Chess player Viktor Korchnoi has died. Why did the youngest world chess champion, Ivan Bukavshin, die? Which chess player died as the current champion?
So, today is Saturday, May 20, 2017, and we traditionally offer you answers to the quiz in the “Question and Answer” format. We encounter questions ranging from the simplest to the most complex. The quiz is very interesting and quite popular, we are simply helping 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 died as the current world champion?
- Wilhelm Steinz
- Mikhaid Tal
- Jose Raul Capablanca
- Alexander Alekhine
The correct answer is D - Alexander Alekhine
Alexander Alekhine (1892 1946) - Russian chess player, fourth world chess champion - from 1927 (after defeating Capablanca) to 1935 and from 1937 (after defeating Max Euwe) to 1946. In 1921 he emigrated to France. Alekhine is a representative of the Russian chess school of Alexander Petrov and Mikhail Chigorin. A brilliant combinational chess player, world record holder in blindfold play. Alekhine is the only chess player who died while being the current world champion.
Appears every few years new champion world chess. We have collected all the champions in one place and made a short description of each.
This article contains full list all current world chess champions. If the article is not relevant, it means that we have not yet managed to add 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 | |
| 7 world chess champion | 1957-1958 | |
| 8 world chess champion | 1960-1961 | |
| 9 world chess champion | 1963-1969 | |
| 10th world chess champion | 1969-1972 | |
| 11th world chess champion | 1972-1975 | |
| 12th world chess champion | 1975-1985 | |
| 13th world chess champion | 1985-1993 | |
| 14th world chess champion | 2006 - 2007 | |
| 15th world chess champion | 2007 - 2013 | |
| 16th world chess champion | 2013 - present V. |
Chess has been played for over 125 years. During this long time, the conditions of the game changed many times, and sometimes even the game. Therefore, it is quite natural that the criteria for becoming world chess champions also differed in different eras. For example, during Steinitz’s time, tournaments were held simultaneously in several cities. 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 including participants in the fight for the championship title have changed in many ways. Various 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 short 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 his own great contribution to the development of this area.
V. Steinitz began playing at the age of twelve, but the young man did not have the opportunity to show his talent. Wilhelm's first success in chess was a victory over his father's constant playing partner, a rabbi revered by many. The future champion began to study chess seriously 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 won the title of champion in 1894. Lasker was the best player on the entire planet for 27 years. In addition, he is the author of numerous books on chess.
E. Lasker adopted a love for this amazing game from his older brother Berthold Lasker, starting to play at the age of 12. However, the future chess king began to play truly, professionally only during his first year of university. The chess player's greatest strengths were considered to be the endgame and positional sense. During his career as a chess player, he repeatedly gave up 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 over 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 chess champion in the world became Jose Raul Capablanca, born in Cuba in 1888. He won his title by defeating Emanuel Lasker in a match held in 1921. He was often spoken of as an outstanding chess machine, since Capablanca was distinguished by his brilliant chess technique. The third champion learned to play at the age of four simply by watching his father play.
4 world chess champion
The fourth world chess champion was Alexander Alekhine, born in 1892. Alekhine learned the rules of the game and basic moves 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 successes during the St. Petersburg tournament in 1909, it was then, at the age of sixteen, that a high school student from Moscow won and was awarded the title of maestro.
A little later, the chess player begins to take part in professional tournaments for more than high level. Alekhine won the match for the world championship title 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 performing 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 after two years he again lost the championship title to Alekhine.
6 world chess champion
The sixth champion was born in 1911. He first became acquainted with the game at the age of 12, after which he began studying from books. Numerous victories in tournaments and championships of the USSR put the young chess player among the best players countries and soon showed that M. Botvinnik was ready to challenge the title of world champion.
The match tournament for the championship title took place in 1948 (The Hague-Moscow), and as a result, Botvinnik became the winner, ahead of the chess player who took second place by 3 points. During the tournament, he confidently beat all his opponents. For his achievements in the chess field, Botvinnik was awarded numerous orders.
7 world chess champion
The seventh champion was also a Soviet chess player. He learned the rules of the game from his father at the age of six. Smyslov met Botvinnik 3 times during the 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 could read well, at 5 he could multiply three-digit numbers, had an amazing memory, and after finishing the first grade he went straight to the third. There were many such achievements in Tal's childhood.
