World Active Chess Championship

World Active Chess Championship
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Tournament information
SportChess
LocationMazatlan, Mexico
Dates10 December 1988–17 December 1988
AdministratorFIDE
FormatRapid
Tournament
format(s)
Swiss-system, Single-elimination
VenueEl Cid Resort
Participants61
Purse150,000 USD
Final positions
ChampionSoviet Union Anatoly Karpov
Runner-upSoviet Union Viktor Gavrikov
2001 →

The World Active Chess Championship was the inaugural edition of the World Rapid Chess Championship. It was the first known elite tournament in rapid chess, which was then known as "active chess". The tournament was held at El Cid Resort in Mazatlan, Mexico from 10 to 17 December 1988 and was a multi-stage tournament that featured 61 players. Former World Champion Anatoly Karpov won the event, edging out GM Viktor Gavrikov on tiebreaks after their finals match ended in a 5–5 tie.

Details

The tournament began with a 13-round preliminary Swiss system stage. The top eight players from the Swiss proceeded to a single-elimination knockout, where players played four-game matches in quarterfinals and semifinals, and an eight-game match in the finals. The time control was 30 minutes per player (no increment) and the total prize fund was 150,000 USD.

61 players competed in the tournament, with notable participants listed below:

  1.  Anatoly Karpov (URS), 2715
  2.  Rafael Vaganian (URS), 2625
  3.  Yasser Seirawan (USA), 2595
  4.  Jaan Ehlvest (URS), 2585
  5.  Bent Larsen (DEN), 2570
  6.  Vladimir Tukmakov (URS), 2570
  7.  Maxim Dlugy (USA), 2550
  8.  Viktor Gavrikov (URS), 2545
  9.  Lev Alburt (USA), 2535
  10.  Walter Browne (USA), 2530
  11.  Roman Dzindzichashvili (ISR), 2530
  12.  Nana Ioseliani (URS), 2455
  13.  Gábor Kállai (HUN), 2450
  14.  Sofia Polgar (HUN), 2320

Results

In the finals match between Karpov and Gavrikov, the score was tied 4-4 after the eight rapid games. Two 5-minute blitz games were played as a tiebreaker, both of which were drawn. Thus, Karpov was named the new Active Chess Champion by virtue of his better Buchholz score among the top four tied players (Karpov, Gavrikov, Vaganian and Dlugy). He and Gavrikov were both awarded 40,000 USD.

Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
         
Soviet Union Anatoly Karpov 2½
Israel Roman Dzindzichashvili 1½
Soviet Union Anatoly Karpov 2½
Soviet Union Jaan Ehlvest 1½
Soviet Union Jaan Ehlvest 2½
United States Maxim Dlugy 1½
Soviet Union Anatoly Karpov 5
Soviet Union Viktor Gavrikov 5
Soviet Union Vladimir Tukmakov 2½
Soviet Union Rafael Vaganian ½
Soviet Union Vladimir Tukmakov ½
Soviet Union Viktor Gavrikov 2½
Soviet Union Viktor Gavrikov 2½
Hungary Gábor Kállai 1½

Aftermath

Garry Kasparov, then the current World Champion, declined to participate in the event and derided the concept of an active chess champion, saying, "Active Chess? What does that make me, the Passive World Champion?" The controversy surrounding the event and the crowning of a separate "active chess champion" led to the parallel rapid championship being dropped for future years. It was not until 2001 that FIDE organized their next edition of the World Rapid Championship, which was branded FIDE World Cup of Rapid Chess.

References

  1. 1 2 "Chess - NYTimes". Archived from the original on 2016-06-04. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  2. ↑ Seirawan, Yasser (1988-07-13), English: Advertisement for 1988 World Active Chess Championship, retrieved 2026-09-09
  3. ↑ "365Chess: Mazatlan rapid 1988". Archived from the original on 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2017-01-03.
  4. ↑ "1st World Active Chess Championship (1988)". www.chessgames.com. Retrieved 2026-09-03.
  5. ↑ "Garry Kasparov: A History of Professional Chess". Archived from the original on 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2017-01-03.
  6. ↑ "The Week in Chess 325". theweekinchess.com. Retrieved 2026-09-03.