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In place of the previous informal system, a new system of qualifying tournaments and matches was arranged. The world's strongest players were seeded into "[[Interzonal]] tournaments", where they were joined by players who had qualified from "Zonal tournaments". The leading finishers in these [[Interzonal]]s would go on the "Candidates" stage, which was initially a tournament, later a series of knock-out matches. The winner of the [[Candidates Tournament]] would then play a match against the reigning champion (who did not have to qualify through this process) for the championship. If a champion was defeated, he had a right to play a rematch one year after his loss. This system worked on a three-year cycle.
The winner of the [[World Chess Championship 1948|1948 tournament]], [[Mikhail Botvinnik]], would end up being a constant presence in championship matches for over ten years. His marked longevity at the top is generally explained by the fact that he was a tireless worker. It is said he perfected the game as a science, not a sport, through his emphasis on technique over tactics. This longevity is even more impressive considering he had hit his peak during [[World War II]], during which international chess was suspended, and he was the first champion who was forced to play all his challengers. Perhaps most remarkably, he was not a professional chess player, but a decorated engineer by trade.
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