English victories against reigning World Champions

[Keith Arkell]

"Which 2 future World Champions did I beat at Classical chess?"

I could randomize it further by asking which past and future world champion I beat in classical chess (serves her right for declining the draw offer).

Ruth Sheldon at the 1997 British Ch?

[Christopher Kreuzer]

If we're randomising this by bringing in Rapidplay wins against reigning Senior World Champs, then I'll also randomise it by setting the quiz question: Which 2 future World Champions did I beat at Classical chess?

Was it one of the Polgars?

No, I've never beaten a Polgar. It was a full World Champion. Not senior, not junior and not woman. Jack is correct that Carlsen is one, but who is the other?

A young Anand? (If I am right, I did this by a process of elimination, as I don't think you would have had the opportunity to play, let alone beat, Kramnik, Kasparov or Karpov before they became World Champion. Not sure if we include Topalov or not, but I think the same applies to him.)

[Matt Mackenzie]

Vera was the Women's World Champion at the time. There will be a few other English players who will have won against her when she reigned as the champ. (Thomas, Yates, Willie Winter players of that ilk)
A kind of Menchik Club in reverse. So we could add Englishman who beat Vera when she was World Champion.

IIRC in the Encyclopaedia of Chess by Golombek, he managed to sneak a mention of his big plus score against her into Menchik's entry.

[Geoff Chandler]

Suba was joint Senior World Champion with Larry Kaufman in 2008. Keith beat Suba in 1991 and Keith beat Kaufmann in 2008.

I had no intention of bringing in Senior/Blitz/Rapd World Champions, though why not it's good fun and the title of the thread is open to interpretation. So next time the age old debate crops up. Who was the strongest player never to be world champion? We can dismiss the oft quoted Korchnoi. He was Senior World Champion in 2006.

[Kevin Thurlow]

"Ruth Sheldon at the 1997 British Ch?"

Well done Keith!

I was going to guess Gert Jan Timmerman, but you drew with him...

[Geoff Chandler]

I've not checked but according to a poster at chessgames;

"Carlsen will play his last classical games as World Champion this weekend in the Norwegian League, the last of them will be against David Howell." That would be a good historical scalp for an Englishman. The two have never played each other since Magnus became World Champion.

[Mick Norris]

Howell v Carlsen Norwegian League (9), 2023-03-05

1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 5 O-O Be7 6 Re1 b5 7 Bb3 O-O 8 c3 d5 9 exd5 Nxd5 10 Nxe5 Nxe5 11 Rxe5 Bb7 12 d4 Bf6 13 Re1 Re8 14 Rxe8+ Qxe8 15 Na3 b4 16 cxb4 Nxb4 17 Nc4 Nc6 18 d5 Nd4 19 Ne3 Nxb3 20 Qxb3 Qb5 21 Qc2 Bxd5 22 Nxd5 Qxd5 23 Be3 h6 24 Qxc7 Bxb2 25 Rb1 Be5 26 Qc2 Rd8 27 h3 Qd3 28 Qxd3 Rxd3 29 Re1 f5 30 g3 Kf7 31 Kg2 Bf6 32 g4 Kg6 33 Rc1 Ra3 34 Rc2 a5 35 Bc1 Ra4 36 Kf3 h5 37 gxf5+ Kxf5 38 Rc5+ Kg6 39 Rc2 h4 40 Kg2 Kf5 41 Kf3 Ke6 42 Be3 Kf5 43 Rc5+ Ke6 44 Rc2 Kf5 1/2-1/2

[Matt Mackenzie]

Creditable result, but not an actual win!

[Keith Arkell]

Was it one of the Polgars?

No, I've never beaten a Polgar. It was a full World Champion. Not senior, not junior and not woman. Jack is correct that Carlsen is one, but who is the other?

A young Anand? (If I am right, I did this by a process of elimination, as I don't think you would have had the opportunity to play, let alone beat, Kramnik, Kasparov or Karpov before they became World Champion. Not sure if we include Topalov or not, but I think the same applies to him.)

I've never beaten Anand at any age, though I have drawn with him in blitz and Rapid tournaments.

I don't see anyone solving this so I'll reveal the answer: Carlsen and Khalifman. Carlsen at a Round Robin GM tournament in Gausdal in 2002 and Khalifman at the 1991 Watson, Farley and Williams GM tournament - also a Round Robin. Khalifman was World ranked 11 at the time, and a few years later became FIDE World Champion.

[MJMcCready]

Did an Englishman ever beat Botvinnik?

[Roger de Coverly]

Did an Englishman ever beat Botvinnik?

Raymond Keene did at Hastings when Botvinnik blundered a rook to a short combination. That was after Botvinnik had lost his title.

[Geoff Chandler]

Ray notes up the game here; https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032724

Ray has just played 32. Qh3-Qg4+

5rk1/1p5p/3p4/3Pp3/Pp2p1Q1/1P2q1P1/4r2P/1R2R2K b - - 1 35

"At which point Botvinnik gasped, raised his hand to his forehead, and resigned."

[Paul Habershon]

Ray notes up the game here; https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1032724

Ray has just played 32. Qh3-Qg4+

5rk1/1p5p/3p4/3Pp3/Pp2p1Q1/1P2q1P1/4r2P/1R2R2K b - - 1 35

"At which point Botvinnik gasped, raised his hand to his forehead, and resigned."

I was spectating and Botvinnik's ears definitely turned red.

[Roger de Coverly]

As regards other English wins against Botvinnik, there may be a handful from simuls, but otherwise I only found Sir George Thomas at Hastings in 1934 and Alexander in the 1946 Radio Match. Both from before he was world champion.

[Kevin Thurlow]

It is still a win against Botwinnik. After Hastings, MB did a simul tour with BH Wood, and certainly struggled against a good field at Ilford. I don't have the newspaper report to hand, but he lost 2 or 3, and conceded several draws. He was still good enough to beat me though.
Off topic, but perhaps interesting is that he agreed to a maximum of 25 opponents, but BH tried to sneak in extra players. MB would walk past BH after one circuit and say, "There are more!" What BH had not noticed was that MB started 1.Nf3 1.g3 1.e4 1.d4 1.c4 in rotation, so if he didn't finish on 1.c4 he knew the number of boards was not a multiple of five... (I may have the order wrong but you get the idea.)