But why didn't his competitive ego override his apprehensions? I wonder if he just couldn't handle the psychological pressure. It's one thing to get to the top and another thing to keep someone from knocking you off. He played with house money against Spassky who had the Soviet Union Cold War machine breathing down his neck. I bet if Spassky had emerged as the challenger he would have taken the match because he already knew he could beat Spassky. Maybe he beats Karpov, but maybe he doesn't. Didn't seem to really want to find out. He might be the most talented player ever but I don't think he can be considered the GOAT without ever defending his title. It's not fair to all the other champions who retained their champion status multiple times against the top challengers of their era.