King of the Board

When Florencio Campomanes, the head of the world chess federation, called off the marathon championship match earlier this year between Anatoly Karpov and Gary Kasparov, it seemed to everyone that he was acting to preserve Karpov’s title just as the champion was about to succumb. Karpov, 34, the world champion for 10 years, was the darling of the chess Establishment. Kasparov, the 22-year-old challenger, was an upstart who maybe talked too much.

But if victory was snatched from him last February, Kasparov has come back to earn it now. In a stunning game on Saturday that showcased his talent for the bold, brash move, Kasparov defeated Karpov after sacrificing two pawns that set up his attack on the champion’s king. Try as he might, Karpov could not wriggle out of the trap, eventually conceding the game--and with it the world title.

Kasparov’s victory came at the end of an exciting match that pitted Karpov’s cautious, technical style of play against Kasparov’s pyrotechnics. Even those who don’t follow the intricacies of chess can appreciate the excitement that this youngest-ever world champion has brought to the ancient game.