In the past two centuries, the history of the game of chess has given the world a huge number of great names. But among them, one can still single out those who can be called the greatest geniuses. There are three of the greatest chess players. This is Garry Kasparov, Bobby Fisher, Paul Morphy.
Garry Kasparov: biography and first successes
Garry Kasparov is the greatest genius of a chess game. As the thirteenth world champion, he left his career in its prime. But so far the best chess players of the world imitate the ideal of his game.
Kasparov was born in an educated family in Baku in 1963. His parents, both father and mother, were engineers. No one knows at what exact age Harry first showed interest in chess. Only one case is reliable - when the boy was five years old, he prompted his father the decision of the study, which was published in the newspaper. Paying attention to the abilities of their child, the parents decided to send him to the chess section.
Champion title
During his first year of study, Harry had already won first-class chess. At the same time, Harry was sent as a member of the Azerbaijani team to Vilnius. There, the future best chess player in the world meets his future coach, mentor and friend Alexander Nikitin. On the advice of Nikitin, Kasparov begins his studies at Botvinnik's correspondence chess school and very soon becomes an assistant to the chess patriarch.
In 1974, thanks to the efforts of his mother, Harry received a new surname (his surname at birth was Weinstein), and even nationality. In 1975, Kasparov took a leading position in the Soviet youth chess championship. In 1980, he first received the title of Grandmaster. In 1984, the great confrontation between the two giants of the chess game begins - Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. The fight for the championship ended in 1985 with Kasparov being awarded the title of 13th chess champion.
Paul Morphy: The Early Years
The ranking of the best chess players in the world always includes the fourth champion - Paul Morphy. He was born in New Orleans, in a fairly wealthy family. From an early age, his memory surprised many adults. For example, lawyers entering the house were amazed that young Paul knew all the laws of the Louisiana Civil Code by heart. His uncle was considered one of the most serious chess players in the city. Nobody taught the child the rules of the game - he mastered this art on his own. Already at the age of 10, Paul Morphy became one of the best in New Orleans.
Champion title
Paul Morphy's chess career began at the International Chess Tournament in London. At the age of 20, he became America's top chess player, beating all his rivals. Of the hundred games he lost only 5 - and of those whom he defeated were the best chess players in the world. There has never been such a grandmaster in the history of a chess game that would have been similar to Morphy in style of play. He was fast, thoughtful and aggressive.
The most scandalous chess player in history: Bobby Fisher
The eleventh world chess champion is American Bobby Fisher. He was born in Chicago in 1943. The mother of the future chess player was a Jew who lived in Switzerland. Father - a German biologist who moved from the Soviet Union to Chile.
Bobby Fisher, in addition to his championship, is also known for unusual statements. For example, as a teenager, he argued that school is an absolutely pointless place and women should not work there because of their stupidity. In general, despite the fact that Fisher and other best chess players of the world are on the same list, this genius is considered to be one of the most adored and most despised.
Unusual abilities manifested in childhood
He played chess Fischer from the age of six. The child was so carried away by the chess game that he stopped communicating with children of his age, arguing that among them he cannot find a worthy partner for the game. Mother initially decided to turn to a psychiatrist, but he reassured the woman, saying that chess is a good hobby and there is nothing dangerous in the behavior of the child. Mother began to look for a boy partner for the game through newspaper ads, but could not find anyone. Later, Bobby Fisher called chess his “second self.”
The most famous fight
In 1972, Fisher’s most famous tournament was held - with the Soviet chess player Boris Spassky. The competition was held in Reykjavik. There, Fisher won 21 victories and received the title of champion. However, in the future, for some reason, Fisher rejected the offer to compete with Anatoly Karpov, and after that led a reclusive lifestyle for twenty years.
Bobby Fisher's Strange Desires
He repeatedly spoke out negatively about different countries: either about Russia, then about Iceland, then about the USA. Fisher was on a short foot with representatives of various marginal groups - for example, with preachers of various sects, as well as with mafiosi. Fisher also tried to leave behind offspring that would have genes identical with him - so that his gift would be inherited.
The best chess players of the world. Who can they lose?
This was the fate of some of the most outstanding chess geniuses. However, this is not a complete list. The 10 best chess players in the world today are Carlsen Magnus, Vladimir Kramnik, Aronian Levon, Teymur Rajabov and others. To calculate the strength of a chess player, the so-called Elo rating system is used. It was developed by the American scientist Arpad Elo. Until 1989, the first line of this rating was occupied by Bobby Fisher, after - Garry Kasparov.
What about a duel with a computer?
Interestingly, even the best chess players in the world in history can now be beaten by computer. The first such match took place in 1996, when Garry Kasparov lost to the Deep Blue supercomputer, which could estimate about 200 million positions in one second. However, already in the second installment, Kasparov took revenge from the computer. And then, after two draws, the next two were won by him.