FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 The FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 was a chess tournament held by FIDE to determine the World Chess Champion. At the time the World Chess Champion title was split. In 1993, Nigel Short had qualified via FIDE's usual format to meet champion Garry Kasparov in a championship match. However, Kasparov and Short broke with FIDE and played under the auspices of a new organization which they had organized, the Professional Chess Association (PCA). Kasparov won this match to remain champion. With its two top players withdrawn, FIDE awarded the two slots in its 1993 championship
World Senior Chess Championship the men's section. So far one male World Chess Champion – Vasily Smyslov – has gone on to win the World Senior Championship as well (at age of 70 in 1991). He has also been the first Senior World Chess Champion ever. Nona Gaprindashvili is the only female World Chess Champion to obtain the World Senior title as well. The oldest World Senior Champion, male or female - before the split in two different age categories has been made - is Viktor Korchnoi who won the title at age of 75 and a half (in 2006, his only participation). Vlastimil