Mikhail Tal learned to play chess at the age of 10, already at 16 he became the champion of Latvia, at the age of 21 - the champion of the USSR. Tal became the youngest world champion, winning the title in 1960 from Botvinnik. The distinctive 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- ninth world chess champion. He was born in 1929 in Georgia. The boy learned to play at the age of 11, and at the age of 16 he became the Georgian chess champion. The chess player begins to play professionally after moving to Moscow.
Petrosyan won the victory over M. Botvinnik in 1963; he held his championship title for a period that lasted 6 years. For his achievements in chess, Petrosyan was awarded numerous medals and orders.
10th world chess champion
Boris Spassky- tenth world chess champion. Spassky learned the basics of the game at the age of 5. He first took part 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 entire chess history. Spassky won the competition for the championship of the planet over Petrosyan in 1969 and held the title of tenth champion for 3 years.
11th world chess champion
He was considered a child prodigy and genius and received the title of eleventh world chess champion. He learned to play at the age of six. By the age of twelve, Fischer becomes the American champion, and at the age of 15, an international grandmaster. No one before him had achieved such high results at such an early age. Fischer became world champion in 1972, after defeating B. Spassky.
12th world chess champion
Anatoly Karpov- 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 a champion in a youth tournament, and received the title of grandmaster at 19. Until Karpov became the world chess champion, he was the winner of many international competitions. He received the title of 12th world champion in 1975. significantly surpassed other famous chess players in history in the number of victories he won in numerous international tournaments, matches and competitions.
13th world chess champion
Famous 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 national champion 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 entire chess history. 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.
14th 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 became the world champion in the youth tournament. At the end of the 90s, the 13th world champion Kasparov himself chose his opponent in the person of Kramnik, who at that time was second in the rankings. Their chess match 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.
15th 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 owner of this title. Anand's mother taught him to play chess 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.
Quickly moving up the ladder of chess achievements, in 2007 he won the title of world chess champion. The tournament took place in Mexico. In subsequent years (2008, 2010 and 2012), the chess player confirmed his title. On this moment Anand is the only champion in three different styles of play: knockout, round-robin and head-to-head matches with competitors.
16th world chess champion
Magnus Carlsen- Norwegian, sixteenth (and currently last) world chess champion. He won the world title in 2013, fighting against the fifteenth world champion, Viswanathan Anand. The young champion began playing chess at the age of five with his father, and became seriously interested in the game at eight, starting to study specialized literature and practice the game for 2-3 hours a day.
Possessing extraordinary abilities, Magnus quickly developed professional skills. Experts predicted Magnus the champion title 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 subtly sense the psychology of his opponent is amazing.
So far, he remains the first and only champion in three categories simultaneously: classic game, blitz and rapid.
Good day, dear friend!
The strongest is always in sight. Everyone wants to know about him, imitate his manners, style of behavior, and 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 path of a champion, you have a lot of work ahead of you. But we can and should start with special training programs for chess players.
Why are there 16 champions?
At the end of 2016 Magnus Carlsen defended his title of chess champion in a difficult match with Sergey Karjakin. Carlsen is considered the 16th world champion in the chess world.
And now about those fifteen outstanding chess players who were his predecessors.
It should be said that the period 1993 to 2006. in the chess world it is usually called “times of troubles”. At this time, the title existed in two versions - FIDE and PSA. In addition, the champion title during this period was played out not in matches, but in a tournament format. The winner of the tournament with the participation of candidates received the title of world champion.
Nobody belittles the significance of victory in the fight for the championship.However, the value of a championship during this period of time is somewhat lower than the title won match . This is not the 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 centuries, and who became champion literally today, at the end 2016.
All champions
Below is a list of men's champions in chronological order in classical chess. If you prefer details by year and in a more compact form, you are welcome here: table for the entire history.
1 world champion - Wilhelm STEINITZ
Championship period 1886 – 1894. Represented Austria.
Steinitz is the very first champion who has received official status. The title was won as a result of winning the match with Zukertort. Steinitz then defended his title twice. In 1889 in the first match by 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 a supporter of combination play. 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 finishing push and often outplayed his opponent at the end of the match.
Last game of the championship title match against Zukertort
Steinitz, W — Zukertort, J
World Championship 1st USA (20) 03/29/1886
2 world champion - Emmanuel LASKER
Championship period 1894 – 1921. Represented Austria.
Second world champion. He is the record holder for the longest championship - 27 years.
