http://www.chessdiagonals.ch/402840...

with similar astronimical tournament wins>

Gorbachev's Soviet Union? Yes.>

Well, Kasparov often talked about himself and Yeltsin vs Karpov and Gorbachev...

<Gary Kasparov, the world chess champion, announced yesterday that when he defends his title in New York next Monday he will not play the match under the Soviet flag but rather under the white, blue and red colors of the Russian Republic.

Mr. Kasparov said in an interview that he had decided to spurn the Soviet flag, with its Communist symbol of the hammer and sickle, because it has come to ''represent oppression and tyranny,'' even under the rule of President Mikhail S. Gorbachev>

<Mr. Kasparov made clear that his gesture was aimed both at the current Soviet Communist leadership under Mr. Gorbachev and at his bitter rival, Mr. Karpov.

''Karpov represents the power authorities,'' said Mr. Kasparov. ''He was Brezhnev's boy when Brezhnev was in power and now he is Gorbachev's boy when Gorbachev is in power.''>

<Kasparov often repeats in his memoirs that it was he, not you, who was the victim of the system.>

"Yes, this myth is one of his favourites. In fact, Kasparov has always received support, and absolute support. He ate from all tables, first of all from Azerbaijan. Our financial conditions with him were absolutely not equal. If we count the costs that the country has incurred with Kasparov - at least in the same preparations for the matches with Karpov - then they are many times greater than the costs for me. He could maintain large headquarters, and people worked for him from morning to evening. They had their own training centre. Kasparov could stay at the government dacha in Zagulba at any moment, and not alone, but with his whole team. I did not have permanent places for training, and had to negotiate all the time. Back then, he had absolute freedom of action."

<However, before the matches with Kasparov, you seemed to be considered the favorite of the authorities. Your chess authority was indisputable. How did it happen that at that time such pressure was exerted on you?>

"Just from Kasparov's side there were vile people who arranged it. Even under Brezhnev, Heydar Aliyev (an Azejbaijani Politbureau member) was not insignificant and after Brezhnev's death he simply became the main one in the Politburo, who was involved in culture, sports, and medicine. And his pressure became extremely serious."

Conveniently said in late 1990 when Gorby was all but done.

Karpov is a multi-millionaire, successful capitalist. He made ALL of his money once he got to make deals in the west, once the USSR fell. The idea that he's some sort of dyed in the wool communist (like Botvinnik) is a load of crap.

Of course Kasparov also says things that are self serving and not true. But, at least Kasparov <knows> he's a capitalist with a big ego, he pretty much admits it. Karpov won't give away his personal flaws the way Kasparov does but they are certainly there.

Also, nowadays the top events have a high amount of top players, there have usually been five of the top ten in the tournaments Carlsen won, while things sometimes were quite different in the 70s.

Sometimes he was invincible, though.