My Great Predecessors is a five-volume series of chess books authored by former World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov and published by Everyman Chess between 2003 and 2006. The work provides a comprehensive historical analysis of the official World Chess Champions from Wilhelm Steinitz (1886–1894) to Anatoly Karpov (1975–1985), featuring in-depth annotations of hundreds of their key games, biographical details, and evaluations of their strategic innovations and playing styles.[1][2]The series is structured chronologically across its volumes, with Part I covering Steinitz, Emanuel Lasker (1894–1921), José Raúl Capablanca (1921–1927), and Alexander Alekhine (1927–1935 and 1937–1946); Part II examining Max Euwe (1935–1937), Mikhail Botvinnik (multiple reigns from 1948–1963), Vasily Smyslov (1957–1958), and Mikhail Tal (1960–1961); Part III focusing on Tigran Petrosian (1963–1969) and Boris Spassky (1969–1972); Part IV detailing Bobby Fischer's rise and his 1972 World Championship victory; and Part V addressing Karpov's era along with challenger Viktor Korchnoi's significant matches. Kasparov, drawing on his own grandmaster experience and computer-assisted analysis, revisits classic encounters to offer fresh perspectives, often correcting or expanding upon prior interpretations.Regarded as a landmark in chess literature, My Great Predecessors has been praised for its depth and ambition, serving as both an educational resource for players and a definitive reference on the development of competitive chess. The series highlights the evolution of opening theory, middlegame strategies, and endgame techniques through the champions' innovations, while also incorporating stories and contexts from major tournaments and rivalries. Despite some critiques on historical details, it remains a monumental contribution by a top-level player to the game's historiography.[2]
Overview
Background and Conception
Garry Kasparov, the 13th undisputed World Chess Champion from 1985 to 2000, cultivated a deep interest in chess history throughout his professional career, which he pursued actively after his 2000 World Championship loss, continuing through and beyond his 2005 retirement. This fascination stemmed from his desire to understand the evolution of the game and the personal styles of past masters, informing his own aggressive and innovative approach at the board.[3]The conception of My Great Predecessors emerged in the early 2000s, shortly after Kasparov's defeat in the 2000 World Championship match against Vladimir Kramnik, marking the end of his 15-year reign. Motivated by this setback, Kasparov turned to historical reflection as a way to analyze how his predecessors' strategies and innovations had shaped his playing style, using the project to process his legacy and the broader trajectory of chess. He viewed the series as an opportunity to fill significant gaps in chess historiography, where prior works often lacked integrated biographical narratives, rigorous game annotations, and forward-looking theoretical commentary.[4][5]From the outset, Kasparov collaborated closely with chess journalist and editor Dmitry Plisetsky, who assisted in research, compilation of historical materials, and annotation development across the volumes. Originally written in Russian, the English editions were translated by Ken Neat, ensuring accessibility while preserving the analytical depth. This teamwork enabled Kasparov to blend personal insights with scholarly rigor, creating a multifaceted historical project that extended beyond mere game collections to explore the cultural and psychological dimensions of championship chess.[6][7]
Series Composition and Scope
Kasparov's broader chess history project, beginning with the five-volume My Great Predecessors series, is organized into three interconnected parts, totaling 12 volumes that chronicle the history and evolution of elite chess from 1851 to 2005, with a central focus on how earlier masters influenced contemporary play. The foundational segment consists of five volumes under "My Great Predecessors," analyzing World Champions from Wilhelm Steinitz through the Fischer-Karpov era, emphasizing their personal styles, key matches, and theoretical legacies. This is extended by four volumes in "Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess," which explore 1970s-1980s opening developments and the intense Kasparov-Karpov matches, bridging historical champions to modern competition. The series culminates in three volumes of "Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov," an autobiographical examination of Kasparov's career, completing the narrative arc from predecessors to his own achievements.[1][8][9]Thematically, the series traces the progression of chess styles, beginning with the romantic era's emphasis on bold attacks and sacrifices in the mid-19th century, transitioning through classical positional play, and advancing to hypermodern concepts that prioritized control of the center via fianchettoes and flexibility in the early 20th century. Each volume highlights World Champions' pivotal contributions, such as Steinitz's positional principles or Nimzowitsch's strategic overhauls, illustrating how these innovations collectively molded the dynamic, universalist approach of post-World War II chess. Over 2,000 games are annotated across the series, selected for their illustrative value in demonstrating stylistic shifts and enduring lessons.