After the victory over Steinitz in 1894. sat on the throne until 1921, when he lost the match to Capablanca.
Lasker is a chess player of a universal style. He had excellent positional sense 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 champion 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 “threw down the gauntlet” to Lasker” in order to take the champion title 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 and precise calculation of options. Capablanca was a proponent of the “draw death” theory of chess, believing that when proper game games must end in a draw.
In this he was wrong, as the subsequent history of the development of chess showed. More and more layers were opening up in chess. There truly is no limit to imagination, creativity, and the psychology of influence.
In 1927 A historic match took place with Alexander Alekhine. Contrary to expectations of Capablanca's victory, Alekhine won the match.
The confrontation between the great chess players lasted another twenty years. But they failed to meet in the world championship match.
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.
First Russian world champion.
Alekhine was born in Russia. After various dramatic events of the First World War and the proletarian revolution, in 1921, already 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 H.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 chess player of versatile talent. 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 EUWE
Championship period 1935 - 1937. Represented Holland.
The victory over Alekhine in the match was perceived 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.” No matter what they say, Euwe’s victory was deserved and won in a fair fight.
Max Euwe was an intelligent and versatile person in life. He taught mathematics and had the title of professor. Later he served as the head of FIDE.
The turning point in the match with Alekhine for the championship title:
Alekhine,A — Euwe,M
World Championship 16th NLD (25) 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 risen to a leading position in Soviet and world chess.
Everyone was looking forward to the championship match with Alexander Alekhine. But the war got in the way. After the death of Alekhine in 1948, a world championship match tournament was held, 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 the thoroughness of his preparation, taking into account the psychological characteristics of his opponent, and a real 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
7 world champion - Vasily SMYSLOV
World champion in 1957 - 1958 Country: USSR
Vasily Smyslov is a brilliant chess theorist and an outstanding practitioner. As a member of the USSR team, he won the 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 in victory for Smyslov. About a year later, Mikhail Botvinnik convincingly took revenge.
Decisive winning game in the match against Botvinnik
Smyslov,V — Botvinnik,M
World Championship 21th Moscow (20) 04/23/1957
8 world champion - Mikhail TAL
World champion in 1960 – 1961 USSR
Tal defeated Mikhail Botvinnik in the championship match at the age of 23. This is a record for that time.
Tal professed an attacking, combinational style of play. He did not take into account the victims on the altar of the attack. This manner greatly impressed the audience. Mikhail Tal, without exaggeration, was everyone's favorite.
The Almighty generously gifted Tal with talent. But it didn’t give me any health at all. Diseases became Mikhail Nekhemievich’s usual companion in Everyday life. And the sports mode was not something sacred for him.
Nevertheless, the enormous talent and accumulated experience allowed Tal to last days to be one of the leading chess players in the world.
Decisive game in the title match against Botvinnik
Tal,M — Botvinnik,M
World Championship 23th Moscow (19) 05/03/1960
9 world champion - Tigran PETROSYAN
Championship period 1963 – 1969. USSR
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosyan won the right to challenge the championship title in 1962, when he won the Candidates Tournament. The duel with M. Botvinnik took place in 1963. brought victory to Petrosyan. Three years later he defended his title in a match with Boris Spassky. And yet, three years later, in 1969. lost the title to the latter.
Tigran Petrosyan was an outstanding defender and master of positional play. With incredible ingenuity, he defended difficult positions, launching a counterattack at the first opportunity. Petrosyan's tactical vigilance was also excellent.
Petrosyan is an outstanding theorist who generously shared his skills with young chess players. He carried out social work and was the editor-in-chief of “64” magazine. Candidate of Philosophical Sciences.
Winning game in the title match against Botvinnik:
Petrosian,T — Botvinnik,M
World Championship 25th Moscow (19) 05/11/1963
10th world champion - Boris SPASSKY
World champion in the period 1969 – 1972. Country: USSR, France
Boris Spassky back in 1955 won the world championship among youths. It took another fourteen long years to reach adult triumph. This day came in 1969. field of victory in the match over Petrosyan The second match in a row.
In 1972, the infamous match with Robert Fischer took place in which Boris Vasilyevich lost the crown to the outstanding American grandmaster.
Spassky is one of the most versatile chess players in best years he didn't have weak points and it was incredibly difficult to defeat him.
In the early eighties he moved to France. But he doesn’t lose touch with his homeland, he visits Russia and helps young chess players. There are a few chess schools under the patronage of Spassky.
