 1921, when he lost the match to Capablanca.
Lasker is a universal style chess player. He had an excellent positional instinct and was especially strong in the endgame. Perhaps the first of the great chess players, he attached great importance to the psychological aspects of the game. In addition to chess, he achieved fame as a mathematician.
"Championship" game of the match for the title against Steinitz
Lasker,E—Steinitz,W
World Championship 5th USA/CAN (19) 05/26/1894
3 world champion - Jose Raul CAPABLANCA
Championship period 1921 - 1927. Country - Cuba
Capablanca was a chess prodigy. Already in childhood, he began to show quite masterful results. In 1911 "thrown down the gauntlet to Lasker" in order to take the title away from him. The match, however, took place only in 1921. In Havana. As expected, Capablanca confidently defeated the fading champion.
Capablanca had the fame of a "chess machine". His playing style was distinguished by filigree technique, precise calculation of variations. Capablanca was a supporter of the theory of "draw death" of chess, believing that when the right game games must end in a draw.
In this he was mistaken, which was shown by the subsequent history of the development of chess. In chess, more and more new layers were opened up. Truly there is no limit to fantasy, creativity, psychology of influence.
In 1927 a historic match with Alexander Alekhine took place. Contrary to the expectations of Capablanca's victory, Alekhine won the match.
The confrontation between the great chess players lasted another twenty years. But they did not manage to meet in the match for the world championship.
Winning game of the title match against Lasker:
Lasker,E - Capablanca,J
World Championship 12th Havana (14) 04/20/1921
4 world champion - Alexander ALEKHIN
The period of "reign" 1927 - 1935, then 1937 - 1946. Represented Russia and France.
The first Russian world champion.
Alekhin was born in Russia. After various dramatic upheavals of the First World War, the proletarian revolution, in 1921, already being one of the leading chess players in the world, he finally left his homeland and settled in France.
In 1927 in the match for the world championship, he defeated J.R. Capablanca. In 1935 briefly lost the title to Max Euwe. Then he took revenge. The only champion who passed away with the title of world champion.
Alekhine is a versatile chess player. Analyst, researcher, writer. And of course a player of exceptional practical strength. Considered one of the strongest world champions of all time.
Final game of the championship match against Capablanca
Alekhine,A - Capablanca,J
World Championship 13th Buenos-Aires (34) 11/26/1927
5 world champion - Max EYWE
Championship period 1935 - 1937. Represented Holland.
The victory in the match over Alekhine was seen as a sensation. Even Euwe's compatriots did not expect this, not to mention Alekhine himself, who easily agreed to play on the “opponent's field”. Whatever they say, Euwe's victory was deserved and won in a fair fight.
Max Euwe in life was an intelligent and versatile person. He taught mathematics and had the title of professor. In the future, he served as the head of FIDE.
A turning point in the match with Alekhine for the championship title:
Alekhine, A - Euwe, M
World Championship 16th NLD U25 12/01/1935
6 world champion - Mikhail BOTVINNIK
Championship periods: 1948 - 1957, then from 1958 to 1960, then from 1961 to 1963. Country - USSR.
The very first world champion from the USSR.
Mikhail Botvinnik learned chess at the age of twelve. Nevertheless, perseverance, perseverance and a "scientific" approach to chess did their job - by the age of 30, Botvinnik had moved to a leading position in Soviet and world chess.
Everyone was looking forward to the match for the title of champion with Alexander Alekhin. But the war got in the way. After the death of Alekhine in 1948, a match-tournament for the world championship took place, which brought a landslide victory for Botvinnik.
The only champion who twice regained the title of champion, defeating Mikhail Tal and Vasily Smyslov in rematches.
Botvinnik was distinguished by thoroughness of preparation, taking into account the psychological characteristics of his opponent, and a true champion's character.
The game in the match against Bronstein, in which Botvinnik equalized the score and retained the “crown”
Botvinnik,M - Bronstein,D
World Championship 19th Moscow (23) 05/08/1951
7th world champion - Vasily SMYSLOV
World Champion in 1957 - 1958. Country: USSR
Vasily Smyslov is a brilliant chess theorist and outstanding practitioner. As part of the USSR team, he won chess Olympiads ten times.
In 1957 won the qualifying round and got the opportunity to play a match with the world champion. The match with M. Botvinnik ended with the victory of Smyslov. Approximately a year later, Mikhail Botvinnik convincingly took revenge.
