Born May 23, 1951 · Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov
Anatoly Karpov was one of the most successful tournament players in history, with well over 160 first-place tournament finishes across his career. His decade-long rivalry with Garry Kasparov, spanning five World Championship matches between 1984 and 1990, is among the longest and most closely fought in chess history.
Became champion by default in 1975 when Bobby Fischer forfeited the title, then legitimised it by defending against Viktor Korchnoi (1978, 1981) before losing a five-match series to Garry Kasparov (1984–1990).
Karpov's style is the textbook example of positional chess: patient prophylaxis, restriction of the opponent's pieces, and squeezing tiny advantages until they became decisive. He was often described as a 'boa constrictor,' slowly cutting off his opponent's options rather than attacking directly.
vs. Garry Kasparov — World Chess Championship, Moscow, 1984
The infamous 'Match Without End' was abandoned after 48 games and five months with Karpov leading 5–3 — still the longest World Championship match ever played.