Classical World Chess Championship 1993 — chess championship between Kasparov and Short
Kasparov and Short's split from FIDE in 1993 created two rival world chess champions for the first time, a division that lasted until 2006.
Key Facts
- Incumbent Champion
- Garry Kasparov
- Official Challenger
- Nigel Short
- Organizing Body (PCA)
- Professional Chess Association
- FIDE Alternative Match
- Anatoly Karpov vs. Jan Timman
- Split Duration
- Two rival champions from 1993 to 2006
Cause → Event → Consequence
Garry Kasparov and challenger Nigel Short grew dissatisfied with FIDE's governance and financial arrangements. They broke away from the official chess federation and organized their own title match under the newly formed Professional Chess Association, bypassing FIDE's authority entirely.
Kasparov and Short contested their match under the PCA banner, with Kasparov winning. Simultaneously, FIDE stripped Kasparov of his title and staged an alternative championship between Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman, which Karpov won, producing two simultaneous claimants to the world title.
For the first time in chess history, two rival World Chess Champions existed concurrently. This schism fragmented the chess world and persisted until the reunification match of the World Chess Championship 2006, creating over a decade of disputed legitimacy in the sport's top title.