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The FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 was a chess tournament held by FIDE to determine the World Chess Champion.
At the time the World Chess Champion title was split.
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With its two top players withdrawn, FIDE awarded the two slots in its 1993 championship match to Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman, both of whom had been defeated in earlier qualification rounds by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 Viswanathan 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.
FIDE held an Interzonal tournament in Biel in July 1993, run as a 73 player, 13 round Swiss system tournament.
The top 10 from the Interzonal qualified for a Championship tournament. In the event of a tie break, players were ranked by the sum of their opponents' Elo ratings, excluding the lowest rating.
| Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Total | Tie break | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Boris Gelfand (Belarus) | 2670 | +35 | +49 | =6 | +39 | =3 | +43 | =2 | +10 | +17 | =5 | =13 | =9 | =7 | 9 | |
| 2 | GM Paul van der Sterren (Netherlands) | 2525 | =51 | =41 | +71 | +31 | +26 | =13 | =1 | =6 | =4 | =7 | +17 | =8 | =3 | 8½ | 31545 |
| 3 | GM Gata Kamsky (United States) | 2645 | +12 | =25 | +47 | =28 | =1 | =16 | +32 | =4 | +6 | =17 | =5 | =7 | =2 | 8½ | 31470 |
| 4 | GM Alexander Khalifman (Russia) | 2645 | +58 | =43 | +45 | +8 | -10 | =6 | +24 | =3 | =2 | =16 | +26 | =5 | =9 | 8½ | 31390 |
| 5 | GM Michael Adams (England) | 2630 | -44 | +60 | -22 | +68 | +62 | +65 | +28 | +9 | =7 | =1 | =3 | =4 | =6 | 8½ | 31345 |
| 6 | GM Leonid Yudasin (Israel) | 2605 | +67 | =44 | =1 | =36 | +48 | =4 | +23 | =2 | -3 | =11 | +29 | +13 | =5 | 8½ | 31340 |
| 7 | GM Valery Salov (Russia) | 2685 | =49 | +71 | =31 | +55 | +42 | +24 | =10 | -17 | =5 | =2 | +21 | =3 | =1 | 8½ | 31285 |
| 8 | GM Joël Lautier (France) | 2620 | +26 | +62 | =17 | -4 | =22 | =21 | +33 | =16 | =9 | =15 | +27 | =2 | +24 | 8½ | 31280 |
| 9 | GM Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) | 2710 | -45 | +19 | =35 | +38 | +55 | +37 | =17 | -5 | =8 | +31 | +16 | =1 | =4 | 8½ | 31240 |
| 10 | GM Viswanathan Anand (India) | 2725 | =16 | =22 | +44 | +25 | +4 | =17 | =7 | -1 | =21 | =27 | =18 | +28 | =11 | 8 | 31435 |
| 11 | GM Vladimir Epishin (Russia) | 2655 | =18 | =35 | =38 | =45 | =41 | =36 | +42 | +39 | =13 | =6 | =24 | +15 | =10 | 8 | 31305 |
| 12 | GM Smbat Lputian (Armenia) | 2555 | -3 | +70 | -39 | +71 | =31 | =56 | -14 | +55 | =20 | +52 | =51 | +40 | +32 | 8 | 31275 |
| 13 | GM Alexei Shirov (Latvia) | 2685 | =65 | +53 | =32 | =22 | +47 | =2 | =16 | =29 | =11 | +23 | =1 | -6 | +21 | 8 | 31195 |
| 14 | GM Vassily Ivanchuk (Ukraine) | 2705 | =22 | =16 | =21 | =65 | =25 | =47 | +12 | =37 | =23 | =29 | +33 | =24 | +27 | 8 | 31125 |
| 15 | GM Ivan Sokolov (Bosnia and Herzegovina) | 2610 | +66 | =23 | +57 | -17 | =21 | =22 | =37 | =27 | +36 | =8 | +35 | -11 | +30 | 8 | 31030 |
| 16 | GM Lajos Portisch (Hungary) | 2585 | =10 | =14 | =40 | +44 | +56 | =3 | =13 | =8 | +29 | =4 | -9 | =18 | =20 | 7½ | 31855 |