Decisive winning game in the match against Botvinnik
Smyslov,V - Botvinnik,M
World Championship 21th Moscow U20 04/23/1957
8 world champion - Mikhail TAL
World champion in 1960 - 1961. USSR
Tal defeated Mikhail Botvinnik in a championship match at the age of 23. This is a record for that time.
Tal professed an attacking combinational style of play. Did not take into account the victims on the altar of the attack. This manner impressed the audience very much. Mikhail Tal, without exaggeration, was everyone's favorite.
The Almighty generously endowed Tal with talent. But did not give health at all. Diseases became a common companion of Mikhail Nekhemievich in everyday life. And the sports mode for him was not something sacred.
Nevertheless, the huge talent and accumulated experience allowed Tal to last days to be one of the world's leading chess players.
Decisive game in the match for the title against Botvinnik
Tal,M - Botvinnik,M
World Championship 23th Moscow U19 05/03/1960
9th world champion - Tigran PETROSYAN
Championship period 1963 - 1969. USSR
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosyan won the right to contest the title in 1962 when he won the Candidates Tournament. The duel with M. Botvinnik took place in 1963. brought victory to Petrosian. Three years later he defended the title in a match with Boris Spassky. And yet three years later, in 1969. ceded the title to the latter.
Tigran Petrosyan was an outstanding "defender" and a master of positional play. With incredible ingenuity, he led the defense of difficult positions, at the first opportunity turning into a counterattack. Petrosyan's tactical vigilance was also at its best.
Petrosyan is an outstanding theoretician who generously shared his skills with young chess players. Vel community service, was the chief editor of the magazine "64". PhD in Philosophy.
Winning game in the title match against Botvinnik:
Petrosian,T-Botvinnik,M
World Championship 25th Moscow U19 05/11/1963
10 world champion - Boris SPASSKY
World champion in the period 1969 - 1972. Country: USSR, France
Boris Spassky back in 1955. won the junior world championship. It took another long fourteen years to get to adult triumph. That day came in 1969. the field of victory in the match over Petrosyan The second match in a row.
In 1972, a notorious match with Robert Fischer took place in which Boris Vasilyevich lost the crown to an outstanding American grandmaster.
Spassky is one of the most versatile chess players In his best years, he had no weaknesses and it was incredibly difficult to defeat him.
In the early eighties he moved to France. But he does not lose touch with his homeland, he visits Russia and helps young chess players. There are several chess schools under Spassky's patronage.
Winning game in the match against Petrosyan
Spassky,B-Petrosian,T
World Championship 27th Moscow U21 11.06.1969
11 world champion - Robert FISHER
Championship period 1972 - 1975. US citizenship
Robert Fischer devoted himself entirely to chess. Even dropped out of school. At fifteen, he is already a grandmaster. The youngest in history at that time.
In America, there was no state program for the development of chess, and in this regard, Fischer had a hard time. This is a man who made himself a world champion exclusively by himself. Talent, hard work, exceptional devotion to chess are the hallmarks of Robert Fischer.
Fischer has achieved exceptional game strength and is one of the strongest champions.
He won the title of champion in 1972, having defeated all the contenders in the qualifying matches: Larsen, Taimanov (both dry -6:0!), Petrosyan. In the match for the title, without visible effort, he defeated Boris Spassky.
Oddly enough, the final game of the match against Spassky turned out to be the last in Fischer's official career. He refused the match with Karpov, despite lengthy negotiations. Fischer never played more than one game in official tournaments. This is one of the biggest mysteries in chess history that remains unsolved to this day.
The final game of the match with Spassky:
Spassky,B—Fischer,R
World Championship 28th Reykjavik U21 08/31/1972
12 world champion - Anatoly KARPOV
The period of "reign" 1975 - 1985. Country: USSR / Russia
Anatoly Karpov returned the championship title to our country. And although the match with Fischer did not take place, Karpov's championship is not questioned in objectivity. At that time, he was the strongest grandmaster (not counting Fischer), who confidently won the qualifying round.
In the early 80s, the era of confrontation between Karpov and Kasparov began, who played several protracted matches between themselves. The last of them, in 1985, ended with the victory of Garry Kasparov.
Karpov is notable for his outstanding mastery of positional maneuvering and his pragmatic attitude to the game. In terms of the number of tournaments won, Anatoly Karpov is far superior to everyone else.
Anatoly Evgenievich is still in the ranks, periodically successfully participating in major tournaments.
The famous winning game against Viktor Korchnoi at 5:5
Karpov,A - Kortschnoj,V
World Championship 29th Baguio City (32) 10/17/1978
13th world champion - Garry Kasparov
World champion in the period 1985 - 2000. USSR / Russia
The star Garry Kasparov quickly rose on the chess horizon by the beginning of the 80s.