Winning game in the match against Petrosyan
Spassky,B — Petrosian,T
World Championship 27th Moscow (21) 06/11/1969
11th world champion - Robert FISCHER
Championship period 1972 – 1975 US Citizenship
Robert Fischer devoted himself entirely to chess. I even dropped out of school. At the age of 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 difficult time. This is a man who made himself a world champion entirely on his own. Talent, efficiency, exceptional dedication to chess - distinctive features Robert Fisher.
Fischer has achieved exceptional playing power and is one of the strongest champions.
He won the champion title in 1972, defeating all the contenders in the qualifying matches: Larsen, Taimanov (both dry -6:0!), Petrosyan. In the match for the title, he defeated Boris Spassky without any visible effort.
Oddly enough, the final game of the match with Spassky turned out to be the last in Fischer's official career. He refused the match with Karpov, despite lengthy negotiations. Fischer never played another game in official tournaments. This is one of the biggest mysteries in chess history, not solved to this day.
Final game of the match with Spassky:
Spassky,B — Fischer,R
World Championship 28th Reykjavik (21) 08/31/1972
12th world champion - Anatoly KARPOV
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 objectively questioned. 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 them. The last of them, in 1985, ended with the victory of Garry Kasparov.
Karpov is distinguished by his outstanding skill in positional maneuvering and pragmatic attitude to the game. In terms of the number of tournaments won, Anatoly Karpov far surpasses everyone else.
Anatoly Evgenievich is still in the ranks, periodically participating in major tournaments with success.
The famous winning game against Viktor Korchnoi with the score 5:5
Karpov,A - Kortschnoj,V
World Championship 29th Baguio City (32) 10/17/1978
13th world champion - Garry KASPAROV
World champion from 1985 to 2000. USSR/Russia
Garry Kasparov's star quickly rose on the chess horizon by the early 1980s.
In 1981, he became the youngest national champion. Then the era of confrontation with Karpov began. In 1985 Harry finally tried on the champion's crown.
For about 20 years, Kasparov had the highest rating among chess players, reaching 2850 points. The figure was astronomical for those times.
Kasparov’s independence of views also played a role in the emergence of disagreements with FIDE. As a result, Kasparov organized an alternative organization - PSA.
In recent years, Garry Kimovich has retreated from active chess.
Kasparov is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding chess players. He is distinguished by his active, even aggressive style games, excellent opening preparation, accurate calculation of options
The winning game in the match against Karpov in 1985.
Karpov, A — Kasparov, G
World Championship 32th-KK2 Moscow (24) 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. This was not a surprise. Before competing for the top title, Kramnik won the world junior championships twice and became the PSA world champion. Thus both titles were combined.
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 today, consistently occupying a place in the top five.
Decisive game against Kasparov for the title of PCA champion
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 a 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 distinguished by exceptionally fast thinking and is a recognized master of rapid chess and blitz.
Known in chess as a true gentleman. Anand's attractive image combines the charm of Jose Ruhl Capablanca, the will to win of Botvinnik, and the energy and talent of Kasparov.
He resigned as world champion in 2013, losing a match to Carlsen.
Decisive game of the match against Kramnik:
Anand,V — Kramnik,V
WCh Bonn GER (6) 10/21/2008
16th 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 imaginable records.
Magnus became the world champion in 2013, defeating Anand in a match. Has the highest rating in the history of chess.
Just 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 tiebreaker.
Magnus Carlsen is a public person. Travels a lot, plays sports, acts in commercials. I think we will be hearing his name for a long time. Both in connection with chess and beyond it.
Last winning game against Anand in the 2013 championship match
Anand-Carlsen World Championship (9)
And a few more words about the 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 think it’s unnecessary to overload the article, I’ll just list:
Women's World Champion: Hou Yifan, China
World blitz champion 2017: Sergey Karyakin, Russia
“Tournament” world champions during the period of “turmoil” 1993-2006. - in this table at the end.
We will discuss these topics in more detail in the following articles.
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First subject Russian Empire The person who managed to win the title of world chess champion was and remains Alexander Aleksandrovich Alekhine (although he received the status of champion already when he was a citizen of France). A. Alekhine is the only chess player so far who died as the reigning champion. During his lifetime, Alexander Alexandrovich gained fame as an extremely versatile chess player, with an attacking style of play and the ability to carry out spectacular, deeply calculated combinations. In addition, he had the opportunity to develop many new directions in various openings.
