Editing World Chess Championship (section)

===Split title (1993–2006)===
In 1993, [[Nigel Short]] broke the domination of Kasparov and Karpov by defeating Karpov in the candidates semi-finals followed by [[Jan Timman]] in the finals, thereby earning the right to challenge Kasparov for the title. However, before the match took place, both Kasparov and Short complained of FIDE's mishandling of the prize pool in organizing the match, corruption in the leadership, and FIDE's failure to abide by their own rules,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Battle off the boards hots up |url=https://indianexpress.com/about/archive/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604210855/https://indianexpress.com/about/archive/ |archive-date=4 June 2024 |access-date=2024-06-04 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |page=19 |language=en-IN }} [https://books.google.com/books?id=cIZlAAAAIBAJ&dq=nigel+short+fide&pg=PA19&article_id=390,1058657 Alt URL]</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Lundstrom |first=Harold |date=1993-07-23 |title=Many Fans Root For Rebels In Fight With Chess Federation |url=https://www.deseret.com/1993/7/23/19057603/many-fans-root-for-rebels-in-fight-with-chess-federation/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604210853/https://www.deseret.com/1993/7/23/19057603/many-fans-root-for-rebels-in-fight-with-chess-federation/ |archive-date=4 June 2024 |access-date=2024-06-04 |work=[[The Deseret News]] |page=12 }} [https://books.google.com/books?id=BD9TAAAAIBAJ&dq=nigel+short+fide&pg=PA12&article_id=6900,3350278 Alt URL]</ref> and split from FIDE to set up the [[Professional Chess Association]] (PCA), under whose auspices they held their match. In response, FIDE stripped Kasparov of his title and held a championship match between Karpov and Timman. For the first time in history, there were two World Chess Champions: [[World Chess Championship 1993#1993 PCA match|Kasparov defeated Short]] and [[World Chess Championship 1993#1993 FIDE match|Karpov beat Timman]].

{{multiple image
| align             = right
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| image1            = Alexander Khalifman.jpg
| caption1          = [[Alexander Khalifman]], FIDE World Champion 1999–2000
| image2            = RPonomariov.jpg
| caption2          = [[Ruslan Ponomariov]], FIDE World Champion 2002–2004
}}

FIDE and the PCA each held a championship cycle in 1993–1996, with many of the same challengers playing in both. Kasparov and Karpov both won their respective cycles. In the PCA cycle, Kasparov defeated [[Viswanathan Anand]] in the [[PCA World Chess Championship 1995]]. Karpov defeated [[Gata Kamsky]] in the final of the [[FIDE World Chess Championship 1996]]. Negotiations were held for a reunification match between Kasparov and Karpov in 1996–97,<ref>[https://theweekinchess.com/html/twic127.html The Week in Chess 127] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210042800/https://www.theweekinchess.com/html/twic127.html |date=10 February 2020 }}, 14 April 1997</ref> but nothing came of them.<ref>[https://theweekinchess.com/html/twic206.html Kasparov Interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206141423/https://theweekinchess.com/html/twic206.html |date=6 February 2021 }}, [[The Week in Chess]] 206, 19 October 1998</ref>

Soon after the 1995 championship, the PCA folded, and Kasparov had no organisation to choose his next challenger. In 1998 he formed the World Chess Council, which organised a candidates match between [[Alexei Shirov]] and [[Vladimir Kramnik]]. Shirov won the match, but negotiations for a Kasparov–Shirov match broke down, and Shirov was subsequently omitted from negotiations, much to his disgust. Plans for a 1999 or 2000 Kasparov–Anand match also broke down, and Kasparov organised a match with Kramnik in late 2000. In a major upset, Kramnik [[Classical World Chess Championship 2000|won the match]] with two wins, thirteen draws, and no losses. At the time the championship was called the Braingames World Chess Championship, but Kramnik later referred to himself as the Classical World Chess Champion.

Meanwhile, FIDE had decided to scrap the Interzonal and Candidates system, instead having a large knockout event in which a large number of players contested short matches against each other over just a few weeks (see [[FIDE World Chess Championship 1998]]). [[Fast chess|Rapid and blitz]] games were used to resolve ties at the end of each round, a format which some felt did not necessarily recognize the highest-quality play: Kasparov refused to participate in these events, as did Kramnik after he won the Classical title in 2000. In the first of these events, in 1998, champion Karpov was seeded directly into the final, but he later had to qualify alongside the other players. Karpov defended his title in the first of these championships in 1998, but resigned his title in protest at the new rules in 1999. [[Alexander Khalifman]] won the FIDE World Championship in [[FIDE World Chess Championship 1999|1999]], Anand in [[FIDE World Chess Championship 2000|2000]], [[Ruslan Ponomariov]] in [[FIDE World Chess Championship 2002|2002]], and [[Rustam Kasimdzhanov]] in [[FIDE World Chess Championship 2004|2004]].

{{multiple image
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| image1            = Kasimdhzanov Torino 2006.JPG
| caption1          = [[Rustam Kasimdzhanov]], FIDE World Champion 2004–2005
| image2            = Veselin Topalov 2013.jpg
| caption2          = [[Veselin Topalov]], FIDE World Champion 2005–2006
}}

By 2002, not only were there two rival champions, but Kasparov's strong results – he had the top [[Elo rating]] in the world and had won a string of major tournaments after losing his title in 2000 – ensured even more confusion over who was World Champion. In May 2002, American grandmaster [[Yasser Seirawan]] led the organisation of the so-called "Prague Agreement" to reunite the world championship. Kramnik had organised a candidates tournament (won later in 2002 by [[Peter Leko]]) to choose his challenger. It was agreed that Kasparov would play the FIDE champion (Ponomariov) for the FIDE title, and the winner of that match would face the winner of the Kramnik–Leko match for the unified title. However, the matches proved difficult to finance and organise. The [[Classical World Chess Championship 2004|Kramnik–Leko match]] did not take place until late 2004 (it was drawn, so Kramnik retained his title). 

Meanwhile, FIDE never managed to organise a Kasparov match, either with 2002 FIDE champion Ponomariov, or 2004 FIDE champion Kasimdzhanov. Kasparov's frustration at the situation played a part in his decision to retire from chess in 2005, still ranked No. 1 in the world. Soon after, FIDE dropped the short knockout format for a World Championship and announced the [[FIDE World Chess Championship 2005]], a double round robin tournament to be held in [[San Luis, Argentina]] between eight of the leading players in the world. However Kramnik insisted that his title be decided in a match, and declined to participate. The tournament was convincingly won by the Bulgarian [[Veselin Topalov]], and negotiations began for a Kramnik–Topalov match to unify the title.