[10][11]Kasparov's analytical methodology centers on in-depth dissections of landmark games, blending historical contextualization with precise move-by-move critiques of openings, middlegames, and endgames to evaluate innovations without relying on formal mathematical equations. He incorporates computer-assisted analysis to refine classical interpretations, revealing overlooked tactical nuances and strategic depths that affirm or challenge prior assessments, thereby providing readers with a modern lens on historical play. This approach underscores the series' emphasis on predecessors as foundational architects of chess's intellectual and competitive framework.[12]
My Great Predecessors Volumes
Volume I: Early Champions
Volume I of My Great Predecessors, published in August 2003 by Everyman Chess, lays the groundwork for the series by exploring the origins of competitive chess and the emergence of its first official world champions.[6]Garry Kasparov, with the assistance of Dmitry Plisetsky, delves into the 19th-century landscape, contrasting the bold, sacrificial play of the romantic school with the systematic principles that would define classical chess.[13] The volume features extensive annotations of key games, reassessed using modern computational tools to illuminate tactical brilliance and strategic innovations, while contextualizing the players within their historical and social environments.[14]The book opens with the pre-Steinitz era, spotlighting unofficial champions like Paul Morphy and Adolf Anderssen, whose dominance exemplified romantic chess's emphasis on attack and imagination. Morphy's meteoric rise from 1857 to 1859, including his victory in the First American Chess Congress and subsequent European tour where he defeated top masters such as Adolf Anderssen (+7 -2 =2) and Johann Löwenthal (+6 -3 =1), is portrayed as a pinnacle of intuitive genius unmatched in its era.[3] Kasparov highlights Anderssen's sacrificial flair, as seen in his famous "Immortal Game" against Lionel Kieseritzky in 1851, which embodied the era's aesthetic ideals but also exposed vulnerabilities to deeper positional understanding.[15]Transitioning to the official champions, the volume dedicates substantial analysis to Wilhelm Steinitz, the inaugural world champion from 1886 to 1894, whom Kasparov credits with founding positional chess by shifting focus from mere combinations to accumulation of small advantages, such as control of key squares and pawn structure.[16] Steinitz's landmark 1886 title match against Johannes Zukertort in the United States (+10 -5 =5) receives detailed scrutiny, with Kasparov annotating pivotal games like the first, where Steinitz's patient maneuvering in a Queen's Gambit Declined secured a win and symbolized the dawn of scientific play.[17] This match, held across New York, St. Louis, and New Orleans, not only established the world championship format but also validated Steinitz's theories against Zukertort's more aggressive style.[18]Emanuel Lasker, the second official champion (1894-1921), rounds out the core coverage, with Kasparov emphasizing his psychological acumen and adaptability over pure technical mastery. Lasker's 27-year reign, including his defeat of Steinitz in 1894 (+10 -4 =5), is analyzed through games that demonstrate his ability to exploit opponents' weaknesses under pressure, blending intuition with endgame precision.[6] Kasparov portrays Lasker as a bridge between eras, capable of romantic flourishes yet grounded in Steinitzian principles, with annotations revealing how his "psychological" approach—such as inducing errors through time pressure—influenced match strategy.[3] Overall, the volume underscores the stylistic evolution from Morphy's and Anderssen's brilliance to Steinitz's and Lasker's foundational doctrines, providing readers with over 200 annotated games that trace chess's maturation.[19]
Volume II: Golden Age Innovators
Volume II of Garry Kasparov's My Great Predecessors series, published in 2003 by Everyman Chess, examines the transformative era of chess in the 1920s and 1930s through the careers of world champions José Raúl Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine. This period represented a golden age of innovation, where classical positional principles evolved into more dynamic and hypermodern approaches, influenced by thinkers like Aron Nimzowitsch. Kasparov provides extensive analysis of over 300 annotated games, drawing on modern computer engines to reassess key moments and highlight how these players elevated strategic depth and tactical aggression.