Manoeuvres in Moscow Karpov-Kasparov II
Manoeuvres in Moscow Karpov-Kasparov II
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Manoeuvres in Moscow Karpov-Kasparov II

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Author: Keene, Raymond Dennis (1948- ) and David Simon Charles Goodman inscribed by both authors

Year: 1985

Publisher: B T Batsford LTD

Place: London

Description:

iv+124 pages with diagrams and tables. Octavo (8 1/2" x 5 1/2") bound in original publisher's pictorial wrappers. Inscribed by both authors to International Master Rolf Littorin (1922-2015), chess collector and one of the original founders of the KWA. (Lusis: 2323) First edition.

Includes background information notes on the relations between the players, some of their past results, 24 games with notes.

The World Chess Championship 1984 match between Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov had many ups and downs, and a very controversial finish. Karpov started in very good form, and after nine games Kasparov was down 4-0 in a "first to six wins" match. Fellow players predicted he would be whitewashed 6-0 within 18 games. In an unexpected turn of events, there followed a series of 17 successive draws, some relatively short, and others drawn in unsettled positions. Kasparov lost game 27 (5-0), then fought back with another series of draws until game 32 (5-1), earning his first-ever win against the World Champion. Another 14 successive draws followed, through game 46; the previous record length for a world title match had been 34 games, the match of Jose Raul Capablanca vs. Alexander Alekhine in 1927. Kasparov won games 47 and 48 to bring the scores to 5-3 in Karpov's favor. Then the match was ended without result by Florencio Campomanes, the President of Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE), and a new match was announced to start a few months later. The termination was controversial, as both players stated that they preferred the match to continue. Announcing his decision at a press conference, Campomanes cited the health of the players, which had been strained by the length of the match.

The second Karpov-Kasparov match in 1985 was organized in Moscow as the best of 24 games where the first player to win 12 1/2 points would claim the World Champion title. The scores from the terminated match would not carry over; however, in the event of a 12-12 draw, the title would remain with Karpov. On 9 November 1985, Kasparov secured the title by a score of 13-11, winning the 24th game with Black, using a Sicilian defense. He was 22 years old at the time, making him the youngest ever World Champion, and breaking the record held by Mikhail Tal for over 20 years. Kasparov's win as Black in the 16th game has been recognized as one of the all-time masterpieces in chess history. As part of the arrangements following the aborted 1984 match, Karpov had been granted (in the event of his defeat) a right to rematch. Another match took place in 1986, hosted jointly in London and Leningrad, with each city hosting 12 games. At one point in the match, Kasparov opened a three-point lead and looked well on his way to a decisive match victory. But Karpov fought back by winning three consecutive games to level the score late in the match. At this point, Kasparov dismissed one of his seconds, grandmaster Evgeny Vladimirov, accusing him of selling his opening preparation to the Karpov team (as described in Kasparov's autobiography Unlimited Challenge). Kasparov scored one more win and kept his title by a final score of 12 1/2-11 1/2.

Condition:

Inscribed on title by both authors. Corners bumped, some pencil notes by Littorin, else a very good copy.