| 17 | GM Evgeny Bareev (Russia) | 2660 | +38 | +39 | =8 | +15 | =24 | =10 | =9 | +7 | -1 | =3 | -2 | =21 | =18 | 7½ | 31580 |
| 18 | GM Evgeny Sveshnikov (Latvia) | 2570 | =11 | =29 | +20 | -37 | =50 | -33 | +70 | +43 | =28 | +45 | =10 | =16 | =17 | 7½ | 31515 |
| 19 | GM Bosko Abramovic (Serbia and Montenegro) | 2460 | =47 | -9 | +53 | +33 | =29 | -26 | =56 | +59 | -31 | +46 | =37 | +45 | =22 | 7½ | 31140 |
| 20 | GM Judit Polgár (Hungary) | 2630 | =34 | =46 | -18 | =27 | +58 | =41 | -35 | +57 | =12 | +43 | =31 | +26 | =16 | 7½ | 30850 |
| 21 | GM Alexey Dreev (Russia) | 2570 | +40 | -24 | =14 | +52 | =15 | =8 | +43 | =31 | =10 | +22 | -7 | =17 | -13 | 7 | 31795 |
| 22 | GM Patrick Wolff (United States) | 2585 | =14 | =10 | +5 | =13 | =8 | =15 | =31 | =40 | +52 | -21 | -28 | +56 | =19 | 7 | 31700 |
| 23 | GM Yasser Seirawan (United States) | 2575 | +63 | =15 | =51 | =56 | +36 | =28 | -6 | +24 | =14 | -13 | =40 | =31 | =33 | 7 | 31625 |
| 24 | GM Mikhail Gurevich (Belgium) | 2605 | +69 | +21 | =28 | +43 | =17 | -7 | -4 | -23 | +44 | +39 | =11 | =14 | -8 | 7 | 31465 |
| 25 | GM Lembit Oll (Estonia) | 2595 | +70 | =3 | =56 | -10 | =14 | -40 | =46 | =34 | =38 | +65 | -30 | +63 | +51 | 7 | 31415 |
| 26 | GM Dibyendu Barua (India) | 2510 | -8 | +63 | +41 | +51 | -2 | +19 | -29 | +32 | =35 | +40 | -4 | -20 | =28 | 7 | 31405 |
| 27 | GM Jeroen Piket (Netherlands) | 2590 | -71 | +59 | -42 | =20 | +61 | +52 | =40 | =15 | +56 | =10 | -8 | +38 | -14 | 7 | 31360 |
| 28 | GM Viktor Korchnoi (Switzerland) | 2625 | +30 | +42 | =24 | =3 | =37 | =23 | -5 | -35 | =18 | +41 | +22 | -10 | =26 | 7 | 31225 |
| 29 | GM Boris Gulko (United States) | 2635 | =46 | =18 | =58 | +35 | =19 | =42 | +26 | =13 | -16 | =14 | -6 | +43 | =31 | 7 | 31120 |
| 30 | IM Xu Jun (China) | 2535 | -28 | =68 | +72 | =50 | -39 | -51 | +62 | +65 | =32 | =36 | +25 | +37 | -15 | 7 | 30985 |
| 31 | GM Robert Hübner (Germany) | 2605 | +60 | =57 | =7 | -2 | =12 | +55 | =22 | =21 | +19 | -9 | =20 | =23 | =29 | 7 | 30980 |
| 32 | GM Jóhann Hjartarson (Iceland) | 2605 | +59 | =55 | =13 | -42 | +45 | +39 | -3 | -26 | =30 | =51 | +49 | +35 | -12 | 7 | 30970 |
| 33 | GM Julio Granda (Peru) | 2605 | -55 | =61 | +49 | -19 | +34 | +18 | -8 | +51 | =45 | =35 | -14 | +47 | =23 | 7 | 30930 |
| 34 | GM Ye Jiangchuan (China) | 2535 | =20 | -48 | =68 | =46 | -33 | +69 | =57 | =25 | =47 | =42 | +65 | =36 | +45 | 7 | 30880 |
| 35 | GM Eric Lobron (Germany) | 2575 | =1 | =11 | =9 | -29 | +46 | =48 | +20 | +28 | =26 | =33 | -15 | -32 | =38 | 6½ | 31480 |
| 36 | GM Vasily Smyslov (Russia) | 2520 | =48 | =37 | +62 | =6 | -23 | =11 | =38 | +41 | -15 | =30 | =52 | =34 | =40 | 6½ | 31260 |
| 37 | GM Jon Speelman (England) | 2605 | =54 | =36 | +46 | +18 | =28 | -9 | =15 | =14 | -40 | +56 | =19 | -30 | =41 | 6½ | 31165 |
| 38 | IM Ilya Gurevich (United States) | 2575 | -17 | +67 | =11 | -9 | +69 | =50 | =36 | -56 | =25 | +44 | +39 | -27 | =35 | 6½ | 31155 |
| 39 | GM Zdenko Kožul (Bosnia and Herzegovina) | 2595 | +64 | -17 | +12 | -1 | +30 | -32 | +65 | -11 | +42 | -24 | -38 | =48 | +61 | 6½ | 31150 |
| 40 | GM Kiril Georgiev (Bulgaria) | 2660 | -21 | +66 | =16 | +57 | -43 | +25 | =27 | =22 | +37 | -26 | =23 | -12 | =36 | 6½ | 30835 |
