RM. A very potted history of the chess world championship for you, with as per our old conversation, a bit of darts comparison which I see, maybe others think bollocks.
Taken from my own knowledge and for some checking detail, here:
http://www.chessgames.com/wcc.html and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chess_Championship But you know I don't do truncated well, so just a bit long.
There were players considered the best in the world going back centuries included Ruy Lopez who gave his name to the opening used in game 2 of Carlsen v Anand but it was C19 that things became more organised but not properly. The players below without numbers were considered the best at the time, who beat the best in exhibition games or tournaments.
Steinitz is considered the first 'proper' world champion after beating Anderssen in 1886. Lasker's reign looks good but contained years of not playing. At the time the challenger had to raise funds to challenge the champion who could set favourable conditions for himself and meant only those with big backers got a chance. Capablanca probably could have won earlier but for this. Some order and 'London Rules' got things sorted a bit.
Of those of interest in the list, Capablanca was a great player, bit of a showman and celeb of the time. Morphy was a child prodigy but a bit sad, retired early and died young. There is a Max Euwe Plein in Amsterdam where have been.
World Champions pre-FIDE:
Name Year Country
Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais 1821–1840 France
Pierre Charles Fournier de Saint-Amant 1840–1843 France
Howard Staunton 1843–1851 England
Adolf Anderssen 1851–1858 1862–1866 Prussia
Paul Morphy 1858–1862 United States
1. Wilhelm Steinitz 1886–1894 Austria-Hungary England United States
2. Emanuel Lasker 1894–1921 Germany
3. José Raúl Capablanca 1921–1927 Cuba
4. Alexander Alekhine 1927–1935 1937–1946 Russia France
5. Max Euwe 1935–1937 Netherlands
So post WW2 and Alekhine's death meant the loss of a linear champion, FIDE then started to arrange something more formalised. A tournament of the best players was arranged and Botvinik won.
Then the WC was in three yearly cycles with zonals, interzonals and candidates tournaments to decide who played the champ. Note the Soviet domination during this time. Tal was a legend and great drinker. Then lo we have Bobby Fischer.
Cold war at it's height. One crazy fucked up man, so much written and spoken about him. Always fighting against the man, the Soviets, later fugitive and general cunt but his genius cannot be denied and one of the best players ever. Documentary here about him:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJjrYKOWMRQ
And one specifically about the Spassky match in Reykjavik, 1972. Both are excellent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwLM9bgE3tY
But because of more problems with the man, he foreited his defence and Karpov took the title.
So onto the bit I related to the arrars. Karpov, dour, was the Soviet man. Onto the scene comes a wildman, the Beast of Baku, Gary Kasparov and despite some socalled shenanigans, they played against each other five times. The bright young thing destroying all and playing the best ever chess. Think there was a comparison to Bristow taking over.
FIDE world champions 1948–1993:
Name Year Country
6. Mikhail Botvinnik 1948–1957 1958–1960 1961–1963 Soviet Union (Russia)
7. Vasily Smyslov 1957–1958 Soviet Union (Russia)
8. Mikhail Tal 1960–1961 Soviet Union (Latvia)
9. Tigran Petrosian 1963–1969 Soviet Union (Armenia)
10. Boris Spassky 1969–1972 Soviet Union (Russia)
11. Robert J. Fischer 1972–1975 United States
12. Anatoly Karpov 1975–1985 Soviet Union (Russia)
13. Garry Kasparov 1985–1993 Soviet Union (Russia) Russia
So Kasparov was champion and on we go to split. 1993 and Britain's Nigel Short had won the candidates to challenge Kasparov. FIDE announced it was to be played in Manchester and Short and Kasparov, unhappy at not being included broke and formed the PCA. Match was played in London, organised by H&J friend of the show, Raymond Keene and live on C4 and highlights shown on BBC. Great times, chess at it's peak in the UK. Sad that Short is a dullard and quite stereotypical of the geek chess player,
but hey he got hammered.
So FIDE stripped Kasparov and Short, had their title between Karpov and Timman who Short had beat, so lo, like the arrars, we have two titles, FIDE (establishment) and newcomer PCA. As Kasparov was best in the world and linear champ, that is the one numbered in the list of champions, listed as the Classical world championship.
Anyway, both continued, some players like Anand played in both and the PCA folded and went back into the FIDE fold, some say because Kasparov played IBMs Deep Blue yet the PCA was sponsored by Intel. Kramnik won the reunification match.
Note Kasparov was born in Azer, Azer, the beast of Baku, but represented Russia where he is still a political thorn in Putin's side. Image the sexpest standing for election
So on we go to third darts comparison. Kasparov (now Taylor)
greatest player ever, unsurpassed ratings but getting an old man with the young contenders coming through. One or two he could swat away, but the onslaught was too much. A few won here and there and lo came a young boy from Norway, Magnus Carlsen.
New and fresh, ripe for the social meeja age, still how the fuck does he do modelling? Becomes world champion and takes ratings to ever higher levels. Can MvG do the same?
FIDE world champions 1993–2006:
Name Year Country
1 Anatoly Karpov 1993–1999 Russia
2 Alexander Khalifman 1999–2000 Russia
3. Viswanathan Anand 2000–2002 India
4. Ruslan Ponomariov 2002–2004 Ukraine
5. Rustam Kasimdzhanov 2004–2005 Uzbekistan
6. Veselin Topalov 2005–2006 Bulgaria
Classical world champions 1993–2006:
Name Year Country
13. Garry Kasparov 1993–2000 Russia
14. Vladimir Kramnik 2000–2006 Russia
Undisputed world champions 2006–present:
Name Year Country
14. Vladimir Kramnik 2006–2007 Russia
15. Viswanathan Anand 2007–2013 India
16. Magnus Carlsen 2013–present Norway
Mentioned Kasparov v Deep Blue earlier, another excellent documentary about the second match in 1997 which Kasparov lost. People say MvG is expressive, but Kasparov is a master of it, especially on the board. Not much of a poker face:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDe-uHsEMn8
Finally and same as in all sports, comparisons between the eras. Chess uses the ELO system, anyone who has played in a tournament or game online will have one. Super GM is 2700+, a few have been over 2800, Carlsen is currently 2863. Various comparisons between the eras, gets a bit complex but fascinating to see where old players rank and best runs and performances here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison ... ut_history
Enjoyed that, hope anyone who survived reading got something out of it, as Jerry says and off later to watch game 4.
Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline.
Non mihi, non tibi, sed nobis.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
their all-round preparation must be meticulous, which is possibly where the darts analogy begins to break down, ahem, the state Lewis turned up in this week, distracted and wobbling, although, that said, some of them take it all very seriously, some like Paul Nicholson perhaps too seriously.
