Youngest to beat the number 1 chess player
Imagine facing the world's number 1 chess player when you are 15. Imagine this 39-year-old player who has not lost in six years in this tournament and has never lost to a player born since he became the best in 1985. This player was Garry Kasparov, and Teimour Radjabov had this challenge during the 2003 Linares Super GM Tournament.
Radjabov was no simple being; he was the second-youngest grandmaster in history in 2001. Still, Kasparov was the easy heavy favorite, with an ELO rating of 2847 compared to Teimour's 2624. Kasparov was winning the game against Radjabov early, and Radjabov even attempted a knight sacrifice play on move 21. The #1 player rejected the sacrifice but made a mistake six moves later, which cost him the game.
Quotes
It is beautiful that a child of 15 has the courage to make that move with black against Kasparov in his Linares debut. It is beautiful that a record of seven undefeated years with white, and six years without losing in Linares at all, is broken by a 15-year-old child.
Leontxo Garcia
I probably agree that this wasn't the most accurate game of chess but for a young player like Radjabov to have the courage and strength to fight Kasparov the best player in the world in a sharp position like this is extremely impressive.
Mark Crowther
References
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Kasparov's Losing Remarks Win No Award for Class
Radjabov had been outplayed from the beginning but put on a brave effort to stave off defeat. Kasparov was pressed by his opponent's spirited play and went badly astray. His tie for third was the end of a four-year winning streak in 10 elite tournaments.
The New York Times
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Kasparov's outburst over beauty prize in Linares
Justice should be blind, but should beauty? At the closing ceremony the prize for the most beautiful game went to Kasparov-Radjabov. The teen's win over the #1 was a landmark moment, but Radjabov had a losing position and it took a "??" move from Kasparov to create the upset. Kasparov erupted at the ceremony and went after the journalists who had voted. Who was wrong? Everybody...
ChessBase
