FIDE World Chess Championship 1996
Encyclopedia
The FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 was a chess
tournament held by FIDE to determine the World Chess Champion.
In 1993, Nigel Short
had qualified via FIDE's usual format to meet champion Garry Kasparov
in a championship match. However, Kasparov and Short broke with FIDE and played under the auspices of a new organization which they had organized, the Professional Chess Association
(PCA). Kasparov won this match to remain champion.
With its two top players withdrawn, FIDE awarded the two slots in its 1993 championship match to Anatoly Karpov
and Jan Timman
, both of whom had been defeated in earlier qualification rounds by Short. Karpov won the match to became the FIDE World Champion.
The FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 was FIDE's first since the 1993 split. Meanwhile, the PCA held its Classical World Chess Championship 1995
, in which Kasparov defeated Vishy Anand to retain his title.
Many of the same players competed in both organization's qualifying events. However, Kasparov and Short did not compete in the FIDE event.
tournament at Biel
in 1993, run as a 73 player, 13 round swiss system tournament
. The top 10 players in the Interzonal qualified for the Candidates Tournament
, where they were joined by 1993 FIDE World Champion Anatoly Karpov
, 1993 FIDE runner-up Jan Timman
, and 1993 Candidates semi-finalist Artur Yusupov
. (The other 1993 semi-finalist was the excluded Nigel Short).
and the round-of-8 and round-of-4 matches were in Sanghi Nagar
. If tied after the specified number of games (which happened only in the Kamsky-Anand match), rapid chess games were played as tie breaks.
The format was a departure from all previous world championships, in that the reigning champion (Karpov) was not seeded into the final match. Instead, he joined the competition at the semi-final stage.
Karpov defeated Kamsky in the final held in Elista
, to retain his title of FIDE World Chess Champion.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
tournament held by FIDE to determine the World Chess Champion.
Background
At the time the World Chess Champion title was split.In 1993, Nigel Short
Nigel Short
Nigel David Short MBE is an English chess grandmaster earning the title at the age of 19. Short is often regarded as the strongest English player of the 20th century as he was ranked third in the world, from January 1988 – July 1989 and in 1993, he challenged Garry Kasparov for the World Chess...
had qualified via FIDE's usual format to meet champion Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
in a championship match. However, Kasparov and Short broke with FIDE and played under the auspices of a new organization which they had organized, the Professional Chess Association
Professional Chess Association
The Professional Chess Association , which existed between 1993 and 1996, was a rival organisation to FIDE, the international chess organization...
(PCA). Kasparov won this match to remain champion.
With its two top players withdrawn, FIDE awarded the two slots in its 1993 championship match to Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
and Jan Timman
Jan Timman
Jan Timman is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West"...
, both of whom had been defeated in earlier qualification rounds by Short. Karpov won the match to became the FIDE World Champion.
The FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 was FIDE's first since the 1993 split. Meanwhile, the PCA held its Classical World Chess Championship 1995
Classical World Chess Championship 1995
The Classical World Chess Championship 1995, known at the time as the PCA World Chess Championship 1995, was held from September 10, 1995, to October 16, 1995, on the 107th floor of the former World Trade Center in New York City. Garry Kasparov, the defending champion, played Viswanathan Anand, the...
, in which Kasparov defeated Vishy Anand to retain his title.
Many of the same players competed in both organization's qualifying events. However, Kasparov and Short did not compete in the FIDE event.
Interzonal
FIDE held an InterzonalInterzonal
Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, and were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle.- Zonal tournaments :...
tournament at Biel
Biel/Bienne
Biel/Bienne is a city in the district of the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.It is located on the language boundary and is throughout bilingual. Biel is the German name for the town, Bienne its French counterpart. The town is often referred to in both...
in 1993, run as a 73 player, 13 round swiss system tournament
Swiss system tournament
A Swiss-system tournament is a commonly used type of tournament where players or teams need to be paired to face each other for several rounds of competition. This type of tournament was first used in a Zurich chess tournament in 1895, hence the name "Swiss system". The Swiss system is used when...
. The top 10 players in the Interzonal qualified for the Candidates Tournament
Candidates Tournament
The Candidates Tournament is a chess tournament organized by the world chess federation FIDE since 1950, as the final contest to determine the challenger for the World Chess Championship...
, where they were joined by 1993 FIDE World Champion Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
, 1993 FIDE runner-up Jan Timman
Jan Timman
Jan Timman is a Dutch chess Grandmaster who was one of the world's leading players from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. At the peak of his career he was considered to be the best non-Soviet player and was known as "The Best of the West"...
, and 1993 Candidates semi-finalist Artur Yusupov
Artur Yusupov
Artur Mayakovich Yusupov is a German International Grandmaster of chess, and a chess writer.-Chess career:...
. (The other 1993 semi-finalist was the excluded Nigel Short).
Championship
The round-of-16 matches were held in Wijk aan ZeeWijk aan Zee
Wijk aan Zee is a small town on the coast of the North Sea in the municipality of Beverwijk in the province of North Holland of the Netherlands. The prestigious Tata Steel chess tournament formerly Corus chess tournament and before that called Hoogovens tournament takes place there every year.Due...
and the round-of-8 and round-of-4 matches were in Sanghi Nagar
Sanghi Nagar
Sanghi Nagar is suburb of Hyderabad, IndiaSanghi Nagar is an Industrial complex setup by the . The has been built around the heavenly temple over a hill. Industries belonging to the surround the temple as though it is being blessed by the Almighty. The temple is a treat to watch especially at...
. If tied after the specified number of games (which happened only in the Kamsky-Anand match), rapid chess games were played as tie breaks.
The format was a departure from all previous world championships, in that the reigning champion (Karpov) was not seeded into the final match. Instead, he joined the competition at the semi-final stage.
Karpov defeated Kamsky in the final held in Elista
Elista
-Twin towns/sister cities:Elista is twinned with the following sister cities. Howell, New Jersey, United States Lhasa, Tibet, China. Ulan-Ude, Buryat Republic, Russia-See also:*Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery*Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume-External links:...
, to retain his title of FIDE World Chess Champion.