[20] The volume underscores the stylistic revolutions that bridged 19th-century foundations with 20th-century complexities, emphasizing Capablanca's effortless precision and Alekhine's relentless preparation.Capablanca, who succeeded Emanuel Lasker as world champion in Havana in 1921, is portrayed by Kasparov as the epitome of natural genius, particularly in endgame mastery. The match ended decisively in Capablanca's favor with a score of 4 wins, 0 losses, and 10 draws after 14 games, showcasing his superior understanding of simplified positions and prophylactic play. Kasparov annotates numerous games to illustrate Capablanca's ability to steer complex middlegames into favorable endings, often converting minimal advantages through accurate calculation and intuition. A standout example is his 1924 New York tournament victory over Savielly Tartakower, where Capablanca navigated a sharp Queen's Gambit Declined to reach a rook endgame and methodically restricted his opponent's counterplay, securing a win that exemplified his hallmark clarity and efficiency. This game, among others, demonstrates how Capablanca's style influenced subsequent generations by prioritizing harmony over forced variations.Alekhine, Capablanca's successor, introduced a more combative dimension to championship play, marked by aggressive tactics and exhaustive opening preparation. In the 1927 Buenos Aires match, Alekhine dethroned Capablanca after 34 games, scoring 6 wins, 3 losses, and 25 draws, through innovative strategies that exploited his opponent's relative rustiness in deep theoretical lines. Kasparov details how Alekhine's rigorous study of rivals' repertoires—often involving assistants and extensive note-taking—anticipated the systematic training regimens of the Soviet era, crediting him with pioneering modern preparation techniques that emphasized psychological pressure and variant depth. However, Alekhine's reign ended with a stunning 1935 loss to Max Euwe in the world championship match in the Netherlands, where Euwe prevailed 9.5–8.5 after 30 games, exposing vulnerabilities in Alekhine's lifestyle and consistency under match conditions. Annotated games from this match reveal Alekhine's tactical brilliance, such as his sacrificial attacks in the Slav Defense, but also moments where overambition led to errors.The volume also integrates the hypermodern school's impact, with Nimzowitsch's ideas of indirect center control and overprotection reshaping opening theory during this era. Kasparov analyzes how Alekhine adapted these concepts in games against classical exponents like Capablanca, blending fianchetto systems with aggressive pawn breaks to create imbalances. For instance, Alekhine's wins in hypermodern-inspired lines against Richard Réti and others highlight the shift from static occupation to dynamic harmony, influencing the stylistic diversity of the 1920s tournaments like New York 1924 and Baden-Baden 1925. Through these analyses, Kasparov not only celebrates individual achievements but also traces the evolution toward more flexible, idea-driven chess that set the stage for post-war developments.
Volume III: Post-War Dominance
Volume III of My Great Predecessors examines the transition to post-World War II chess supremacy, focusing on the institutional rise of the Soviet school and its key figures. Published in 2004 by Everyman Chess, the volume analyzes the careers of World Champions Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik, Vasily Smyslov, and Mikhail Tal through over 400 deeply annotated games, reassessed with modern computational aids for accuracy and insight.[21][22] Kasparov portrays this era as a "chess revolution," marked by Soviet dominance that transformed the game into a state-supported science, contrasting it with the individual flair of earlier periods while briefly referencing hypermodern influences from the interwar years as a fading backdrop.[21] He critiques Euwe's 1935–1937 reign as a fleeting Dutch interruption in the inexorable Soviet ascent, emphasizing how Euwe's logical, defensive style—rooted in mathematical precision—proved insufficient against the emerging collective might, as seen in his loss of the title to Alekhine and failure to reclaim it post-war.[3][23]Central to the volume is Mikhail Botvinnik, whom Kasparov hails as the patriarch of the Soviet chess school, crediting him with pioneering systematic training methods that elevated chess to a professional discipline. Botvinnik's victory in the 1948 FIDEWorld Championship tournament in The Hague–Moscow, where he scored 14/20 to secure the title ahead of rivals like Vasily Smyslov and Paul Keres, symbolized the USSR's post-war resurgence; Kasparov annotates key games from this event, highlighting Botvinnik's blend of deep preparation and scientific analysis.[24][21] The book delves into Botvinnik's three reigns (1948–1957, 1958–1960, 1961–1963), underscoring his role in founding the Botvinnik Chess School, which trained future champions through rigorous study of openings, middlegame strategy, and endgames, fostering a generation of players who prioritized depth over intuition.[25] Representative examples include Botvinnik's victories in the 1954 and 1957 USSR Championships, where his positional mastery shone, though Kasparov notes vulnerabilities exposed in rematch losses, such as to Smyslov in 1957.