On 26 February 1993, world champion Garry Kasparov and challenger Nigel Short announced the creation of the PCA (Professional Chess Association). On 23 March 1993 Kasparov was stripped of his FIDE title, and in September-October the Kasparov - Short PCA World Championship Match (1993) had been played under the auspices of PCA. The PCA now had to qualify a new challenger for Kasparov, and started out with the event on this page, an Interzonal in Swiss format. FIDE had already held its Biel Interzonal (1993) in July, and many players from there also participated in the PCA event. But not e. g. Boris Gelfand, Paul van der Sterren, Joel Lautier and Valery Salov. No FIDE sanctions were applied to the participants. Originally, the first 50 players on the Elo list were invited, but also Anatoly Karpov, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Vladimir Epishin, Artur Yusupov and Jan Timman declined. New entries were accepted, and in the end, 54 GMs participated in perhaps the strongest Swiss until then.
Sponsored mainly by the American computer corporation Intel and organized by tournament director Johan Zwanepol and the Groningen Chess Foundation the event was opened by Bob Rice (Kasparov's lawyer) and GM Michael Stean (Short's agent). A voice of protest was also heard, from FIDE-supporter Dick Tommel, the chairman of the Dutch chess federation. Play began on Sunday 19 December in the Leonard Springerzaal of the Martinihal and continued daily at 1 pm (Round 11 at 11 am). Rest day: Saturday 25 December. The top 7 finishers would advance to the PCA quarterfinal matches. Prize fund: ~$234,000, with $40,000 to the winner and $30,000 to the runner-up (Adams and Anand got $35,000 each; those with 7 points got $15,000 each). Chief arbiter: Arthur Albert Schuering.
Martinihal (= Martiniplaza), Groningen, the Netherlands, 19 - 30 December 1993
Age Elo 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 Pts
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1 Adams 22 2630 =33 +39 +45 =23 -05 +07 =04 +11 =02 +06 =03 7.5
2 Anand 24 2725 +52 =05 =07 +30 +22 +20 =08 =06 =01 =03 =04 7.5
3 Kamsky 19 2645 =13 =30 =33 +19 +17 =04 =05 =16 +23 =02 =01 7
4 Kramnik 18 2710 +40 =20 -22 +35 +25 =03 =01 =08 +24 =09 =02 7
5 Tiviakov 20 2635 +41 =02 =34 +29 +01 =22 =03 =20 -06 +25 =08 7
6 Gulko 46 2635 =29 =37 +49 =20 +10 =08 +22 =02 +05 -01 =11 7
7 Romanishin 41 2615 +53 =24 =02 =25 =09 -01 +28 =10 =26 +22 +20 7
8 Shirov 20 2685 +11 +36 =23 -22 +32 =06 =02 =04 =12 =16 =05 6.5
9 Dolmatov 34 2630 =18 =33 =13 +12 =07 =23 =27 =21 +42 =04 =16 6.5
10 Lobron 33 2575 =19 =38 =11 +36 -06 +17 =44 =07 =15 =14 +25 6.5
11 Sokolov 25 2610 -08 =28 =10 +41 +37 =24 =31 -01 +44 +26 =06 6.5
12 Piket 24 2590 +25 -22 =35 -09 +47 +15 =24 +34 =08 =20 =18 6.5
13 Hübner 45 2605 =03 =34 =09 =38 =15 =25 =32 +29 =14 =24 +22 6.5
14 Granda Zuniga 26 2605 =21 -45 =39 +18 =30 =44 +36 =27 =13 =10 +23 6.5
15 Vaganian 42 2615 =54 =26 =21 =44 =13 -12 +17 +30 =10 =23 +42 6.5
16 Nikolic 33 2625 +48 -23 +51 =24 +34 =31 =20 =03 =22 =08 =09 6.5
17 Polgar J 17 2630 =37 =29 +41 =32 -03 -10 -15 +51 +46 +31 +27 6.5
18 Oll 27 2595 =09 =35 -25 -14 =53 =45 +52 +36 +38 +21 =12 6.5
19 Ehlvest 31 2620 =10 =51 =37 -03 +48 -29 +35 -26 +41 +32 +24 6.5
20 Benjamin 29 2620 +50 =04 +31 =06 +23 -02 =16 =05 =21 =12 -07 6
21 Topalov 18 2670 =14 =49 =15 =40 =29 =27 +46 =09 =20 -18 +33 6
22 Beliavsky 40 2635 +42 +12 +04 +08 -02 =05 -06 =23 =16 -07 -13 5.5
23 Bareev 27 2660 +46 +16 =08 =01 -20 =09 +29 =22 -03 =15 -14 5.5
24 Kaidanov 34 2640 +43 =07 =30 =16 =27 =11 =12 +31 -04 =13 -19 5.5
25 Hodgson 30 2625 -12 +54 +18 =07 -04 =13 =30 +39 +27 -05 -10 5.5
26 Alterman 23 2585 =35 =15 -32 +47 =40 -28 +37 +19 =07 -11 =31 5.5
27 Vyzmanavin 33 2605 =31 =44 =36 +45 =24 =21 =09 =14 -25 +34 -17 5.5
28 Ljubojevic 43 2595 -36 =11 =46 +43 -31 +26 -07 -38 =49 +48 +44 5.5
29 Yudasin 34 2605 =06 =17 +38 -05 =21 +19 -23 -13 =39 =36 =43 5
30 Serper 24 2575 +32 =03 =24 -02 =14 =40 =25 -15 -35 +45 =34 5
31 Smirin 25 2640 =27 +47 -20 =37 +28 =16 =11 -24 =32 -17 =26 5
32 Chernin 33 2615 -30 +42 +26 =17 -08 =39 =13 =44 =31 -19 =38 5
33 Tukmakov 47 2600 =01 =09 =03 -34 =38 =35 =49 =41 =40 +46 -21 5
