Anatoly Karpov — Linares 1994

dates: 23 February–14 March 1994
location: Linares, Spain
score: 11 / 13 — nine wins, four draws
winner: Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Karpov in April 2017, more than two decades after Linares 1994. Photo: Veni Markovski.

Anatoly Karpov won Linares 1994 with eleven points from thirteen games, finishing unbeaten with nine wins and four draws. The fourteen-player single round robin brought together an exceptional field, including Garry Kasparov, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik and Vassily Ivanchuk. Karpov finished two and a half points ahead of Kasparov and Alexey Shirov.

The schedule required a game against each of the other thirteen participants. Karpov began with six consecutive victories before drawing with Kasparov. He immediately returned to winning against Boris Gelfand, then completed the event with two more wins and three further draws.

This collection follows all thirteen games, including the draws against Kasparov, Shirov, Gata Kamsky and Anand. The opening variety includes the English, French, Caro-Kann and queen’s-pawn systems. Studying the whole event preserves the rhythm of a tournament performance rather than presenting only its decisive highlights.

Choose Karpov to explore his decisions from either color, or select his opponent in any round. The same trainer supports every game and both players. Sessions are saved separately by side, while completing either player’s sequence counts the game once toward the thirteen-game total.

Anatoly Karpov's Profile

Tournament results

Linares 1994 final standings and crosstable
No.	Player	Elo	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	Points	Place
1	Anatoly Karpov	2740	**	½	½	1	1	1	1	½	½	1	1	1	1	1	11	1
2	Garry Kasparov	2815	½	**	½	1	0	0	½	1	1	1	½	1	1	½	8½	2–3
3	Alexei Shirov	2715	½	½	**	0	0	1	1	½	1	1	½	1	1	½	8½	2–3
4	Evgeny Bareev	2685	0	0	1	**	½	½	1	½	½	1	0	1	½	1	7½	4
5	Joël Lautier	2625	0	1	1	½	**	½	1	1	0	0	½	0	1	½	7	5–6
6	Vladimir Kramnik	2710	0	1	0	½	½	**	0	½	½	½	½	1	1	1	7	5–6
7	Veselin Topalov	2640	0	½	0	0	0	1	**	1	½	1	1	½	0	1	6½	7–9
8	Viswanathan Anand	2715	½	0	½	½	0	½	0	**	1	0	½	1	1	1	6½	7–9
9	Gata Kamsky	2695	½	0	0	½	1	½	½	0	**	½	½	1	½	1	6½	7–9
10	Vasyl Ivanchuk	2710	0	0	0	0	1	½	0	1	½	**	½	1	½	1	6	10
11	Boris Gelfand	2685	0	½	½	1	½	½	0	½	½	½	**	0	½	½	5½	11
12	Miguel Illescas	2590	0	0	0	0	1	0	½	0	0	0	1	**	1	1	4½	12
13	Judit Polgár	2630	0	0	0	½	0	0	1	0	½	½	½	0	**	1	4	13
14	Alexander Beliavsky	2650	0	½	½	0	½	0	0	0	0	0	½	0	0	**	2	14

Each numbered column refers to the player with that number. Each symbol shows their game result. 1 = win, ½ = draw, 0 = loss; ** = same player. Points are out of 13.

Completed 0 / 13

Game 1: Beginning against Lautier

Joel Lautier opened with the English. Karpov began his unbeaten tournament with a victory as Black. The recorded game ends after 49 moves with Anatoly Karpov winning.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Joel Lautier – Anatoly Karpov 0-1	Linares	1994	49	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 2: A French Defence against Bareev

Evgeny Bareev chose the French Defence against Karpov. Karpov won with White to take his second consecutive point. The recorded game ends after 36 moves with Anatoly Karpov winning.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Anatoly Karpov – Evgeny Ilgizovich Bareev 1-0	Linares	1994	36	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 3: Winning the long game against Illescas

Miguel Illescas began with an English setup. Karpov won with Black in one of his longest decisive games of the tournament. The recorded game ends after 63 moves with Anatoly Karpov winning.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Miguel Illescas Cordoba – Anatoly Karpov 0-1	Linares	1994	63	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 4: The rook sacrifice against Topalov

Karpov began with 1.d4 and the opening transposed into a Symmetrical English setup against Veselin Topalov. His queenside knight jump 18.Nc5 was followed by 19.Qxd7 and 20.Rxe6. After the rook sacrifice 21.Rxg6+ fxg6, he continued with 22.Qe6+ around Black’s exposed king. The recorded game ends after 39 moves with Karpov winning, his fourth consecutive victory.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Anatoly Karpov – Veselin Topalov 1-0	Linares	1994	39	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 5: Ivanchuk’s queen’s-pawn challenge

Ivanchuk chose a queen’s-pawn opening with White. Karpov won with Black to extend the streak to five. The recorded game ends after 30 moves with Anatoly Karpov winning.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Vassily Ivanchuk – Anatoly Karpov 0-1	Linares	1994	30	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 6: The sixth win against Polgar

Karpov used the Alapin variation against Judit Polgar’s Sicilian Defence. He won again to complete six victories in the first six rounds. The recorded game ends after 33 moves with Anatoly Karpov winning.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Anatoly Karpov – Judit Polgar 1-0	Linares	1994	33	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 7: Kasparov holds the Caro-Kann

Kasparov tested Karpov’s Caro-Kann Defence. Their draw ended the winning streak while keeping Karpov unbeaten. The recorded game ends in a draw after 41 moves.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Garry Kasparov – Anatoly Karpov 1/2-1/2	Linares	1994	41	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 8: Returning to victory against Gelfand

Gelfand tested the Caro-Kann Defence with the Panov Attack, transposing into a structure also reached from the Nimzo-Indian. The early pawn exchanges left White with an isolated queen pawn. Karpov won with Black after 52 moves, returning to victory immediately after the draw with Kasparov.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Boris Gelfand – Anatoly Karpov 0-1	Linares	1994	52	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 9: A long draw against Shirov

Shirov defended a queen’s-pawn position against Karpov. Their game was Karpov’s longest encounter of the tournament by recorded ply count. The recorded game ends in a draw after 67 moves.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Anatoly Karpov – Alexey Shirov 1/2-1/2	Linares	1994	67	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 10: Kamsky’s Petroff encounter

Kamsky faced Karpov’s Petroff Defence. A long draw gave Karpov his third half-point result. The recorded game ends in a draw after 67 moves.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Gata Kamsky – Anatoly Karpov 1/2-1/2	Linares	1994	67	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 11: Kramnik’s Semi-Slav test

Kramnik defended a Semi-Slav against Karpov. Karpov won with White to add another full point late in the event. The recorded game ends after 40 moves with Anatoly Karpov winning.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Anatoly Karpov – Vladimir Kramnik 1-0	Linares	1994	40	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 12: Anand against the Caro-Kann

Anand tested Karpov’s Caro-Kann Defence with White. Their draw preserved Karpov’s unbeaten record before the last round. The recorded game ends in a draw after 26 moves.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Viswanathan Anand – Anatoly Karpov 1/2-1/2	Linares	1994	26	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Game 13: Finishing with a win over Beliavsky

Beliavsky defended a queen’s-pawn opening against Karpov. Karpov’s shortest game of the event completed his eleven-point total. The recorded game ends after 20 moves with Anatoly Karpov winning.

Game	Event	Year	Moves	Played	Current move	Score	Correct	Accuracy	Action
Anatoly Karpov – Alexander Beliavsky 1-0	Linares	1994	20	No	—	—	—	—	Start

Sources and image credits

By IgniteChess Editorial Published 2026-10-07

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