The Karpov–Kasparov Wars
Between 1984 and 1990, Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov played five World Championship matches, 144 games in total. No rivalry in competitive chess has approached this intensity. Karpov, the established champion, represented the Soviet chess establishment: precise, positional, methodical. Kasparov, the challenger, represented the new generation: dynamic, aggressive, revolutionary. Their clash was simultaneously a chess contest, a political struggle, and a personal war that pushed both men to their physical and psychological limits.
Match 1 (1984-85): The marathon
The first match, played in Moscow, was supposed to run until one player won six games. After five months and 48 games, the longest match in championship history, Karpov led 5-3 but was visibly exhausted, having lost significant weight. FIDE President Florencio Campomanes controversially terminated the match "without result," citing both players' health. Kasparov, who had won the last two games and was building momentum, protested furiously. The decision remains the most controversial in chess governance history.
Match 2 (1985): Kasparov takes the crown
The rematch began in September 1985. Kasparov, now 22, played with ferocious energy. After falling behind early, he won the decisive Game 24 to claim the title by the narrowest possible margin: 13-11. He became the youngest World Champion in history, a record that stood until Gukesh broke it in 2024. The chess was extraordinary: Kasparov's Sicilian victories in this match remain some of the finest attacking games ever played.
Match 3 (1986): Karpov fights back
The London-Leningrad rematch was the most evenly contested. Karpov, stung by the loss of his title, played the best chess of his life. The match seesawed dramatically, Karpov won Game 5 with a stunning exchange sacrifice; Kasparov responded with equally brilliant play. Kasparov retained the title with a final score of 12½-11½, winning the decisive game in the last round. Many chess historians consider this the highest-quality World Championship match ever played.
Match 4 (1987): Seville
Seville 1987 produced the most dramatic finish in championship history. Going into the final game, Game 24, Karpov led by one point, meaning he only needed a draw to reclaim the title. Kasparov needed a win. He played the Réti Opening, steered into a sharp middlegame, and won a brilliant game under enormous pressure. The final score of 12-12 meant Kasparov retained the title as the defending champion. The relief on his face at the press conference told the story of the psychological toll.
Match 5 (1990): The end
By 1990, both players were exhausted by the rivalry. The match in New York and Lyon was decisive but anticlimactic compared to the earlier wars. Kasparov won 12½-11½, and this time there would be no rematch, the political landscape of chess was shifting, and within three years Kasparov would break away from FIDE entirely.
The five matches produced chess of extraordinary depth and quality. Kasparov's Sicilian innovations, Karpov's positional masterclass, and the sheer competitive intensity made this the defining rivalry of 20th-century chess. Explore games from both players in our legends archive.