by Edmar Mednis (Author)
For ten years, from 1975 to 1885, Anatoly Karpov reigned as World Champion of chess. He was, and is, a tough, deliberate player who seldom makes bad moves. But until the publication of this book, little was known about Karpov himself or his chess. It remained for Edmar Mednis, now an International Grandmaster, to analyze Karpov's style of play and to reveal something of the Russian champion's life and personality.
In this newly revised and enlarged second edition, the author focuses on the tactics, strategy, and even psychological approaches employed by Karpov in winning against Bronstein, Smyslov, Browne, Gligoric, Spassky, Korchnoi, and many other greats. It includes 100 games Karpov won, beginning with the Moscow 1971 International Tournament where he attained world class status. Dispensing with long, complicated, exhaustive variations and subvariations, Mr. Mednis focuses on each game, explaining as accurately and as simply as possible how Karpov actually won. You'll also discover many revealing aspects of Karpov's style: whether he is more effective with white or black; his best openings; whether he creates his wins in the opening, middle, or endgame; and much more. The clarity and effectiveness of the presentation will enable players at every level of expertise to hone their skills and upgrade their own play.