Chess GOAT Debate Over? 5 Reasons Why Carlsen Conceded To This Man
Magnus Carlsen isn’t just the 16th World Chess Champion. He won the crown for all 3 formats — classical, rapid, and blitz — no less than 17 times!
Carlsen’s peak FIDE rating of 2882 is the highest in history. He also holds the longest unbeaten streak at the elite level with 125 games. He played the most accurate chess game in WCC history…
And the list of records keeps on piling up!
So when he received the FIDE 100 Best Player Award, everyone thought it was only fitting — except Carlsen himself!
“I am, of course, happy to get this award. But in my personal opinion, I still think Garry Kasparov has had a better career than I have… I still think he was more deserving,” Carlsen declared.
The 13th World Champion Garry Kasparov is always a contender for the title of the “greatest ever.”
If you’re new to the game, you may have seen him in a video by your favorite chess vlogger. Not even top 10 players Hikaru Nakamura nor Fabiano Caruana could stop “retired, rusty Garry” on a good day.
If you’re an old-timer, then reminiscing about the conquests of prime Kasparov is in order!
Whichever camp you’re in, you’ll enjoy exploring these 5 reasons why he will always be the GOAT for many fans. Even Carlsen!
1. He Successfully Defended the Crown 5 Times
“In sports, you simply aren't considered a real champion until you have defended your title successfully… Winning it twice proves you are the best,” said Althea Gibson, the first African-American to win a Grand Slam event in tennis.
If we go by her measure of excellence, then Kasparov’s 5 successful defenses have no equal.
Sure, the 2nd World Champion Emanuel Lasker also defended his title 5 times.
But matches during Lasker’s time hinged on sponsors. The challenger with the most money wasn’t necessarily the most worthy. And when financial backing can’t be found, the champ went unbothered for as long as a decade.
On the other hand, Kasparov’s challengers emerged from a cycle of tournaments and matches... demanding he defend the title against the hungriest, toughest opposition every few years.
He took the 1985 World Chess Championship from Anatoly Karpov in a cutthroat contest — and had to defend it in a rematch in 1986!
He sat opposite Karpov in two more dogfights — in 1987 and 1990 — with the champion barely escaping with a draw or an extra half-point.
Next, Kasparov made short work of Nigel Short in their 1993 match, living up to his promise that “it will be Short, and it will be short!”
And finally, with a one-sided 10.5 - 7.5 win against India’s Vishy Anand, Kasparov made history.
2. He Became the First-Ever 2800-Rated Grandmaster
The 2800-Elo-mark feels like a private mansion the elites can visit, but only Carlsen can stay.
Guess who built the mansion?
Kasparov became the first chess player to break the 2800-barrier in January 1990. The feat came after his utter domination in official tournaments, exhibition matches… and TV!
On top of winning and defending the crown, he crushed the Belgrade Investbank International Tournament. He scored 8 wins, 3 draws, and 0 losses — 3 points ahead of second place.
He made the Tilburg Interpolis Tournament look like a showmatch, scoring 12 out of 14 against former championship contenders.
Then, he schooled a team of 6 French GMs and IMs in a simultaneous exhibition.
Not even late-night-show host David Letterman was spared!
Kasparov slipped back to sub-2770 only in 1992 and 1996. But the boss bounced back and never again left the mansion.
3. He Dominated TWO Eras of Chess
Kasparov first made his mark in 1979.
He entered a tournament in Banja Luka, Yugoslavia unrated, finished clear 1st and 2 points ahead of the next player… then emerged with a provisional rating of 2595!
From here, he spent the next decade winning everything there is to win.
He won the World Youth Championship, the USSR Chess Championship, the 1982 Bugojno Super-tournament… and ultimately, the undisputed crown to complete his reign in the pre-computer era.
At the time, chess players had to do everything the hard way.
They had to analyze games and mine for opening novelties using their own minds — aided only by 2 or 3 chess boards for branching variations.
Everything was written by hand, and you had to carry around your growing library of notebooks.