[26]Vasily Smyslov receives balanced coverage for his harmonious, endgame-oriented style, which Kasparov describes as the epitome of classical balance within the Soviet framework. Smyslov's 1957 World Championship win over Botvinnik by a 12.5–11.5 score marked a brief shift toward elegant prophylaxis, with annotated games illustrating his vocal mastery and pawn structure control; however, his quick 1958 rematch defeat highlighted the school's emphasis on resilience over artistry.[21][27] Kasparov praises Smyslov's longevity, citing his strong performances into the 1980s, but positions him as a worthy yet secondary figure in the revolutionary hierarchy dominated by Botvinnik's influence.[23]Mikhail Tal's chapter captivates with his sacrificial, intuitive brilliance, which Kasparov celebrates as a romantic counterpoint to Soviet scientism, dubbing him the "Magician from Riga" for games that prioritize imagination and psychological pressure. Tal's breakthrough came with his 1957 USSR Championship victory at age 20, followed by his 1958 World Junior title and stunning 1960 World Championship triumph over Botvinnik (12.5–8.5), where daring sacrifices disrupted the champion's preparations.[28][23] A pivotal example is Game 6 of the 1960 match (Tal–Botvinnik, Moscow), where Tal's knight sacrifice on f7 in a Benoni Defense unleashed a devastating attack, showcasing his ability to convert chaos into victory; Kasparov provides extensive analysis, verifying the soundness with engines while lauding its artistic impact.[29] Though Tal lost the 1961 rematch amid health issues, Kasparov argues his style invigorated the Soviet school, inspiring aggressive play amid the era's positional norms.[30] Overall, the volume underscores how these players solidified Soviet hegemony, with Botvinnik's methodology ensuring chess's evolution into a strategic powerhouse.[21]
Volume IV: Strategic Evolutions
Volume IV: Strategic Evolutions examines the evolution of chess strategy during the Cold War era, particularly through the lenses of world champions Tigran Petrosian and Boris Spassky, with preliminary insights into the challenges posed by emerging talents like Bobby Fischer. Published in 2004 by Everyman Chess, the volume provides an in-depth analysis of over 350 games, emphasizing how these players adapted Soviet chess principles to create more nuanced, defensive frameworks that contrasted with the aggressive dominance of prior decades.[31] Kasparov, drawing from his personal encounters with both champions, underscores the shift toward strategic depth, where prophylaxis and universality became key to maintaining supremacy in a highly competitive field.[32]Central to the volume is Kasparov's portrayal of Tigran Petrosian (world champion 1963–1969) as a master of prophylactic play, a style focused on preemptively addressing opponents' threats to secure solid, flexible positions. Petrosian ascended to the title by defeating Mikhail Botvinnik in the 1963 World Championship match (12½–11½), showcasing his ability to "smother" aggressive intentions through subtle maneuvering. He defended his crown in 1966 against Boris Spassky, winning the match 12.5–11.5 after a grueling 24-game struggle that highlighted his risk-averse precision.[33] A pivotal example is Game 18 from that match, where Petrosian, playing Black in a King's Indian Defense (Fianchetto, Panno Variation), outmaneuvered Spassky over 30 moves to secure a win that exemplified his defensive resilience.[34] Kasparov describes Petrosian as an "anti-champion," whose aversion to unnecessary risks revolutionized defensive chess, influencing contemporary players by prioritizing prevention over confrontation and elevating Nimzowitsch's prophylactic concepts to new heights.[35] This approach, rooted in the rigorous Soviet training methods explored in Volume III, allowed Petrosian to lose fewer than one game per year during his peak, establishing him as a stabilizing force amid the era's intensifying rivalries.Boris Spassky (world champion 1969–1972) receives equally thorough treatment, with Kasparov praising his universal style that blended sharp tactics, positional acumen, and endgame mastery across all opening repertoires. Spassky dethroned Petrosian in their 1969 rematch, clinching the title 12.5–11.5 in another closely contested 24-game affair, where his adaptability shone through in exploiting subtle imbalances. The volume dissects Spassky's versatility, noting how he could transition seamlessly from dynamic attacks to solid defenses, a trait that made him a formidable successor to the Soviet lineage. Kasparov highlights key encounters, such as Spassky's victories in earlier cycles that foreshadowed his championship prowess, while briefly alluding to the growing pressure from non-Soviet players like Fischer, whose aggressive preparations tested the universality of Spassky's game. Through annotated games and historical context, the book illustrates how Spassky's balanced approach bridged the defensive innovations of Petrosian with the impending dynamic shifts of the 1970s, offering readers a conceptual roadmap to strategic evolution in elite chess.[31]
Volume V: Modern Transitions
