In the history of world chess, there have been many geniuses, but only one of them became world champion without making a single move in the crown match. Anatoly Karpov, who received the crown at 24 due to Robert Fischer's refusal, has always been a figure much more complex and ambiguous than just an athlete.
A politician, collector, and a person of phenomenal memory — behind the image of the "chess robot" lies a multitude of unexpected facts.
We have gathered unusual facts about Anatoly Karpov for his 75th birthday.
Secret Baptism and Botvinnik's Prediction
The future champion's life nearly ended in infancy. Tolya was born in Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk region. A severe form of whooping cough put provincial doctors in a difficult situation. At the insistence of the grandmothers, his mother secretly baptized the dying child. Immediately after the ceremony, the cough began to subside, and within a few days, the illness retreated.
This mystical story became the first of many astonishing turns in his fate.
In his youth, the idol of millions almost lost his chess future. When 11-year-old Tolya was brought to the school of the legendary Mikhail Botvinnik, the master delivered a harsh verdict that he had no future in this profession at all. Karpov needed just a few years to prove the opposite. At 15, he became the youngest Master of Sports of the USSR in history, breaking Boris Spassky's record.
General's Ambitions and Student Tricks
An interesting fact: while a student at Leningrad University, Karpov trained at the military department, becoming a reserve artillery officer. Later, Marshals Grechko and Ustinov personally offered him the rank of colonel upon transitioning to active service. The chess player's response went down in history: "Why do I need the rank of colonel? I am already a general in chess."
By the way, Karpov took a full 10 years to graduate. He simply had no time to sit over textbooks: the champion traveled the world, winning championship after championship. Karpov's thesis was dedicated to the problems of rational use of free time in the era of socialism.
Karpov's Phenomenal Memory
Once, during an exam in military affairs, he honestly admitted to the instructors that he did not understand the workings of a compass, after which he verbatim recounted a page from a textbook that he had once glanced at.
A player to the core and a philatelist, Karpov is a versatile fighter. His passion knows no chess boundaries. Billiards, tennis, backgammon, dominoes, and even the card game durak — he strives only for victory in all. Few know that the grandmaster has become one of the largest philatelists in the world. His stamp collection is valued at no less than 13 million euros.
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