Anatoly Karpov never followed the known paths of Chess strategy. Yet he was the most feared opponent for almost two decades and is considered one of the greatest players in the history of Chess.

Anatoly Karpov was born on 23rd May 1951 in Zlatoust, Russia. He showed exceptional talent in defeating well-known Chess players very early in life and improved much faster than other players of his age. 

In 1969, Karpov won the World Junior Chess Crown, thereby becoming a real force to reckon with. The Western Chess world started talking about him, but he was never considered to be a genius. Thus, when he won the World Championship Throne in 1975 due to ‘forfeit’ by Bobby Fischer, the Western media looked down upon Karpov as if it was his fault.

Despite these, Anatoly Karpov reigned supreme for a full decade before losing the World Championship Match to the ‘Child of Change’, Garry Kasparov.

Probably Anatoly Karpov is the strongest endgame player of all times, with a deep sense of endgame planning and strategy, combined with engine-like accuracy. His ability to improve his position without letting the opponent having a slightest clue of it was always a masterstroke. With this, he easily won ‘drawn’ endgames.

Karpov is probably the only Chess player who remained the World Championship Challenger for almost a decade after losing the World Chess Crown. In fact, Kasparov and his team took several years to find the right way of fighting Karpov, which involved a multi-fold complex strategy.

Anatoly Karpov’s contribution to closed Ruy Lopez (Spanish) opening and the Boleslavsky Pawn structure in Sicilian defense is unparalleled. One of his moves in the Spanish opening, against Grandmaster Unzicker, is still known as the ‘Move of the (20th) Century’.

Here is the list of Awards won by Karpov in his long outstanding career-

• Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1978
• Medal “For outstanding contribution to the (Stamp) Collector business in Russia”
• Honorary member of the Soviet Philately Society (1979)
• Diploma of the State Duma of the Russian Federation No. 1
• Order of Lenin in 1981
• Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow, 2nd Class in 1996
• Order of St. Sergius of Radonezh, 2nd class in 2001
• Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 3rd Class in 2001 for outstanding contribution to the implementation of charitable programmes, strengthening of peace and friendship among people
• Order of Merit, 2nd class (Ukraine) in 2006 for his contribution to the victims of the Chernobyl disaster
• Order of Friendship in 2011 for his great contribution towards productive social activities
• Medal of Tsiolkovsky Cosmonautics Federation of Russia
• Medal For Strengthening the Penal System
• 1st and 2nd class Breastplate of the 1st degree of the Interior Ministry International Association of Chess Press
• 9 times voted the best chess player of the year and awarded the Chess Oscar
• Order of Saint Nestor the Chronicler, 1st class
• Asteroid 90414 Karpov is named after him
• Karpov International Chess Tournament, an annual round robin tournament is held in his honour in Poikovsky, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia since 2000
• Order for Outstanding Achievements in Sport from Republic of Cuba

On his 75th birthday, let us see one of his beautiful combination from the World Championships 1978.

1. Rd7!! Rb8 [1…Re7 fails to 2.Rxe7 Kxe7 3.Qf6 Kf8 4.Qd8] 2.Nxf7 Bxd7

Now there followed 3.Nd8+! Black resigned in view of 3…Ke7 4. Qf8#