My Great Predecessors Part V, subtitled Modern Transitions, serves as a bridge in Garry Kasparov's series, examining the turbulent shift in world chess during the 1970s and early 1980s, from Bobby Fischer's dramatic reign to the emergence of Soviet figures Anatoly Karpov and Viktor Korchnoi. Published in 2006 by Everyman Chess, the volume analyzes over 300 games, highlighting the geopolitical tensions and stylistic evolutions that marked this era.[36][37]The book opens with an in-depth look at Bobby Fischer's 1972 World Championship victory over Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland, a match that ended 24 years of Soviet dominance and symbolized a Cold War triumph for the West. Kasparov details Fischer's preparation and psychological edge, including key games like his win against Bent Larsen in the 1970 Interzonal Tournament in Palma de Mallorca, where Fischer employed aggressive Sicilian Defense tactics to dominate the field despite the upset loss. Following this triumph, Kasparov covers Fischer's subsequent exile from competitive chess after forfeiting his title in 1975 due to disputes with FIDE over match conditions, critiquing the organization's handling of the controversy as a failure to adapt to the American prodigy’s demands.[38]Transitioning to the Soviet resurgence, the volume focuses on Anatoly Karpov, who ascended to the world championship by default after Fischer's abdication, and his fierce rivalries with Viktor Korchnoi. Kasparov examines Korchnoi's defection from the Soviet Union in 1976 during a tournament in Amsterdam, which transformed their contests into ideological battles amid the Cold War. The analysis centers on their 1974 Candidates Final and the 1978 World Championship match in Baguio City, Philippines, where Karpov retained his title 6-5 after 32 games marked by controversies including parapsychological allegations and mirrored glasses worn by Korchnoi.[36][38]Kasparov underscores Fischer's enduring influence, predicting that the American's universal preparation style paved the way for non-Soviet breakthroughs, inspiring players like himself to challenge entrenched powers. He portrays Karpov as a positional master excelling in closed positions, yet critiques potential vulnerabilities against Fischer's dynamic attacks, suggesting the unbeaten champion of the early 1970s might have prevailed in a hypothetical 1975 matchup. This volume bridges to contemporary chess by illustrating how these transitions—from Fischer'sisolation to Karpov-Korchnoi's endurance tests—reshaped professionalpreparation and international rivalries.[38][37]
Modern Chess Extension
Openings and Theoretical Advances
In the "Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess" series, spanning Parts One through Four published between 2007 and 2010, Kasparov examines the evolution of chess opening theory during the 1970s and 1980s, a period marked by rapid innovation following Bobby Fischer's 1972 World Championship victory and the enduring influence of Soviet chess traditions.[39][40] This era saw openings shift toward dynamic, counterattacking structures, with Fischer's emphasis on precision and depth inspiring a surge in theoretical developments that outpaced the previous half-century of progress.[39] Key openings like the Sicilian Defense, particularly its Najdorf and Dragon variations, underwent significant refinement, as players explored aggressive pawn breaks and piece activity to challenge classical equilibria.[41][42]The series provides over 500 annotated variations across these volumes, delving into critical lines with exhaustive move-by-move analysis that highlights novelties and strategic pivots.[43] Kasparov employs modern database analysis to uncover previously overlooked ideas, such as improved pawn structures in the Sicilian Najdorf's 6 Be3 line, where games from the early 1970s tournaments revealed sharper counterplay for Black.[42] Similarly, the King's Indian Defense receives focused treatment, tracing its transformation from a solid setup to a weapon for kingside assaults, influenced by Soviet players who integrated hypermodern ideas with aggressive expansion.[44] The Grunfeld Defense emerges as another cornerstone, with its main variation (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5) analyzed through dozens of games that demonstrate evolving responses to White's central control, including the "Hungarian" subsystem's fianchetto setups.[45][46]Theoretical milestones from major events, such as the 1972 Fischer-Spassky match and subsequent tournaments like those in Manila (1976) and Bugojno (1978), are spotlighted for their role in popularizing dynamic systems.[47] These competitions accelerated novelties in the Najdorf Sicilian, where early adoptions of unbalanced pawn structures foreshadowed the aggressive play that defined 1980stheory.[41] Kasparov's analysis underscores how such innovations, blending Fischer's precision with Soviet tactical flair, elevated openings to require deeper preparation, setting the stage for computer-assisted refinement.[48]A distinctive aspect of the series is Kasparov's integration of computer verification during the writing process, which exposed inaccuracies in earlier evaluations by predecessors and refined move assessments.[49] For instance, engine checks on Grunfeld lines from 1970s games revealed overlooked tactical refutations, allowing Kasparov to provide updated evaluations that enhance conceptual understanding of imbalance and initiative.[50] This approach not only corrects historical oversights but also illustrates the transition toward data-driven theory, with detailed annotations emphasizing long-term strategic plans over isolated tactics.[51]
