The 1984-85 World Chess Championship between Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov was abandoned after 48 games. The five-month battle was more than just a contest of skill – it was a battle of personalities, politics and ideologies in the heart of the Soviet Union. The abrupt cancellation fuelled suspicions about external interference. Many believe it was aimed at preserving the Soviet establishment’s control over the sport. Even today, chess remains a tool of political influence in Russia and around the world. The decision to end the match remains one of the most debated moments in the chess history. The match was won by the 22-year-old from Azerbaijan, who went on to dominate the chess world for the next two decades and become the youngest world champion in history at the age of 22. The FIDE maintains that health concerns were the primary reason for stopping the match, and that the decision was politically motivated. It was never conclusively proven to be a KGB agent, but he was widely perceived as being aligned with Soviet interests.