In 1981 he became the youngest champion of the country. Then the era of confrontation with Karpov began. In 1985 Harry finally tried on the crown of the champion.
For about 20 years, Kasparov had the highest rating among chess players, reaching a value of 2850 points. An astronomical figure for those times.
The independence of Kasparov's views also played a role in the emergence of disagreements with FIDE. As a result of which Kasparov organized an alternative organization - the PCA.
In recent years, Garry Kimovich has moved away from active chess.
Kasparov is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding chess players. He is distinguished by an active, even aggressive style of play, excellent opening preparation, accurate calculation of variations
Winning game in a match against Karpov in 1985.
Karpov, A - Kasparov, G
World Championship 32th-KK2 Moscow U24 09.11.1985
14th world champion - Vladimir KRAMNIK
World champion in the period 2000 - 2007. Represents Russia.
In 2006 Vladimir Kramnik won the match against Veselin Topalov and became the 14th world champion. It wasn't a surprise. Before fighting for the top title, Kramnik won the World Youth Championships twice and became the PCA World Champion. Thus both titles were merged.
About a year later, Kramnik lost the championship title to Anand.
Vladimir Kramnik's playing style is reminiscent of Karpov's. A chess player of exceptional strength, Kramnik is still among the elite of world chess, consistently occupying a place in the top five.
Decisive game against Kasparov for the title of champion according to the PSHA
Kramnik,V — Kasparov,G
BGN World Chess Championship London (10) 10/24/2000
15th world champion - Viswanathan ANAND
Championship period 2007 - 2013. Country: India
First International Grandmaster in India.
Vishy Anand became world champion by winning the championship tournament in Mexico City in 2007.
Then he successfully defended his title three times. The 15th world champion is exceptionally quick-thinking and a recognized master of rapid and blitz chess.
Known in chess as a true gentleman. Anand's attractive image combines the charm of José Rul Capablanca, Botvinnik's will to win, and Kasparov's energy and talent.
Resigned as World Champion in 2013 after losing a match to Carlsen.
Decisive game of the match against Kramnik:
Anand,V - Kramnik,V
WCh Bonn GER (6) 10/21/2008
16 world champion - Magnus CARLSEN
World Champion from 2013 to present. Norway
Magnus Carlsen is, without exaggeration, a chess prodigy. He became a grandmaster at the age of 13, breaking all conceivable records.
Magnus became the world champion in 2013, defeating Anand in a match. Has the highest rating in the history of chess.
More recently, at the end 2016defended his title in a match against Sergey Karjakin. Contrary to expectations, the match was difficult for the champion. Karjakin was at his best. According to other estimates, Carlsen was not in the best shape. One way or another, Magnus won only in a tie-break.
Magnus Carlsen is a public person. He travels a lot, goes in for sports, starred in commercials. I think we will hear his name for a long time. Both in connection with chess and outside of it.
Last winning game against Anand in the 2013 title match
Anand-Carlsen World Championship (9)
And a couple more words about champions
In conclusion, I will say that the titles of world chess champions exist, of course, not only among men and in classical chess. I consider it unnecessary to overload the article too much, I will simply list:
Women's World Champion: Hou Yifan, China
Blitz world champion 2017: Sergey Karyakin, Russia
World champions "tournament" in the period of "troubles" 1993-2006. - in this table at the end.
We will discuss these topics in more detail in future articles.
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Have a nice day!
So, today we have Saturday, May 20, 2017 and we traditionally offer you answers to the quiz in the "Question - Answer" format. The questions we meet are both the most simple and quite complex. The quiz is very interesting and quite popular, but we just help you test your knowledge and make sure that you have chosen the correct answer out of the four proposed. And we have another question in the quiz - Who was the only chess player who passed away in the rank of the reigning world champion?
- Wilhelm Steinz
- Mikhail Tal
- Jose Raul Capablanca
- Alexander Alekhin
The correct answer is D - Alexander Alekhin
Alexander Alekhin (1892 1946) - Russian chess player, fourth world chess champion - from 1927 (after the victory over Capablanca) to 1935 and from 1937 (after the victory over Max Euwe) to 1946. In 1921 he emigrated to France. Alekhin is a representative of the Russian chess school of Alexander Petrov and Mikhail Chigorin. Brilliant combinational chess player, world record holder in blind play. Alekhine is the only chess player who died while being the reigning world champion.