| 41 | GM Curt Hansen (Denmark) | 2590 | =72 | =2 | -26 | +73 | =11 | =20 | =48 | -36 | +66 | -28 | +61 | =51 | =37 | 6½ | 30735 |
| 42 | GM Evgeny Pigusov (Russia) | 2585 | +74* | -28 | +27 | +32 | -7 | =29 | -11 | =48 | -39 | =34 | =46 | =52 | =49 | 6 | 31305 |
| 43 | GM Ian Rogers (Australia) | 2595 | +68 | =4 | +48 | -24 | +40 | -1 | -21 | -18 | +59 | -20 | +66 | -29 | =50 | 6 | 31195 |
| 44 | GM Ľubomír Ftáčnik (Slovakia) | 2535 | +5 | =6 | -10 | -16 | =57 | +62 | +50 | -52 | -24 | -38 | =67 | =58 | +68 | 6 | 31130 |
| 45 | GM Loek van Wely (Netherlands) | 2585 | +9 | =50 | -4 | =11 | -32 | =70 | +60 | +47 | =33 | -18 | +48 | -19 | -34 | 6 | 31090 |
| 46 | GM Vasil Spasov (Bulgaria) | 2540 | =29 | =20 | -37 | =34 | -35 | +73 | =25 | +50 | =48 | -19 | =42 | =62 | =47 | 6 | 31040 |
| 47 | GM Vladimir Akopian (Armenia) | 2600 | =19 | +54 | -3 | +61 | -13 | =14 | =51 | -45 | =34 | =50 | +55 | -33 | =46 | 6 | 30995 |
| 48 | GM Jaan Ehlvest (Estonia) | 2620 | =36 | +34 | -43 | +58 | -6 | =35 | =41 | =42 | =46 | =49 | -45 | =39 | =52 | 6 | 30985 |
| 49 | GM Jesus Nogueiras (Cuba) | 2580 | =7 | -1 | -33 | =60 | =70 | +66 | =55 | =58 | +53 | =48 | -32 | =50 | =42 | 6 | 30910 |
| 50 | GM Simen Agdestein (Norway) | 2610 | +61 | =45 | -55 | =30 | =18 | =38 | -44 | -46 | +63 | =47 | =56 | =49 | =43 | 6 | 30910 |
| 51 | GM Predrag Nikolić (Bosnia and Herzegovina) | 2625 | =2 | +72 | =23 | -26 | -65 | +30 | =47 | -33 | +58 | =32 | =12 | =41 | -25 | 6 | 30840 |
| 52 | GM Ilya Smirin (Israel) | 2640 | -57 | =69 | +73 | -21 | +63 | -27 | +53 | +44 | -22 | -12 | =36 | =42 | =48 | 6 | 30800 |
| 53 | IM Artur Frolov (Ukraine) | 2535 | =56 | -13 | -19 | -69 | +72 | +71 | -52 | +64 | -49 | =59 | -63 | bye | +66 | 6 | 30320 |
| 54 | IM Darcy Lima (Brazil) | 2475 | =37 | -47 | -65 | =67 | -73 | =68 | +69 | =71 | =57 | -66 | bye | +59 | =63 | 6 | 30105 |
| 55 | GM Walter Arencibia (Cuba) | 2485 | +33 | =32 | +50 | -7 | -9 | -31 | =49 | -12 | +71 | =62 | -47 | =68 | =56 | 5½ | 30935 |
| 56 | GM Miguel Illescas (Spain) | 2625 | =53 | +65 | =25 | =23 | -16 | =12 | =19 | +38 | -27 | -37 | =50 | -22 | =55 | 5½ | 30880 |
| 57 | GM Vidmantas Mališauskas (Lithuania) | 2540 | +52 | =31 | -15 | -40 | =44 | =59 | =34 | -20 | =54 | =58 | =68 | =66 | =62 | 5½ | 30820 |
| 58 | GM Ferdinand Hellers (Sweden) | 2560 | -4 | +64 | =29 | -48 | -20 | =67 | +72 | =49 | -51 | =57 | =59 | =44 | =60 | 5½ | 30690 |
| 59 | FM Tigran Nalbandian (Armenia) | 2485 | -32 | -27 | +64 | -62 | +68 | =57 | +63 | -19 | -43 | =53 | =58 | -54 | bye | 5½ | 30505 |
| 60 | IM Lucas Brunner (Switzerland) | 2475 | -31 | -5 | =66 | =49 | =71 | +61 | -45 | =68 | -65 | bye | =62 | =64 | =58 | 5½ | 30335 |
| 61 | GM Alex Sherzer (United States) | 2500 | -50 | =33 | +69 | -47 | -27 | -60 | -68 | +73 | bye | +64 | -41 | +67 | -39 | 5½ | 30325 |
| 62 | GM Semen Dvoirys (Russia) | 2590 | +73 | -8 | -36 | +59 | -5 | -44 | -30 | =67 | +70 | =55 | =60 | =46 | =57 | 5½ | 30285 |
| 63 | GM Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria) | 2650 | -23 | -26 | +67 | =70 | -52 | =64 | -59 | +72 | -50 | +73 | +53 | -25 | =54 | 5½ | 30225 |