Alekhine was born in Moscow in the last decade of the nineteenth century, into a noble family. As a child, Alexander often played with his older brother Alexei, who also became a chess player. At a very young age, Alexander Alekhine began playing chess tournaments by correspondence, and in 1909 he began collaborating with the Chess Review magazine.
From December 1913 to January 1914, the All-Russian Masters Tournament took place in St. Petersburg. Having scored thirteen and a half points out of a possible seventeen, Alekhine shared first place with Aron Nimzowitsch. In the spring of the same 1914, Alekhine graduated from the Imperial School of Law, and in the summer he took part in chess tournament in Mannheim. Due to Germany's declaration of war on Russia, the tournament was interrupted six rounds before completion, declaring it the winner of Alekhine, who was then leading the table. After this, Alekhine and several other Russian chess players were interned as citizens of an enemy country. True, Alekhine had to spend some time in the Rastatt prison, where his cellmates were his colleagues E. Bogolyubov, S. Weinstein and A. Rabinovich. The prisoners were not given any books or newspapers, and Alekhine, to pass the time, played blind chess with Efim Bogolyubov.
Returning to Russia, Alexander Alexandrovich often gave simultaneous playing sessions - and part of the funds received from the sessions went to charity. In 1916, Alekhine went to the front as part of a flying detachment of the Red Cross to carry wounded soldiers from the battlefield. For his services at the front, he was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus and two St. George medals. During his time at the front, Alekhine was shell-shocked twice, after which he ended up in the hospital, where he spent some time, periodically playing blindly with the chess players who visited him.
The revolution that took place in 1917 deprived Alekhine of both his nobility and his fortune. He was even threatened with execution, but someone’s intercession saved him. In 1920, Alekhine married for the first time, but this marriage broke up in less than a year and a half. However, after some time the chess player married again and then emigrated abroad. From 1922 to 1925, he traveled extensively around the world on tour, participating in tournaments in Hastings, Carlsbad and other cities. While collecting money for the match with Capablanca, Alexander Alexandrovich gave many simultaneous playing sessions, managing to set another world record. Alekhine’s efforts were not in vain - the match for the world title was scheduled for the autumn of 1927, Buenos Aires was chosen as the location. The championship match took thirty-four games - twenty-five ended in a draw, Capablanca won three, and Alekhine celebrated victory in six, becoming the fourth world champion after this match. After defeating Capablanca, Alekhine (who by that time had already accepted French citizenship) wrote two books, won several tournaments and defended the title of chess king in matches with Bogolyubov (Efim twice played a world championship match with Alexander, and both times Alekhine defeated his opponent) .
In the thirties, Alekhine became addicted to alcoholic beverages, which caused a decline in his playing. In 1935, he was unable to defend his title in a match with the Dutchman Max Euwe, and temporarily lost chess crown. The terms of this match provided for a rematch, which allowed Alekhine to regain the championship title, and ahead of schedule.
In 1940, Alekhine negotiated to organize a match with his old rival Capablanca, but the Cuban could not get the money and the match did not take place. At the beginning of 1943, Alekhine fell ill with scarlet fever and his health was undermined. In the fall of 1943, the world champion went to Spain, where he continued his active chess life. But in 1945, Alekhine was accused of collaborating with the Nazis, which is why they stopped inviting him to tournaments, and they were also going to deprive him of the championship title. In the spring of 1946, Alekhine received a challenge to a match from Botvinnik and accepted it, but the match was not destined to take place due to the death of the champion. According to the official version, the death of the chess king was natural, although there was another version, according to which the champion was poisoned, to which either the American or Soviet intelligence services had a hand. The champion was buried in Estorida, and a few years later the remains were transported to Paris, to the Montparnasse cemetery.
During his life, the fourth world champion changed several wives (with one, Nadezhda Vasilyeva, the relationship was not officially legalized). The first wife of the brilliant chess player was called Alexandra Bataeva, the second was the Swiss Anna-Lisa Rügg. Alekhine's common-law wife was Nadezhda Vasilyeva, and his last life partner was a certain Grace Viskhar, who was also fond of chess. The last marriage, by the way, improved the financial situation of the world champion - Grace received a considerable inheritance from her previous husband. Alekhine had his own mascot - the Siamese cat Chess, which he regularly took with him to competitions.
One of the closed openings- Alekhine's defense.
