Nigel Short

The first British player to challenge for the World Championship. His 1993 challenge against Kasparov may have ended in defeat, but it reshaped chess politics by triggering the split from FIDE.

The Candidates Run

Nigel David Short was born on June 1, 1965, in Leigh, Lancashire. A prodigy who became the youngest International Master in history at 14, Short matured into one of the strongest players in the world during the late 1980s. His run through the 1992 Candidates tournament was spectacular: he defeated Boris Gelfand, then Anatoly Karpov (a monumental upset), then Jan Timman in the final to earn his shot at Kasparov.

The Match That Split Chess

The 1993 match against Kasparov was one-sided, with Kasparov winning 12.5-7.5. But its historical significance went far beyond the chess. Short and Kasparov, unhappy with FIDE's organization and financial arrangements, broke away from the governing body and played the match under the auspices of the newly formed Professional Chess Association (PCA). This split divided the World Championship for 13 years, with separate FIDE and "classical" champions coexisting until reunification in 2006.