Hockey player Gordie Howe, weightlifter Leonid Zhabotinsky and many others. RT remembers the legends and idols of millions and pays tribute to those who have left our world.
Flutter like a butterfly, sting like a bee
In early June, the world lost one of the most outstanding boxers, who was called the greatest during his professional career. On June 3, Mohammed Ali died - a man whose name was known even to that category of people who are not fond of sports in principle.
Already at the age of 18, the born Cassius Clay won the Olympic gold medal. He was proud of his achievement and appeared everywhere with his award. But after one of the establishments in his native Louisville refused to serve Clay, he left Clay in frustration and threw the medal into the Ohio River the same day.
Muhammad Ali globallookpress.com © imago sportfotodienst
Only in 1996, at the home Olympics in Atlanta, the champion was awarded a duplicate gold medal. By this time, the boxer became known to everyone as Mohammed Ali. This happened after he firmly associated himself with the American organization "Nation of Islam".
At 22, he became a world champion, but the refusal to do military service in the United States deprived him of all titles. Ali managed to return to the sport and, in the fight against the great boxers of his time, regain the title of world champion, and his confrontations with Joe Frazier and George Foreman became iconic. Mohammed was not shy about sharp statements, and some of his phrases later became winged. The most famous of them is “Hands work, eyes see. Flutter like a butterfly, pity like a bee.
Mohammed Ali globallookpress.com In 1980, Ali ended his career, and four years later he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, which causes a violation of the locomotor system. At the age of 74, the boxer died due to septic shock. One of the most touching posts on social networks was left by the former world boxing champion Mike Tyson. “God has come for his champion. Great for a long time,” Tyson wrote on his Twitter.
God came for his champion. So long great one. @MuhammadAli #TheGreatest #RIP pic.twitter.com/jhXyqOuabi
Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) June 4, 2016
Flying Dutchman
While still a football player, Johan Cruyff was close to the title of world and European champion, but in 1974 the Dutch lost to the German national team in the final of the world championship, and two years later, at the championship of the continent, they were content with only bronze medals.
Cruyff won title after title with Ajax, while at Barcelona he only managed to celebrate a triumph in the Spanish Championship once. However, becoming a coach, he filled the gap, leading the Catalans to gold medals four times in eight years.
Johan Cruyff
In the 90s, Barcelona became the dominant force and talents like Josep Guardiola, Gheorghe Hadji, Ronald Koeman, Mikael Laudrup, Romário and Hristo Stoichkov were revealed under Cruyff. In the 1991/92 season, Barcelona won the European Cup for the first time in history. But in 1996, the Dutchman left the Spanish team and never returned to coaching.
“Most of all I love to watch the children play in the yard. This is the most sincere football. Exactly the one in which my teams played, ”Cruyff said.
He was a heavy smoker and was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2015. In March 2016, the Dutchman died at the age of 68.
Mister Hockey
Just a week after the death of Muhammad Ali, the sports world suffered another irreparable loss. At the age of 89, Gordie Howe, a hockey legend, has died, after whom a specific hat-trick is named - a situation when a hockey player scores a puck, gives an assist and fights in one game. He was quite aggressive on the ice and good in attack, which provoked not only the appearance of the mentioned term, but also the nickname "Mr. Elbows". However, as soon as Howe crossed the mark of 500 abandoned goals in his career, the nickname "Mr. Hockey" was assigned to him for life.
Gordie Howe globallookpress.com © Doug Ball/STRTCPI
During his 35-year career, he primarily played for Detroit, with whom he won four Stanley Cups. At 43, he announced his retirement, but two years later he returned to big-time sports and joined the Houston Eros, then playing in the WHA. After the merger of the WHA and the NHL, Howe played for the Hartford Whalers, where he ended his professional career in 1980. As a result, Detroit, Hartford and Houston retired Gordy's number 9 as a sign of respect.
In the last years of his life, health problems made themselves felt. He suffered a stroke in 2014 and died two years later.
Idol Schwarzenegger
One of the first losses of the year was the departure of Leonid Zhabotinsky. The weightlifter passed away two weeks before his 78th birthday.
In 1963, he set his first world record by lifting a barbell weighing 165 kg. But at the World Championships in Stockholm, such a result was not enough to win and he became a bronze medalist. In total, during his career, Zhabotinsky set 19 world achievements.
Leonid Zhabotinsky
RIA News
A streak of victories overtook Zhabotinsky in the second half of the 1960s. He won two golds - first at the Olympics in Tokyo, and four years later in Mexico City. To two Olympic medals of the highest standard, he added four gold medals from world championships and brought two from continental championships.
