Karpov, Anatoly vs Kasparov, Garry, World Cup

Round 2 of the 1989 USSR Cup match between Kasparov and Karpov in Skellefteå (the World Cup of that year) was a draw between the two strongest players in the world. The 1989 World Cup was held in multiple stages across several countries — Skellefteå, Belfort, Reykjavik — as the first official Grand Prix format in chess. Kasparov and Karpov were both qualifiers.

The draw was characteristic of the players’ direct encounters in the late 1980s: both prepared deeply, neither willing to take undue risks, both accepting a structural draw if the position permitted. The opening was a Queen’s Gambit Declined; the middlegame produced no concrete chances for either side; the endgame was agreed drawn around move 35.

Kasparov went on to win the overall 1989 World Cup, demonstrating that his tournament-level form remained exceptional. He scored at well above a 2800 performance level across the entire series. Karpov finished behind him but ahead of every other competitor.

The 1989 World Cup is best remembered now as the immediate predecessor of the 1990 World Championship match. Both Kasparov and Karpov used the event to test opening preparation that would later appear in their title encounter at New York-Lyon. This particular drawn game contributed to that preparation by demonstrating one specific theoretical line that neither player could push for advantage with — information itself.