| 64 | IM Hichem Hamdouchi (Morocco) | 2455 | -39 | -58 | -59 | bye | =66 | =63 | +73 | -53 | =68 | -61 | +70 | =60 | =65 | 5½ | 30200 |
| 65 | GM Dmitry Gurevich (United States) | 2575 | =13 | -56 | +54 | =14 | +51 | -5 | -39 | -30 | +60 | -25 | -34 | =69 | =64 | 5 | 30965 |
| 66 | IM Giorgi Bagaturov (Georgia) | 2495 | -15 | -40 | =60 | =72 | =64 | -49 | +67 | +70 | -41 | +54 | -43 | =57 | -53 | 5 | 30435 |
| 67 | IM Amanmurad Kakagaldyev (Turkmenistan) | 2465 | -6 | -38 | -63 | =54 | bye | =58 | -66 | =62 | +69 | =68 | =44 | -61 | =72 | 5 | 30330 |
| 68 | IM Werner Hug (Switzerland) | 2430 | -43 | =30 | =34 | -5 | -59 | =54 | +61 | =60 | =64 | =67 | =57 | =55 | -44 | 5 | 30255 |
| 69 | IM Alexandre Lesiège (Canada) | 2485 | -24 | =52 | -61 | +53 | -38 | -34 | -54 | bye | -67 | =72 | =73 | =65 | +71 | 5 | 30070 |
| 70 | IM Pablo Zarnicki (Argentina) | 2455 | -25 | -12 | bye | =63 | =49 | =45 | -18 | -66 | -62 | +71 | -64 | =72 | =73 | 4½ | 30270 |
| 71 | David Gluckman (South Africa) | 2330 | +27 | -7 | -2 | -12 | =60 | -53 | bye | =54 | -55 | -70 | =72 | +73 | -69 | 4½ | 30110 |
| 72 | IM Nikolaos Kalesis (Greece) | 2410 | =41 | -51 | -30 | =66 | -53 | bye | -58 | -63 | -73 | =69 | =71 | =70 | =67 | 4 | 30170 |
| 73 | IM Konstantinos Moutousis (Greece) | 2425 | -62 | bye | -52 | -41 | +54 | -46 | -64 | -61 | +72 | -63 | =69 | -71 | =70 | 4 | 30140 |
| 74 | Esam Aly Ahmed (Egypt) | 2320 | -42* | 0 |
Esam Aly Ahmed forfeited his first round game against Pigusov and was dropped from the tournament.
The top 10 from the Interzonal 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).
The first round matches were held in Wijk aan Zee in January 1994, and the second round matches and semifinals in Sanghi Nagar in July-August 1994 and February 1995, respectively. 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 directly into a championship match. Instead, he joined the competition at the semifinal stage.
| First round (best of 8) | Second round (best of 8) | Semifinals (best of 10) | Final | |||||||||||||||
| Gata Kamsky | 4½ | |||||||||||||||||
| Paul van der Sterren | 2½ | Gata Kamsky | 6 | |||||||||||||||
| Viswanathan Anand | 4½ | Viswanathan Anand | 4 | |||||||||||||||
| Artur Yusupov | 2½ | Gata Kamsky | 5½ | |||||||||||||||
| Jan Timman | 4½ | Valery Salov | 1½ | |||||||||||||||
| Joël Lautier | 3½ | Jan Timman | 3½ | |||||||||||||||
| Alexander Khalifman | 1 | Valery Salov | 4½ | |||||||||||||||
| Valery Salov | 5 | Gata Kamsky | ||||||||||||||||
| Boris Gelfand | 5 | Anatoly Karpov | ||||||||||||||||
| Michael Adams | 3 | Boris Gelfand | 4½ | |||||||||||||||
| Leonid Yudasin | 2½ | Vladimir Kramnik | 3½ | |||||||||||||||
| Vladimir Kramnik | 4½ | Boris Gelfand | 3 | |||||||||||||||
| Anatoly Karpov | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
The final was held in Elista, Russia, and played as best of 20 games.
| Rating | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anatoly Karpov (Russia) | 2770 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 10½ |
| Gata Kamsky (United States) | 2735 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 7½ |
Karpov won and retained his title.