Kasparov-Karpov Rivalry Analysis
The Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess series, published between 2007 and 2010, provides an in-depth dissection of the Kasparov-Karpov world title matches from 1984 to 1990, encompassing 144 games across five contests. In these volumes, Kasparov offers detailed annotations that highlight psychological pressures and strategic turning points, drawing on his firsthand experience to analyze how mental fatigue and tactical oversights shaped outcomes. For instance, the aborted 1984 match in Moscow, which lasted five months and ended after 48 games with Karpov leading 5-3 amid 40 draws, is portrayed as a grueling test of endurance that exposed the flaws in unlimited match formats and sowed early seeds of discord with FIDE authorities.[52][53]Kasparov's annotations emphasize the stylistic clash between Karpov's positional solidity, rooted in patient maneuvering and defensive resilience, and his own aggressive, dynamic approach that sought to dismantle opponents through initiative and complexity. This contrast is evident in the 1985 Moscow rematch, limited to 24 games, where Kasparov clinched the title with a 13-11 score (+4 -3 =17), capitalizing on Karpov's reluctance to counterattack in critical moments, such as the decisive 24th game where Karpov's 23.Be3? overlooked a stronger push. A notable example of strategic vulnerability appears in Game 5 of the 1984 match, where Kasparov, playing White in a Grünfeld Defense, overextended his attack and blundered, allowing Karpov to secure a win that extended his early lead; Kasparov later critiqued this as a failure in balancing ambition with prudence.[52][54]The 1986 match in London and Leningrad saw Kasparov retain his title in another 24-game encounter (12.5-11.5, +5 -4 =15), described by Kasparov as a "revenge" where he refined his preparations to exploit Karpov's solid but predictable setups, particularly in closed positions. The subsequent 1987 Seville match (12-12, +5 -5 =14) and 1990 New York-Lyons contest (12.5-11.5, +4 -3 =17) both ended in draws favoring Kasparov as champion, with annotations revealing how escalating tensions—fueled by disputes over match conditions and officiating—intensified psychological warfare and contributed to growing rifts within FIDE that foreshadowed later schisms. Throughout, Kasparov underscores self-critiques of his own preparations, admitting instances where inadequate depth in opening research nearly cost him, such as early concessions in the Tarrasch Defense during 1984.[47][55]This rivalry profoundly accelerated the evolution of opening theory, as the high-stakes contests forced rapid innovations and deep explorations of variations, with Kasparov noting how the prolonged 1984 draws prompted breakthroughs in lines like the Queen's Indian Defense that influenced subsequent elite play. By annotating not just moves but the underlying preparations and adaptations, the series illustrates how the duels elevated chess from individual brilliance to a collaborative advancement of strategic understanding.[52][56]
Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov
Career Phases and Key Matches
The Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov series divides Kasparov's professional career into three chronological volumes, each analyzing over 300 annotated games in total across the set, with a focus on tactical breakdowns and strategic insights from his perspective.[57][58][59] Part I (published 2011) covers his aggressive youth phase from 1973 to 1985, highlighting his rapid ascent from a prodigy in Baku to the youngest world champion at age 22. This period emphasizes his early tournament successes and the intense World Championship matches against Anatoly Karpov. The 1984 match spanned six months and 48 games before being aborted in February 1985, after which Kasparov won the 1985 rematch by a 13–11 score.[57][60] A representative example is his 1979 Banja Luka tournament win at age 16, where he scored 11.5/15, defeating grandmasters like Vlastimil Hort and Andras Adorjan to claim clear first place by two points.[57] His performance at the elite Linares tournament in 1984 further showcased this phase, as he finished second behind Anatoly Karpov with a strong performance that signaled his readiness for the world title.[9]Part II (published 2013) examines Kasparov's peak dominance from 1985 to 1993, a era defined by successful title defenses and consistent supremacy in elite events. This volume details three World Championship defenses against Karpov in 1986 (Seville, won 12.5–11.5), 1987 (also Seville, drawn 12–12 but retained on points), and 1990 (New York and Lyon, won 12.5–11.5), underscoring his resilience amid political pressures from the Soviet Chess Federation.