MOSCOW, July 22: Professional Chess Association (PCA), champion Garry Kasparov today said his planned match with FIDE champion Anatoly Karpov may never take place because Karpov was playing so badly.

``Sponsors refused to finance our match due to Karpov's weak playing,'' the PCA champion said in an interview with Sport-Express daily.

``People who initially wanted to give money for the match concluded that our duel would have no sports intrique,'' Kasparov said.

``They think that the final result is slightly predictable.''

Kasparov became world champion in 1985 aged just 22, beating his compatriot Karpov who had been the undisputed king of the chess for the previous 10 years.

But Karpov regained the title when FIDE-sanctioned Kasparov for setting up the breakaway PCA in 1993.

The Karpov-Kasparov match was designed to end their bitter rivalry on the eve of the newly-designed world championships, due to start in December with prize money totalling $ 5 million.

Last year, FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said he wanted to organise an annual world championships lasting no longer than a month and consisting of a knock-out tournament.

Organisers hoped Karpov and Kasparov would join at the semi-final stage, but recently Kasparov refused to participate in it, claiming the new system was a farce.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.