Karpov - Timman FIDE World Championship Match (1993)

DRAFT <Chessical>

An unexpected match

On February 26th, 1993 Garry Kasparov and Nigel Short announced the formation of the Professional Chess Association (PCA) to run "their" world championship. FIDE then stripped Kasparov of his title and removed both players from the rating list. FIDE President Florencio Campomanes stated: ''It's like the body politic - there's been a cancer and this is just an excision,'' … the whole structure of FIDE is in place and working''. ( http://www.apnewsarchive.com/1993/K... ).

On March 31st 1998, FIDE announced that Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman (the defeated players from Short's Candidates' Semi-final and Final matches ) would play an "official" world championship match . (Chess, July 1993, vol.58, no.4, p.5). Artur Yusupov , the other semi-finalist, had been ignored for no clear reason, but the following considerations may have been instrumental in the decision:

(1). No Karpov - Yusupov match reduced costs and allowed FIDE's world championship to be concurrent with the PCA Kasparov-Short match. (2). Timman had already defeated Yusupov in the quarter final match , so this avoided a replay. (3). Timman had a better prospect of being financed in Holland than Yusupov had in Russia. (4). Karpov was known and respected as a world champion and as the direct predecessor of the excommunicated world champion Kasparov gave greater legitimacy to the FIDE title.

The players

Karpov, aged 42, and 2760 ELO was ranked second in the world, Timman, aged 41, at 2620 ELO was thirty-forth. They had played 67 tournament games (excluding blitz), Karpov winning 23 and Timman 5. (Chessbase Big Database 2013).

Organising the match

Campomanes had only 159 days to arrange a new match starting on the 6th September a day before the PCA match. Thrown together, it almost collapsed. Sponsorship was a problem when Kasparov was playing concurrently for his version of the championship. Karpov - Timman were only runners-up, and outside of The Netherlands they invoked little interest.

Campomanes could cover only the organizational costs of the match but not its purse. FIDE announced that the actual prize fund of 2,500,000 Dutch guilders (3,500,000 Swiss Francs) would be provided by the Sultan of Oman and that Oman would therefore host the final twelve games of the match. (Chess, November 1993, vol 58. No.8. p.22).

Venues and personnel

The first three games were at the "Nieuwe Buitensocieteit" conference centre in Zwolle, the next three games were at the "Elektrum" conference centre in Arnhem, and six games were played in the "Stopera" ,Amsterdam's City Hall and home of the Dutch National Opera and Ballet. (Chess, November 1993, vol 58. No.8. p.22-26). In Jakarta, the first two games were played in the Hilton's Conference Centre and the remainder in an office building downtown. (Chess, January 1994, vol 58. No.10. p.20).

The Chief Arbeirter was Kok Ann Lim (Singapore) supported by Horst Meitzig (Germany). Play would take place on: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays (Chess, November 1993, vol 58. No.8. p.22).

Karpov's seconds were: Vladimir Epishin , Ron Henley and Mikhail Podgaets . (Chess, November 1993, vol 58. No.8. p.22).

Timman's seconds were: Jeroen Piket , Ulf Andersson , and Yasser Seirawan . (http://www.nusport.nl/achtergrond/3... )

Collapse, confusion and recovery:

After Game 8, Campomanes informed both players that the Omanis would not stage or fund the second half of the match due to "an all pervasive economic recession". (Chess, November 1993, vol 58. No.8. p.27-28).

For ten days the situation was chaotic. The Dutch failed to find another corporate sponsor. The millionaire chess sponsor Besil Kok arranged for the match to conclude in Belfort, France, if FIDE could guarantee the minimum prize fund of a million Swiss Francs. Campomanes could not and Kok then bitterly gave up on "this bunch of amateurs". (Chess, November 1993, vol 58. No.8. p.28).

FIDE was faced with bankruptcy and no champion whilst the PCA was gaining the corporate sponsorship of Intel. Timman stated on Dutch television that the match was a "farce" and that Campomanes should resign. (Chess, November 1993, vol 58. No.8. p.28). Karpov flew back to Moscow threatening to sue FIDE.

On 6th October, after "phoning half the world" Campomanes stated: "FIDE is happy and proud to announce that the second final half of this chess world championship will be organized and hosted …by the Indonesian Chess Federation under the leadership of Mohammed Hasan…" (The Washington Post, October 7, 1993). Hasan, was an Indonesian billionaire, and old friend of Campomanes.

On October 17th the match recommenced in Jakarta. The purse of one million Swiss Francs was reduced to 600,000 after the Dutch were paid their expenses. (Chess, November 1993, vol 58. No.8. p.28). The prize now represented only 17% of the original purse. It was soon public knowledge that Hasan was only covering the match expenses and FIDE had to guarantee the remainder itself. (Chess, January 1994, vol 58. No.10. p.20).

The progress of the match

Timman characterized his opponent as "at least one class higher than Short" (http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/...) and the match as "the match of missed opportunities" (http://www.nusport.nl/achtergrond/3...) as he squandered chances in Games 3, 5, and 9.

At half-way, Timman stated ; "I know that I am two points down but I still feel that I can win this match." (Chess, November 1993, vol. 58. No.8. p.28), but he seems to have been more disturbed than Karpov by the near collapse of the match.

In Jakarta, despite excellent playing conditions, Timman lost three games in succession: in Game14 he collapsed after obtaining a very promising position, he was crushed as White in Game 15, and played poorly in the opening of Game 16.

Timman : "I was really well prepared. Better than three years earlier, when I was in Kuala Lumpur also lost to Karpov…. I lost yet again, this was of course disappointing… (but it was) …a very special match. Karpov was a fantastic player. It was no shame to again lose". ( http://www.nusport.nl/achtergrond/3... )

Outcome

The world championship was split asunder. Karpov had been given a second opportunity as a world champion and he went onto win two super-tournaments in short order and great style: Tilburg (1993) and Linares (1994) ; yet his crown like FIDE itself had little credibility. …