Hardcore as the period was, Kasparov swam like fish in the water. His equally hardcore work ethic allowed him to routinely crush top GMs, sometimes with prep alone! All while exploring new ways to play old positions.
Then the 90s came, which brought two new breeds of chess players. Younger human GMs and their machines.
This decade saw chess engines reach GM-level strength — just in time to help beat the old guards into retirement.
But Kasparov was no old guard.
He’s a conqueror about to reach his full might, and he came armed with high-speed learning.
His successor Vladimir Kramnik said it best.
"Kasparov soaks in all changes like a sponge; he very effectively processes everything he sees and includes it in his arsenal. I think that's Kasparov's main difference from all other chess players."
Vladimir Kramnik, e3e5.com
So instead of collapsing against the new computer-powered generation, Kasparov harnessed the machine better than anyone.
The early computer era saw him defend his title two more times, continue his ascent up the 2800-ladder, and cement his status as world #1…
A status he kept from 1984 until his retirement in 2005 — a record of 255 months!
4. He Pushed His Limits in Ways Never Seen Before
Once athletes reach the peak of their sport, many switch to a defensive mindset... playing not to lose instead of playing to win.
Like the once-energetic slugger turning to patient counterpunching, so they can keep the belt with minimal risk.
Or the certain World Chess Champion, who hid from competitive play until he had to defend his title… while another simply disappeared!
Kasparov did the exact opposite.
Not only did he meet every challenger with ambitious energy that surpasses theirs, he also sought tougher competition outside the WCC matches.
When the super-GM tournaments didn’t prove super-challenging, he took on the Israeli and American national teams in a clock simul… and squashed them!
He also faced the entire world in an Internet consultation game in 1999.
The World Team had over 50,000 players from 75 countries, including a band of rising chess stars and “The Computer Chess Team.” But all that brainpower couldn’t stop Kasparov from forcing resignation in a queen endgame with equal material.
In the historic Man vs. Machine Match, Kasparov took on IBM’s Deep Blue… a supercomputer specifically built to beat him.
It failed.
Kasparov dragged the machine to quiet, non-tactical positions. Then he maneuvered his way to a convincing 4-2 victory.
Our hero lost the rematch to Deeper Blue, which had twice the power and a grandmaster assistant. But even after the loss, he went on to fight and more than hold his own against stronger chess engines.
5. He Kept Chess on the World Map Long Before the Boom
Thanks to the chess boom of 2020, our game has become one of the most watchable sports today.
Thousands of people tune in to chess streamers at any given hour. Over-the-board and online tournaments keep fans glued month-in, month-out. While in my personal feeds, I see more and more youngins engaging with chess.
About 20 to 30 years ago, however, everything that supported the boom did not exist. Not the social media networks. Not the free streaming services. Not even Chess.com!
So representing the game, and enticing outsiders into it, rested largely on the shoulders of its strongest player.
And, boy, did Kasparov fulfill his role in style!
From seizing the spotlight in Super Bowl XXXV, and re-enacting his Man vs Machine victory in front of millions…
“What are you doing, Garry?”
Unveiling Altavista’s natural language search, which was revolutionary at the time…
You know things are going well when you make Kasparov sit in a simul!
To giving countless interviews on how the 64 squares set you up for lifelong success.
When chess and its players could’ve been easily overshadowed by other spectator sports — Kasparov reminded the world that we are a cool, smart bunch!
Wrapping Up
At the end of the day, the chess GOAT debate will never be over.
Not when we have to take their baseline knowledge into account, the tech available, and level of competition… plus a hundred-and-one more variables!
Maybe you agree with Carlsen. Maybe you don’t.
All the same, we hope you enjoyed this trip down the memory lane. We hope it sparked your interest in the legends of chess. Both in the colorful lives they led and the game-improving lessons they teach you.
If you’d love to learn more from Kasparov’s genius, check out his masterpiece, My Great Predecessors Part 4. Now on Chessable with Video!
