Cheers for the Upstart

Thomas Mann divided the world between the life of the burgher and the life of the artist. Burghers are townsmen, solid citizens who ply their trades, keep their noses clean and follow steady, unimaginative, dependable lives.

Artists, on the other hand, are more given to flights of fancy. They are creative, but they are erratic. They can soar to great heights, but they can also sink to great depths. The world needs both burghers and artists.

The opponents in the marathon world chess championship, which is now concluding in Leningrad, embody elements of each of these types. Anatoly Karpov, the 35-year-old former champion, has the more conventional turn of mind and plays a cautious game. He makes no waves and is the darling of the Soviet establishment.

The world champion, Gary Kasparov, retained his title in the grueling match--but just by the skin of his teeth. He is a firebrand whose recklessness sometimes gets him into trouble on the chessboard as well as with the authorities. At 23 he is the youngest person ever to be world champion, and he wears the mantle with an independence that does not go over well in the workers’ paradise. Being half Jewish and half Armenian hasn’t helped him there either.

Karpov and Kasparov’s personalities have clashed across the chessboard and elsewhere during three championship matches held over more than two years. The first match was called off in the middle under questionable circumstances when it looked like Kasparov would dethrone Karpov. In the second match, held last year, Kasparov won fair and square and became champion.

The rematch began last July. Kasparov took an early and seemingly unbeatable lead, but he began to play recklessly and made mistakes that enabled Karpov to even the contest. Then Kasparov got his artistic temperament in check, and his victory in a game over the weekend combined with a draw on Monday guaranteed that he would hold on to the crown regardless of the outcome of the final game.

We have a warm spot in our hearts for artists--especially those who irk Soviet authorities--so we’ve been rooting for Kasparov all along. His style of play mirrors his personality, and the heights have managed to keep the depths under control. It’s good when artists win.