34 Malaniuk 36 2635 =39 =13 =05 +33 -16 =46 =42 -12 +48 -27 =30 5
35 Korchnoi 62 2625 =26 =18 =12 -04 =54 =33 -19 =43 +30 =39 =37 5
36 Azmaiparashvili 33 2630 +28 -08 =27 -10 +51 =42 -14 -18 +50 =29 =40 5
37 Hansen 29 2590 =17 =06 =19 =31 -11 =38 -26 =49 =47 +52 =35 5
38 Illescas 28 2625 =51 =10 -29 =13 =33 =37 =41 +28 -18 =40 =32 5
39 Akopian 22 2600 =34 -01 =14 +52 =44 =32 =40 -25 =29 =35 =41 5
40 Ribli 42 2610 -04 +50 =44 =21 =26 =30 =39 -42 =33 =38 =36 5
41 Rozentalis 30 2600 -05 +52 -17 -11 =43 +54 =38 =33 -19 +53 =39 5
42 Yermolinsky 35 2605 -22 -32 +50 =48 +45 =36 =34 +40 -09 =44 -15 5
43 Polugaevsky 59 2605 -24 =53 =48 -28 =41 =50 =51 =35 =45 +49 =29 5
44 Khalifman 27 2645 =47 =27 =40 =15 =39 =14 =10 =32 -11 =42 -28 4.5
45 Georgiev 28 2660 =49 +14 -01 -27 -42 =18 =53 =48 =43 -30 +54 4.5
46 Gurevich 34 2605 -23 =48 =28 =51 +49 =34 -21 +50 -17 -33 =47 4.5
47 Lutz 22 2605 =44 -31 =54 -26 -12 +53 -48 +52 =37 =50 =46 4.5
48 Van Wely 21 2585 -16 =46 =43 =42 -19 =49 +47 =45 -34 -28 =53 4
49 Hjartarson 30 2605 =45 =21 -06 =54 -46 =48 =33 =37 =28 -43 =52 4
50 Wolff 25 2585 -20 -40 -42 +53 =52 =43 +54 -46 -36 =47 =51 4
51 Ruban 29 2590 =38 =19 -16 =46 -36 =52 =43 -17 -53 =54 =50 3.5
52 Agdestein 26 2610 -02 -41 +53 -39 =50 =51 -18 -47 +54 -37 =49 3.5
53 Nijboer 28 2555 -07 =43 -52 -50 =18 -47 =45 =54 +51 -41 =48 3.5
54 Polgar S 24 2545 =15 -25 =47 =49 =35 -41 -50 =53 -52 =51 -45 3
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The top 7 players were joined by Nigel Short for the PCA Candidates quarterfinals in New York in June. Short was seeded into the quarterfinals (as the loser of the Kasparov - Short PCA World Championship Match (1993)). The pairings were announced in early February 1994:Short - Gulko PCA Quarterfinal (1994)
Adams - Tiviakov PCA Quarterfinal (1994)
Kamsky - Kramnik PCA Quarterfinal (1994)
Anand - Romanishin PCA Quarterfinal (1994)
The winners of these matches then played the Anand - Adams PCA Semifinal (1994) and Kamsky - Short PCA Semifinal (1994), the winners of which played the Anand - Kamsky PCA Final (1995). It ended up with the Kasparov - Anand PCA World Championship Match (1995).
Tournament book: Erik Hoeksema (ed.), 32e Internationaal Schaaktoernooi Groningen WK-kwalificatietoernooi PCA 18-30 december 1993. Groningen 1994. 278 pp.
Sources
Mark Weeks' website (https://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/94...)
FIDE rating list July 1993 (https://web.archive.org/web/2022092...)
Jaque 370, February 1994, pp. 10-24 (https://www.olimpbase.org/leagueES/...)
Sakkélet, 15 May 1994, pp. 94-100 (https://adt.arcanum.com/en/view/Sak...)
Tidskrift för Schack, 1/1994, pp. 32-40 (https://tfsarkiv.schack.se/pdf/1994...)
NRC Handelsblad, 23 December 1993, p. 6 (https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/v...)
Iosif Vatnikov in Chess Life, April 1994, p. 63 (https://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/C...)
Patrick Wolff in Chess Life, April 1994, pp. 61-62 (https://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/C...)
Leontxo Garcia in Jaque 369, January 1994, pp. 6-25 (https://www.olimpbase.org/leagueES/...)
Gert Ligterink in De Volkskrant, 5 February 1994, p. 33 (https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/v...)
Gert Ligterink in De Volkskrant, 27 December 1993, p. 11 (https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/v...)
Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 20 December 1993, p. 23 (https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/v...)
Paul Boersma in Algemeen Dagblad, 20 December 1994, p. 25 (https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/v...)
Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam in NRC Handelsblad, 21 December 1993, p. 11 (https://www.delpher.nl/nl/kranten/v...)
Original collections: Game Collection: PCA Qualifiers Groningen 1993 by User: Chessdreamer and Game Collection: Groningen 1993 by User: Tabanus. Round dates (December 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30) are from Dutch newspapers at https://www.delpher.nl/.
Previous Groningen event: Groningen (1992). Next: Groningen (1994)
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