HistoryData
sports1990

World Chess Championship 1990 — world championship

January 1, 1990

Kasparov's 1990 victory over Karpov concluded their five-match rivalry, cementing his status as undisputed world chess champion.

Quick Facts

Year
1990
Category
sports

Key Facts

Match number
Fifth and final Kasparov–Karpov match
Winner
Garry Kasparov
Margin of victory
One point
First half venue
New York City (8 Oct – 7 Nov 1990)
Second half venue
Lyon (26 Nov – 30 Dec 1990)
Wild card player
Kevin Spraggett

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Anatoly Karpov qualified automatically as the previous championship challenger, while candidates tournament participants were drawn from the top finishers at three interzonals held in Subotica, Szirák, and Zagreb, supplemented by runners-up from the prior candidates cycle and a wild card entry for Kevin Spraggett.

Event

The World Chess Championship 1990 was contested between reigning champion Garry Kasparov and challenger Anatoly Karpov across two cities: the first twelve games in New York City and the remaining games in Lyon, running from October through December 1990.

Consequence

Kasparov defeated Karpov by a single point, ending their five-match world championship series. The result confirmed Kasparov's dominance and closed a decade-long rivalry that had defined elite chess competition throughout the 1980s.

Result

Garry Kasparov
Kasparov wins by one point
Anatoly Karpov

at New York City, USA & Lyon, France

Fifth and final match of the Kasparov–Karpov world championship series

Timeline Context

Timeline around 199019901987198819891991199219931990–91 European Cup Winners' Cup — 1990–1991 edition of the European Cup Winners' Cup1990 FIBA World Championship — 1990 edition of the FIBA World Championship1990 FIFA World Cup — 14th FIFA World Cup, held in ItalyEurovision Song Contest 1990 — 35th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest1990 Formula One World Championship — sports season1990s — decade of the Gregorian calendar (1990–1999)1990 Asian Games — 11th edition of the Asian Games1990 African Cup of Nations — football tournamentworld-chess-championship-1990-world-championship-1990