Karpov and Kasparov about each other during they both were World Champion: Classical VS FIDE

The year 1993 was one of the most controversial years in chess history. The World's governing Chess body was shaken, the incumbent World Chess Champion of 8 years Garry Kasparov  broke away from FIDE, set a match with Nigel Short, who won the candidates cycle organised by FIDE to determine a challenger for the world Champion, Garry Kasparov. FIDE's world champion and its challenger split away from FIDE, they left it. In response, FIDE stripped the two off of their status, deleted them from the rating lists and organised a match between Anatoly Karpov and Jan Timman, both of whom were defeated by Nigel Short. It was commentated as FIDE's reaction to reinforce and consolidate its status and its sovereignty and effect on the World chess championship title.

The actual challenger (Nigel Short) and the champion (Garry Kasparov) on the other hand, left FIDE and organised a world championship match outside the fide. The two cited the lack of professionalism and presence of corruption within FIDE.

Now there were two World Chess Champions: 

• The first was Garry Kasparov, who dethroned traditional line's successor that recognised by World Chess body, Anatoly Karpov in 1985. Till that moment, he was almost universally acknowledged as the World Chess Champion, both by the public and the official global chess body: FIDE (the other minority who did not acknowledge him were probably Bobby Fischer and his small crew, probably Yasser Seirewan also saw Bobby as the World Champion at that time.)
• The second one was Anatoly Karpov. FIDE was the entity that had been regulating the world chess championship till that moment, it was the same entity under whose auspices Garry Kasparov became world chess champion. Now, FIDE disqualified Garry Kasparov, organised a match and declared Anatoly Karpov is the world chess champion.

What followed after that can be easily learnt from the Internet, with one click. I am here to present you several things you may not find on the Internet, at least not as easily as one-click. So, here is how the events went. How did they view each other? What did they say about the situation? From the interviews the two gave in the years 1993 and 94, I am gonna choose related excerpts and present you. 

In the Linares 1993, Garry Kasparov triumphed with 10/13 points. On the final day, Kasparov gave interview, in it he talked about the creation of the PCA and about his future plans about the championship.

Here is what Kasparov said about FIDE organising a match between Timman and Anatoly Karpov:

... If Campomanes has enough sense to understand that there's now way back. FIDE cannot run it. Full stop. If you want to have Timman and Karpov play your World Championship you will destroy your organization totally. If you want to see reality you have to negotiate, to get your money. But no influence. That's what I wanted from the GMA and that's what Bessel Kok rejected in 1989. To offer FIDE a financial deal, but no power.

On the same day in Monaco, Karpov also gave interview. When asked " Their breakawayfrom FIDE caused quite some chaos. Are Kasparov and Short the only people to be held responsiblefor this?" Karpov said the following:

" From a moral point of view Kasparov had not even one point to complain about. It was he who caused the chaos about the venue for the World Championship match. He persuaded Campomanes to accept the offer from the United States, which was not supported by a bank guarantee. Then he insulted the Moroccan people and the Moroccan organizers, so that Morocco withdrew their bid and we had no choice but to accept the American offer, which failed completely. So, it was one hundred per cent Kasparov's fault."

Then, Karpov was asked the following question: "The current situation doesn't seem to look that badfor you. Firstyou canplay a FIDE World Championship match with Timman and in case you win you might.." Here is Karpov's reply:

" Actually I am not glad with the whole situation, because I think it will hurt chess life and the chess world. It can bring chaos. Nowadays the World Championship match is just the tip of the iceberg. If you remove it the whole iceberg might break apart. If you destroy the whole system as we have it, this can hurt the chess world tremendously and affect the lives of many grandmasters. Not all federations have the dream to get a World Champion. Many federations want their chess players to become Candidates. Or to become participants in the Interzonals, you know. For this they organize tournaments and chess schools. For this idea. If you destroy the whole system then probably one day most grandmasters will no longer be able to get any money from their federations, because there no longer will be this interest. You just have the top of professional life and then nothing. Nothing at the level of villages and cities. "

Karpov was asked about the validity of his upcoming FIDE world championship match against Timman. Here is Karpov's reply:

" According to his results it is quite clear that Kasparov has been the best over the last years in tournaments. He is much stronger than Short. From a sporting point of view a match Kasparov-Short may not be so interesting as my match with Timman. The final result ofa match between Kasparov and Short is absolutely clear for most people in the world. But when something is beneficial for you, then you use FIDE rules. For instance in ' 87 in Seville when the match was drawn Kasparov used FIDE rules to maintain his title. When they are not beneficial you throw out the rules. In the last six years Kasparov played two matches with me. In Seville it was a draw and in New York and Lyon it was plus one for Kasparov. We don't talk about the quality and the chances. Because I missed many chances. So, in the last six years Kasparov won by one game. Forty-eight match games and he won only one game more than I did. If he wants to crush me as he declared in New York and in Seville .. On the other hand, for the last ten years Jan Timman has been one of the best chess players.. "

Then, the following 3 questions were worthy to share. Here are they:

Question: Is actually what you are saying that if Kasparov beats Short and you beat Timman, there  may be a much more interesting match between Kasparov and you?

Karpov: 'Yes. Yes. It is quite clear that for the last few years our matches were the most exciting and interesting ones from all points of view. As sport events, from a theoretical point of view. We
brought a lot of interesting ideas to modern chess.'
Question: Would you be prepared to play such a match outside of FIDE?
Karpov: 'Eh, no. No, I will not play outside FIDE. (Mter some thought) There may be an agreement to play this match. But it will not be inside the PCA. I will surely notjoin this organization. Just
like many other grandmasters as I understood in Linares and also here in Monaco.' 

Question: Out of necessity this match would have to take place outside the normal FIDE structures.  'It cannot be played within the FIDE structures, because there is no place for such a match.
Karpov: It could be organized under special conditions. But not under the auspices of the PCA.

The next two questions were also interesting:

Question: Would you mind being called the FIDE World Champion ifyou win this match against Timman ?
Karpov: 'We will have so many World Champions, that it doesn't matter what you call me. Fischer is World Champion .. Actually, (laughs) the main point is who is the best player. This can only be decided in a match.'
Question: This intermediate step wouldn 't be too reminiscentfor you of the situation in 1975. That again you would be declared FIDE World Champion with this other guy in the background?
Karpov: 'Oh, but Fischer was always behind us. Behind Kasparov, behind me. What can you do? OK, you have this reproach, but ifin the soccer World Championship Maradona makes a decisive goal with his hand he says that it was the hand of God and still he is World Champion. What can you do about that?

Then, this Q&A was also interesting. Note that, I am gonna share half of the answer given by Karpov, you can read the rest from the book:

Question: To your mind Kasparov andShort have placed themselves off-side because they didn't play according to the rules.
Karpov: 'I think so. Actually, when I played Kortchnoi in Merano and then a second time in 1985 I suggested that FIDE freeze half of the prize-money of the World Champion and only pay this
amount the moment he starts to play another match and defends this title. In this case Kasparov would still have one million dollars frozen in his account and if he doesn't want to play without
there being any serious reason, if he hasn't had an accident or has fallen ill, then this money could be used for another match. And it would be goodbye one million dollars for Mr Kasparov
(laughs). You would have a situation in which you not only control the moral side, but you also control the situation financially.

This was part 1. In the second part, I will share their interviews that took place in the year 1994, after their matches. Sources will be shared in the second part.