The World Chess Championship 1990 was played between Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. It was the fifth and final Kasparov–Karpov championship match, and saw Kasparov win by a single point.
1987 Interzonal tournaments
Three Interzonals were held in the summer of 1987, with 16 to 18 players playing in each and the top three scorers from each qualifying.
{ | class="wikitable" |+ June–July 1987 Interzonal, Subotica |- ! !! !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12 !! 13 !! 14 !! 15 !! 16 !! Total !! Tie break |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 1 || align=left| || 2570 || - || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 10½ || 74.25 |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 2 || align=left| || 2615 || 0 || - || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 10½ || 73.00 |- style="background:#ccffcc;" | 3 || align=left| || 2550 || ½ || ½ || - || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 10½ || 70.75 |- | 4 || align=left| || 2605 || ½ || ½ || 1 || - || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || 10 || 72.50 |- | 5 || align=left| || 2580 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || - || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1 || 10 || 63.25 |- | 6 || align=left| || 2495 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || ½ || ½ || 1 || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 1 || 1 || 8½ || |- | 7 || align=left| || 2505 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 1 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 1 || 8 || |- | 8 || align=left| || 2550 || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || ½ || - || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || 1 || ½ || 7½ || 52.00 |- | 9 || align=left| || 2570 || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || ½ || - || 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 7½ || 51.00 |- | 10 || align=left| || 2540 || 1 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || 1 || 0 || - || 1 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || 7 || |- | 11 || align=left| || 2505 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || - || ½ || 0 || 1 || ½ || 1 || 6½ || |- | 12 || align=left| || 2465 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || ½ || - || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0 || 6 || |- | 13 || align=left| || 2575 || 0 || ½ || ½ || ½ || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0 || - || ½ || 0 || ½ || 5½ || |- | 14 || align=left| || 2495 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 1 || ½ || 0 || 0 || ½ || - || 1 || ½ || 5 || |- | 15 || align=left| || 2425 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || ½ || 0 || 1 || 0 || - || ½ || 4 || |- | 16 || align=left| || 2310 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || ½ || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1 || ½ || ½ || ½ || - || 3 || |}
In the first tournament in Subotica, Sax, Short, and Speelman qualified. Lubomir Kavalek withdrew after six rounds; his results are not included in the totals for the other players. Robert Hübner was invited, but declined to participate. As a result, Ribli had a free day during the last round. To show his displeasure, he refused to take part in a playoff against Tal, which could have been important, if a reserve spot had opened up in the Candidates Tournament.