World Chess Championship a Kasparov match, either with 2002 FIDE champion Ponomariov, or 2004 FIDE champion Kasimdzhanov. Partly due to his frustration at the situation, Kasparov retired 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
Women's World Chess Championship 1988 Women's World Chess Championship 1988 The 1988 Women's World Chess Championship was won by Maia Chiburdanidze, who successfully defended her title against challenger Nana Ioseliani. As part of the qualification process, two Interzonal tournaments were held in the summer of 1987, one in Smederevska Palanka in July and the other in Tuzla in July and August, featuring the best players from each FIDE zone. A total of 34 players took part, with the top three from each Interzonal qualifying for the Candidates Tournament. Litinskaya-Shul won in Smederevska Palanka, while three players shared second place. They then contested a playoff in