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    Rivalry · 1 title event

    11th world champion · 1972–1975

    Bobby Fischer

    v

    12th world champion · 1975–1985

    Anatoly Karpov

    Bobby Fischer v Anatoly Karpov

    They never played a recorded game against each other.

    Their title match

    YearWinnerScoreWhereFormat
    1975Anatoly Karpov—ManilaBest of 24

    How they compare

    FischerMeasureKarpov
    1943Born1951
    3Years as champion10
    1 of 2Title events won3 of 7
    2785 Jul 1972Peak FIDE rating2780 Jul 1994
    2909On today's scale2849
    +125Lead over No. 2 at peak+40

    A star marks the better figure. "On today's scale" and the lead are explained on the champions page.

    Trophy cabinets

    FischerHonourKarpov
    1

    1972

    		World titles3

    1975, 1978, 1981

    1

    1971

    		Candidates3

    1974, 1987, 1990

    2

    1962, 1970

    		Interzonals1

    1973*

    –Rapid1

    1988

    1

    1970†

    		Blitz–
    8

    1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966

    		National3

    1976, 1983, 1988*

    –Junior1

    1969

    –Olympiad team6

    1972, 1974, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1988

    –Olympiad board3

    1972, 1974, 1988

    –World team2

    1985, 1989

    –European team4

    1973, 1977, 1980, 1983

    3

    1970, 1971, 1972

    		Oscars9

    1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984

    Each year links to its source. * Shared title. † Held before FIDE's official series (blitz events of 1970, 1988 and 2000; the 2000 and 2002 World Cups). World championship titles are title events won or kept. Olympiad board golds are the best score on a board. Most of these events didn't exist before the 1920s.

    Their ratings over time

    Bobby FischerAnatoly Karpov
    25002550260026502700275028001980199020002010

    Move over the chart to compare both ratings on any list.

    FIDE standard rating on each list (twice a year until 2000, then monthly from 2003). Each line ends at the player's last rating change: FIDE keeps an inactive player's rating on its lists. Sources: OlimpBase, FIDE.

    Quick answers

    Who won more games, Bobby Fischer or Anatoly Karpov?

    There is no recorded game between them.

    How many world championship matches did Fischer and Karpov play?

    1: 1975 (Karpov won, —).

    All 18 rivalries·All 18 world champions