The Soviet athlete over the years of his career has become a cult not only for colleagues, but also for bodybuilders. The most famous of them, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has repeatedly called Leonid his idol and role model. “I have been rooting for you since childhood. Even during the Tokyo Olympics, although Shemansky and Gubner competed there. Of course, I was also worried about them, but for some reason I wanted you to win ... ”, Schwarzenegger said to Zhabotinsky during his visit to the United States.
The death of the Brazilian football team
At the end of the year, there was a plane crash in Colombia that killed most of the Brazilian Chapecoense football team. There were 77 people on board, six managed to survive, but the goalkeeper of the club Danilo died in one of the hospitals. Five people survived, of which three players - 24-year-old goalkeeper Jaxon Folmann, 27-year-old defender Alan Ruschel and 31-year-old defensive player Neto.
FC Chapecoense
globallookpress.com © Marco Galvao/ZUMAPRESS.com Chapecoense headed to the first match of the Copa Sudamericana against Atlético Nacional, but that game was not to be. As a result, a proposal was made to declare the Brazilian team the winner of the tournament. The South American Football Confederation accepted it. Matches around the world began with a moment of silence in memory of the dead.
The World Chess Championship match between Norwegian Magnus Carlsen and Russian Sergey Karjakin has become one of the main sporting events of the outgoing year not only in the world of chess. Unfortunately, such grandiose events will not be able to make up for the bitterness of loss in this sport.
On June 6, the legendary grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi passed away. In 1978 and 1981 he twice applied for chess crown, but in both cases lost to Anatoly Karpov and could not go down in history as a world champion.
Viktor Korchnoi
RIA News
During the Karjakin-Carlsen meeting, 90-year-old chess player Mark Taimanov died, and the day before his death, grandmaster, former Russian champion in classical chess Yury Eliseev tragically died at the age of 20 - the young man fell from a great height while trying to climb from the window to the balcony .
Yuri Eliseev
© Russian Chess Federation
At the beginning of the year, 20-year-old Russian chess player Ivan Bukavshin died during a training camp. The cause of the tragedy was a stroke. Successes at a young age made him one of the most promising in his craft, but Bukavshin's dreams were not destined to come true.
Ivan Bukavshin
© ladachess.ru A little more than a month was not enough for Samuil Zhukhovitsky to celebrate his 100th birthday. One of the oldest chess players in the world has died at the age of 99, and one of the rapid chess competitions has become a tournament in his memory.
Samuil Zhukhovitsky
© Wikimedia Commons
Also in the past year, the sports world lost chess player and author Evgeny Gik, who died at the age of 73. In addition, international chess master Mark Dvoretsky passed away. He was 68 years old.
Evgeniy Gik © Wikimedia Commons
Football and hockey
On January 7, the famous football player and coach Sergei Shustikov, the son of the legendary Torpedo football player Viktor Shustikov, passed away. Sergei managed to play abroad, but did not achieve significant achievements in Spain. In 2004, he ended his career, and in 2009 he became the coach of CSKA. He left the capital club after five years.
He died at the age of 45 in the arms of his wife. “We called an ambulance when there was the first attack. When the doctors did not come for a long time, the second happened. I had an earring on my hands. Breathed. I held it. He was weakening, ”said Sergey’s wife Natalya after his death.
Sergei Shustikov (left)
RIA News
One of the most talented football players of his generation, Artyom Bezrodny, has died at the age of 37. He was a prominent figure in Spartak, won the Russian championship four times, tried to play in Europe, but injuries and a difficult character did not allow him to prove himself in the German Bayer. Leaving Spartak in 2002 was the last notable milestone in Bezrodny's career. Artyom died in his native Sumy.
Artyom Bezrodny
RIA News
In 2016, the football world lost two legends of Soviet football. The 1956 Olympic champions Anatoly Isaev and Anatoly Ilyin, who forged the glory of the Moscow Spartak, have passed away.
Anatoly Isaev and Anatoly Ilyin.
globallookpress.com © Dmitry Golubovich/Russian Look
Two-time Olympic volleyball champion Galina Leontyeva died on February 4. In addition to victories at the Olympics, she twice became the champion of Europe and once the world champion.
Galina Leontieva
© Wikimedia Commons
Soviet athlete Faina Melnik passed away on December 16. She knew no equal in discus throwing at the 1972 Olympics. Melnik won two more continental championships (1971 and 1974).