[58][61] Shorter matches against top players, such as his win in the 1988 GMA World Cup active chess event in Saint John, illustrate his versatility in faster formats. The annotations emphasize middlegame plans in openings like the Ruy Lopez, with games revealing his aggressive style that maintained an unbeaten streak in classical play during much of this period.[58]Part III (published 2014) reflects on Kasparov's maturity phase from 1993 to 2005, capturing his continued excellence alongside growing introspection leading to retirement from full-time play in 2005. Key matches include his unified Classical World Championship victories over Nigel Short in London 1993 (12.5–7.5) and Viswanathan Anand in New York 1995 (10.5–7.5), solidifying his dominance post-FIDE split.[59] The volume culminates in his historic 2000 loss to Vladimir Kramnik in London (8.5–6.5 after 16 games), ending a 15-year reign and marking a pivotal shift.[59][62] Tournament highlights feature four straight Linares wins from 1999 to 2002, where he achieved a record Elo rating of 2851 in 1999, and iconic games like his 1999 Wijk aan Zee victory over Veselin Topalov, a sacrificial masterpiece often called "Kasparov's Immortal" for its brilliant attack.[59] This phase's annotations balance tactical depth with evaluations of his evolving approach amid external challenges.[59]
Personal Reflections and Legacy
In the concluding volumes of his autobiographical series, Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov (published between 2011 and 2014), Kasparov incorporates introspective essays that extend beyond game annotations to explore his training methodologies, the evolving landscape of chess, and intersections with broader societal issues like politics. These essays reveal his rigorous approach to preparation, emphasizing psychological resilience and innovative study techniques honed during his career, while forecasting chess's adaptation to technological advancements.[62]Kasparov reflects deeply on his 2005 retirement from professional chess, framing it as a deliberate pivot after two decades of dominance, marked by his 1997 rematch loss to IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer—a pivotal human-versus-machine confrontation that underscored the limits of brute-force computation against human intuition. In these writings, he critiques the event's implications for artificial intelligence, arguing post-retirement that while machines excel in calculation, true creativity remains a human domain, influencing his advocacy for hybrid "advanced chess" where humans and AI collaborate. This perspective, drawn from his experiences bridging the classical era of intuitive play and the computer-dominated modern phase, positions Kasparov as a historian-champion who chronicled chess's transformation.[63]His critiques of FIDE governance feature prominently, highlighting perceived corruption and mismanagement that exacerbated splits in the chess world during his career, including his 2014 presidential campaign against incumbent Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, whom he accused of prioritizing personal alliances over global development. Kasparov's post-retirement efforts in chess promotion, through founding the Kasparov Chess Foundation in 2002, have extended his influence worldwide, delivering educational programs to millions of children and advocating chess as a tool for cognitive growth and social equity in underserved regions.[64][65][66]
Publication History
Original Releases and Collaborators
The My Great Predecessors series consists of five core volumes authored by Garry Kasparov, first published in Russian starting in 2003 before English translations by Ken Neat. The work was published by Everyman Chess in the United Kingdom from 2003 to 2006, drawing on extensive archival research to chronicle the evolution of chess champions and strategies. Dmitry Plisetsky, a chess journalist and researcher, collaborated closely with Kasparov on editing, game selection, and historical verification throughout the series.[67][2]The original releases were issued in hardcover format, with initial printings targeted at chess enthusiasts worldwide via Everyman's network, including distribution in North America and Europe; subsequent volumes built on the acclaim of earlier ones to expand the series' scope. Related extensions, Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess (three volumes, 2007–2009) and Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov (three volumes, 2011–2014), form distinct but complementary series covering later developments and Kasparov's career.[6]
Volume
Title
Publication Year
ISBN
I
My Great Predecessors, Part 1 (Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine)
2003
978-1-85744-330-1[6]
II
My Great Predecessors, Part 2 (Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal)
2003
978-1-85744-342-4[68]
III
My Great Predecessors, Part 3 (Petrosian, Spassky)
