Anatoly Karpov, USSR, drew the seventh game and then won the eighth and ninth games to capture the final world championship candidates match with Jan Timman of the Netherlands.
The match has been held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Karpov will now challenge the world champion, Gary Kas-parov, his fellow countryman, next October.
The final score of the 12-game match was Karpov 6 1/2, Timman, 2 1/2.
Timman made five draws but was unable to win a game.
Karpov won just over $124,000 in prize money, and Timman just over $74,000.
In the eighth game, Timman tried to lure the former world titleholder into a rough-and-tumble struggle, but his effort rebounded in a loss.
After Karpov had predictably turned down Timman's gambit - the former champion has never liked precarious, unclear situations and, with a comfortable lead, certainly had no need for heroics - Timman refused to stick to solid play and would have nudged the game toward another draw, but his frantic attempts to attack were crushed by Karpov.
The United States and France will jointly host the prestigious world chess championship set to begin in October. The announcement was made last week by New York Mayor David Dinkins.
Dinkins said it was the first time since 1907 that the championships would be played in the United States.
The first 12 games will be played over 34 days in New York and the balance in Lyons, France. The games are scheduled to begin Oct. 8.
Vying for an estimated $3 million in prize money, Karpov will try to topple Kasparov, the charismatic world champion.
But a confident Kasparov told the news conference in New York when the announcement was made, "At the end of the year, I will remain world champion."
Kasparov, speaking with Dinkins at City Hall, said he was looking forward to the challenge of playing former champion Anatoly Karpov, his arch rival.
"I hope this attempt (against me) won't be successful as well. This match is very important for me," noting that he had never beaten Karpov convincingly.
"I am delighted," he said, "to bring real chess to the United States and to New York. I think this match is the best possibility to promote chess in the United States."
The games will be take place at the new Macklowe Hotel, which will serve as the game's headquarters.
Dinkins said the games will cost taxpayers nothing, and predicted the privately financed event would bring in revenue for the city. He gave no figures.
"It will also serve as a springboard in our efforts to have chess, which does so much to teach its players how to think, taught in our schools," the mayor said.
The championship contract was signed in Paris on March 13 in Paris with the International Chess Federation (FIDE).
-LET'S READ - The fourth volume of Anatoly Karpov's series has now been published by the Macmillan Chess Library. The newest volume is titled, "The Closed Openings in Action."
The games are chosen according to the openings, Karpov says, but it is not only a matter of choice but of the form of presentations.
"Each of the main games concentrates on one particular opening, and within the notes of each game there are many references and even other complete games.
"The book includes many games played by the author. This is not surprising, as in less than 10 years I have played six world championships - two with Victor Korchnoi and four with Gary Kasparov." (Their first match was aborted by the FIDE president in a scandal.)
"As is well known, in any duel for the crown, the best developments of opening theory are used, and new ideas are born that attract huge attention and become very popular.
"These books contain the most valuable theoretical games from my encounters with Kasparov. Apart from these, I have included games by me between these world championship matches."
-CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SOLVERS! - William DeVroom, William D. Price, Paul R. Lindeman, Dr. Harold Rosenberg, Ann Neil, Joan Nay, Kay Lundstrom, Edwin O. Smith, Gene Wagstaff, Brian Harrow, John N. Neilsen, Hal Harmon, Ted Pathakis, Jim Turner, Covert Copier, David L. Evans, Ardean Watts, Glannin Cloward and Dean Thompson.