World Championship 1990: Kasparov – Karpov
The fifth and final Kasparov–Karpov title match, split between New York and Lyon, was — like all the others — desperately close. Karpov had winning chances late, but Kasparov edged home 12½–11½, closing the greatest rivalry in championship history without ever losing a match to his rival.
◈Five matches, one unbeaten
Between 1984 and 1990 the two had contested 144 games for the title. Karpov, still world No. 2, had pushed Kasparov to the wire in every match yet never won one. This last meeting — half in New York City, half in Lyon — followed the pattern exactly.
The rivalry that had defined 1980s chess reached its final chapter.
◈Kasparov holds again
Karpov carried genuine winning chances into the closing games, as he so often had, but Kasparov's resilience told one more time. He retained the crown 12½–11½ (+4−3=17).
It was the last time the two great adversaries would play for the World Championship — five matches, and Karpov never beat Kasparov across any of them.
◈Cross Table
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasparov | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 0 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | 0 | ½ | 12½ |
| Karpov | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 0 | 1 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | 1 | ½ | 11½ |
1 win · ½ draw · 0 loss — click a game number to replay it.