Famous Stamp Collectors: Anatoly Karpov

Anatoly Karpov, former chess champion of the world, has to think of strategic steps to take down his chess foe, until he’s collected all the other pieces from his opponent. His patience and precise actions aren’t limited to chess, but extend to other aspects of his life, especially stamp collecting.

Anatoly Karpov was born in Zlataoust in South Ural, where the popular hobby of the local schoolboys was to collect pins. Karpov, himself, had quite the collection; ranging from sports, Olympic, and chess pins. His original dream was to become a pilot or an officer for the Red Army of Russia, which is the reason his stamp collection started. His first stamp was a U.S.S.R. stamp that commemorated forty years of the Red Army, and showed a pilot, tank commander, and infantry officer all together.

Karpov’s interest in stamps from the U.S.S.R and old Russia was limited because they just weren’t enough to get him into philately. It was the fauna stamps of the British Empire that really peaked his fancy, so he began collecting. Now, he collects mostly chess and Olympic Games stamps from all over with the advise of other people from other countries. Karpov uses philately as a means to communicate to many different types of people throughout the world, and believes that stamp collecting shouldn’t be an individualist hobby.

Still, Karpov collects rare stamps and continues to fill up his books. It’s this vigor, which he uses to pursue stamp collecting that gains him the victory on the chess board.