True, but Carlsen didn't win the last two main matches either. He drew the main match, just like in those other years, and then won Rapids playoffs, which were separate events with different rules and time controls.

I think you'd find most people considering them part of the same event, called the title match.

<we're arbitrarily saying it's not>

I would have. Kasparov played passively for 30 straight games to try and exhaust his opponent. Karpov did not have enough skill to punch out one more win. That reflects poorly on Karpov, but also on the match structure in general. The future, 24 game KK matches featured more high quality chess, as the match had a finite amount of games.

Let's not anoint Magnus GOAT just yet. Remember, these 12 game mini matches take place ever two years. He gets to play more WC matches than any other long reigning champion. I therefore don't consider number of world ch matches so important, when I look at the MC 12 'gamers.

Only a fool can't see this ..

Karpov was red carpeted by the Soviets specifically to target Bobby ..

When Fischer had to face a younger man <karpov>, he retired.

Karpov seemed to be in a good mood to grant such a long and extensive interview that touched on many things.

https://www.sport-express.ru/chess/...

Interesting bit on Fischer. This was a question asked by GM Vladmir Fedoseev. Apparently, they had agreed to a match in 1977 but Fischer turned it down at the last minute.

Fedoseev, vice-champion of the world in rapid chess: - If there was a match with Robert Fischer in 1975, how would this change chess and your career?

<<- To begin with, the match would become a unique event in the history of not only chess, but also world sports. It is a pity that it failed. Although we negotiated for a long time, we met three times. The last time was in Washington. 1977 year. They actually shook hands there. We went to the Philippine consulate. Campomanes, FIDE President, found a typist who typed everything that was agreed. We have already taken pens to sign the agreement. But at the last moment, Fischer refused.

Negotiations were later resumed through Lothar Schmid, who was a referee at the Fischer-Spassky match and since then has maintained a cordial relationship with Bobby. I was still actively involved in chess, Fischer watched - but had not played for a long time ... Finally, I suggested - well, let's play your chess, Fischer's. Also did not respond.

I don’t want to claim that he was afraid of me. But some kind of insecurity wandered in him. Too many new things awaited in the confrontation with me. When Fischer went to the title of world champion, he defeated opponents much older. Plus, everyone was rooting for him.

Over time, the alignment has changed. I am eight years younger and had a lot of support. And Bobby at that moment also spoiled his relations with the press. He did not play a single official game after the match with Spassky. Yes, Fischer could not imagine life without chess, he continued to study. But at home you cannot simulate a tournament environment, you cannot train the nervous system. This is probably why I felt psychologically ill at ease.

NOBODY knows him

and, Harry Lime is still a <dik>. That never changes.>>

Bobby came.
Bobby saw
Bobby conquered
Bobby became the Greatest

indeed, the paranoid Fischer hid when Spassky was at his prime.

Bob DeNiro: "It IS what it IS!">>

I'm SMOKIN you Ooooot.

The reason Fischer gave for backing out at the last minute, literally with pen in hand to sign, was a dispute over what to call the match. He decided it should be called The Professional Chess World Championship, or something like that. Of course he knew Karpov wouldn't be allowed to play in a match like that because the official Party Line was that Soviet players weren't professionals, they were amateurs. Officially they all had other jobs, usually "Journalist" (Chess Journalist, of course). One or two of them, like Botvinnik and Taimanov actually did have legitimate Other Jobs, but they were the exceptions.

Anyway, Karpov pointed out that he wouldn't be allowed to play in a match with that name. Campomanes told Fischer to just sign the contract and they'd work out a name that both sides could live with later. Fischer said No, and walked out.

A year later, Chess Life & Review reported that the Fischer-Gligoric match was a done deal. Gligoric did agree to absolutely everything, but even then Fischer didn't want to play. When the match fell through, CL&R was so disgusted that they didn't even report it or retract their claim that the match was on. They just stopped talking about it entirely. In its place, Gligoric and Ljubojevic played a real slugfest of a match that Ljubo won 5½-4½.

Karpov gave Kaspy all he could handle--five extremely close or drawn matches.