Chess (sport)

Wilhelm Steinitz is generally recognized as the first official chess world champion, although dates for his 19th-century reign vary. With a few notable exceptions, each successive champion defeated his predecessor in match play. The first exception followed the death of the incumbent Alexander Alekhine in 1946. The Federation Internationale des Echecs (FIDE; founded 1924) stepped in and arranged a tournament among leading contenders to determine a new champion in 1948. FIDE continued to oversee regular tournaments and matches to determine challengers—although another exception occurred in 1975, when Robert (Bobby) Fischer refused to defend his crown and retired. In 1993 Garry Kasparov pulled out of FIDE to defend his title under rival organizations (Professional Chess Association and later Braingames). Without a universally recognized champion, FIDE struggled to obtain funding for its multiyear system of tournaments and matches leading to a title match. So, in 1999 FIDE began to hold annual knockout tournaments, with very fast game play, to determine its champion. In a move to unify the championship, in 2006 a competition was held that pitted the FiDe champion (Veselin Topalov) against the rival classical chess champion (Vladimir Kramnik). Kramnik won the controversial match in an overtime period and was named the undisputed world chess champion.

FIDE began organizing the women’s chess championship in 1953. Controversy has also afflicted this title, as Zsuzsa Polgar refused to accept FIDE’s terms for her title defense in 1999. In 2000 FIDE adopted a knockout tournament format for the women’s championship similar to that of the open tournament.

Competitions called Olympiads are also held biennially. Competition is open to both men and women, but since 1957 there has been a separate Olympiad that is restricted to women.

World Chess Champions—Men

Generally recognized (see Chess above).

World Chess Champions—Women