World Chess Championship Poster

The FIDE World Chess Championship 1999 took place at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip from July 31 to August 28. Russian player Alexander Khalifman emerged victorious, defeating Vladimir Akopian in the final to become the FIDE World Chess Champion. The tournament featured 100 participants.

The championship followed a knockout format with short matches, similar to the 1998 championship, retaining both its benefits and drawbacks. A notable change from the previous year was that the incumbent champion, Anatoly Karpov, did not receive any special privileges, making the competition more open and unpredictable.