In the 2020s, the My Great Predecessors series saw re-releases by publishers such as Simon & Schuster and Everyman Chess (distributed via New in Chess), featuring enhancements like high-quality prints, modern fonts, and upgraded visual styles to improve readability and presentation without altering the core content.[72][1] These editions maintain the original analyses while addressing minor production issues from earlier printings.A notable re-release is the combined five-volume set from Everyman Chess, released on August 8, 2020, totaling 2,290 pages and weighing 5 kg, priced at €149.95; as of November 2025, this set remains out of stock at major retailers like New in Chess.[1]Digital formats have expanded accessibility, with ebooks available on platforms like Amazon Kindle—for instance, Part 1 released in 2024 under ASIN B0DT7TRRWK—and through apps such as Forward Chess, which offer the series in electronic form suitable for mobile reading.[73][74]No major content revisions have been made to the series, though post-publication updates incorporated reader-submitted analyses and corrections for factual inaccuracies and errata, as discussed in follow-up articles by Garry Kasparov, ensuring accuracy through minor adjustments rather than full rewrites.[14][75] These enhancements focus on visuals and errata fixes, with the series translated into several languages, including English, Spanish, German, Italian, Hebrew, and Portuguese.[67]
Reception and Impact
Critical Reviews
Grandmaster Nigel Short lauded the series for its exceptional depth and engaging narrative, describing the first volume as "probably the most enjoyable chess book I have ever read" in his review for The Sunday Telegraph.[76] He highlighted Kasparov's ability to provide perceptive portraits of chess legends through detailed game analysis, enhanced by computer verification that challenged longstanding misconceptions.[76] Critics have also praised the ambitious scope of the five-volume work, which chronicles over 150 years of chess evolution from Wilhelm Steinitz to Anatoly Karpov, offering comprehensive insights into the styles and contributions of world champions.[2]However, the series has faced significant criticism for historical inaccuracies and a lack of proper attribution. Edward Winter documented numerous errors in the first volume, such as Kasparov's incorrect assertion that the 1921 Capablanca-Lasker match was the "best of 24 games," when it was actually first to eight wins with a 24-game maximum, and a false claim that Alekhine toured South America in 1923 rather than Canada and the United States.[67] Winter further noted plagiarism concerns, with chess historian Richard Forster estimating that over 95% of the analysis in certain sections was copied from prior sources without acknowledgment, including uncredited use of Anatoly Karpov's notes on historical games.[67] John L. Watson echoed these issues in his review, pointing out analytical errors like missed mates and an impersonal tone that limited new perspectives on players' personalities, while emphasizing the shocking absence of a bibliography.[2]Additional critiques focus on perceived Soviet bias, with Watson arguing in his analysis of the second volume that the treatment of players reflects a prejudice favoring Soviet figures over Western counterparts.[77] For instance, Soviet players like Efim Geller received 37 pages despite limited top rankings, while American Reuben Fine, a top contender in the 1930s and 1940s, was entirely omitted, and Samuel Reshevsky was given minimal coverage despite his prolonged elite status.[77] This favoritism extends to Mikhail Botvinnik, whose achievements are portrayed with disproportionate emphasis compared to non-Soviet champions like Max Euwe.[77] Reviewers have debated Kasparov's annotations as insightful yet overly opinionated, often calling for more rigorous sourcing to bolster their credibility, though the series remains valuable for advanced players seeking deep strategic understanding.[2]
Awards and Recognitions
The My Great Predecessors series earned notable accolades from the English Chess Federation (ECF) Book of the Year award, reflecting its contributions to chess historiography.Volume I won the 2003 ECF Book of the Year award (presented under the preceding British Chess Federation structure), lauded for its innovative synthesis of historical narrative and deep game analysis that set new standards in the genre.[78][79]Volume II placed as runner-up in 2004, acknowledging its continuation of the series' rigorous examination of world champions Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, and Tal.[80]Volume IV secured the 2005 ECF Book of the Year win, celebrated for its focused portrayal of Bobby Fischer's career and influence on modern chess dynamics.[79][81]Volume V appeared on the 2006 shortlist but was ultimately excluded because it omitted the Kasparov-Karpov matches, which were considered essential for a complete assessment of Karpov's career.[82]No major awards followed for the series after 2006, though chess media in the 2020s have highlighted re-editions by New In Chess, with enhanced formats for all volumes—including Volume I slated for December 2025 release—affirming the series' ongoing status as a cornerstone of chess literature.[83]These honors—two outright wins, one runner-up, and one shortlisting—established My Great Predecessors as a landmark achievement, shaping ECF criteria for excellence in chess writing by emphasizing comprehensive historical innovation over time.[79]