Editing World Chess Championship (section)

====FIDE system (1949–1963)====
{{further|World Chess Championship 1951|World Chess Championship 1954|World Chess Championship 1957|World Chess Championship 1958|World Chess Championship 1960|World Chess Championship 1961|World Chess Championship 1963}}
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| total_width       = 400
| image1            = Interpolisschaaktoernooi Tilburg 1819 Smyslov aan zet, Bestanddeelnr 929-3630.jpg
| caption1          = [[Vasily Smyslov]] (1957–1958)
| image2            = Mikhail Tal 1962.jpg
| caption2          = [[Mikhail Tal]] (1960–1961)
| image3            = Tigran Petrosian 1962.jpg
| caption3          = [[Tigran Petrosian]] (1963–1969)
}}
The FIDE system followed its 1948 design through five cycles: 1948–1951, 1951–1954, 1954–1957, 1957–1960 and 1960–1963.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/wcc-indy.htm|title=Index of FIDE Events 1948–1990 : World Chess Championship|website=www.mark-weeks.com|access-date=5 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140901124131/http://www.mark-weeks.com/chess/wcc-indy.htm|archive-date=1 September 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | last=Wade | first=R. G. | author-link=Robert Wade (chess player) | year=1964 | title=The World Chess Championship 1963 | publisher=Arco | lccn=64514341 }}</ref> The first two world championships under this system were drawn 12–12 – Botvinnik-Bronstein in 1951 and Botvinnik-Smyslov in 1954 – so Botvinnik retained the title both times. In 1956 FIDE introduced two apparently minor changes which Soviet [[grandmaster (chess)|grandmaster]] and chess official [[Yuri Averbakh]] alleged were instigated by the two Soviet representatives in FIDE, who were personal friends of reigning champion [[Mikhail Botvinnik]]. A defeated champion would have the right to a return match. FIDE also limited the number of players from the same country that could compete in the [[Candidates Tournament]], on the grounds that it would reduce Soviet dominance of the tournament. Averbakh claimed that this was to Botvinnik's advantage as it reduced the number of Soviet players he might have to meet in the title match.<ref name="Kingston2002InterviewAverbakhPart2">{{cite web | url=http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles183.pdf | access-date=16 September 2008 | title=Yuri Averbakh: An Interview with History – Part 2 | author=Kingston, T. | year=2002 | publisher=The Chess Cafe | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140526125535/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/skittles183.pdf | archive-date=26 May 2014 | url-status=live }}</ref> Botvinnik lost to [[Vasily Smyslov]] in 1957 but won the return match in 1958, and lost to [[Mikhail Tal]] in 1960 but won the return match in 1961. Thus Smyslov and Tal each held the world title for a year, but Botvinnik was world champion for rest of the time from 1948 to 1963. The return match clause was not in place for the 1963 cycle. [[Tigran Petrosian]] won the 1962 Candidates and then [[World Chess Championship 1963|defeated Botvinnik in 1963]] to become world champion.