Tag: Topalov

Anand Reclaims the World Title

Vishwanathan Anand is the World Chess Champion after the World Championship 2007 in Mexico City. He is the fourth grandmaster to have reclaimed the crown, after Alexander Alekhine, Mikhail Botvinnik and Anatoly Karpov. That is, however, granting that Garry Kasparov split from FIDE in 1993 and retired from active chess in 2005. Anand first won the FIDE crown in 2000.

The list of world champions according to FIDE’s is now updated with this development as follows:

Name Years Country
Wilhelm Steinitz 1886-1894 Austria / United States
Emanuel Lasker 1894–1921 Prussia/Germany
José Raúl Capablanca   1921–1927 Cuba
Alexander Alekhine 1927–1935 Soviet Union (Russia) / France
Max Euwe 1935–1937 Netherlands
Alexander Alekhine 1937–1946 France
Mikhail Botvinnik 1948–1957 Soviet Union (Russia)
Vasily Smyslov 1957–1958 Soviet Union (Russia)
Mikhail Botvinnik 1958–1960 Soviet Union (Russia)
Mikhail Tal 1960–1961 Soviet Union (Latvia)
Mikhail Botvinnik 1961–1963 Soviet Union (Russia)
Tigran Petrosian 1963–1969 Soviet Union (Armenia)
Boris Spassky 1969–1972 Soviet Union (Russia)
Robert J. Fischer 1972–1975 United States
Anatoly Karpov 1975–1985 Soviet Union (Russia)
Garry Kasparov 1985–1993 Soviet Union / Russia
Anatoly Karpov 1993–1999 Russia
Alexander Khalifman 1999–2000 Russia
Viswanathan Anand 2000–2002 India
Ruslan Ponomariov 2002–2004 Ukraine
Rustam Kasimdzhanov 2004–2005 Uzbekistan
Veselin Topalov 2005–2006 Bulgaria
Vladimir Kramnik 2006–2007 Russia
Viswanathan Anand 2007–present   India

Rows in italics represent the grey areas in the world chess history.

Viswanathan Anand became, for the first time, the undisputed World Chess Champion on September 29, 2007, after finishing the tournament with a score of 9/14, not losing a single game and a full point ahead of the second placer, Vladimir Kramnik.

To download the games in pgn and to view some pictures, visit chessbase.com.

Anand’s title, though, it appears, will be challenged again(!) next year sometime between May and September 2008 by no less than…. Vladimir Kramnik, in a best of 12 games one-on-one match. Why, read the wikipedia article.

For Kramnik’s part, I guess he’s better off playing a one-on-one match rather than playing in a round robin tournament. Just look at his 2000 match win agains Kasparov and the 2006 match against Topalov. Clear victories!

Vladimir Kramnik

kramnikThe 13-year schism over the world chess crown has finally ended after 16 games of full-packed chess action in Elista, Kalmykia, during the World Chess Championship Match 2006 intended to unite the titles of classical champion Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) and FIDE champion Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria).

Report follows:

Friday, October 13, 2006 (Elista, Russia):

Russia’s Vladimir Kramnik won a match against Bulgaria’s Veselin Topalov in a tiebreaker on Friday, becoming the first universally recognised world chess champion since 1993.

Kramnik won the tension-filled match by a score of 8.5-7.5 in a final day of quick, time-limited games.

Each of the 41-year-old players was to receive 500,000 dollar for taking part in the match, which was arranged to heal a 13-year-old schism in the chess world dating back to World Champion Garry Kasparov’s withdrawal from the World Chess Federation.

Kramnik secured his victory in the fourth game today, which Kramnik won with White. Today’s score was 2.5-1.5. (AP)

Well, the match being a “REUNIFICATION” match, was I think too short yet historic. It was a big event in the history of chess. You can even see and feel the struggle between the two players. The tie-break of 4 games even yielded only one draw. The rest were won one by Topalov, and two by Kramnik.

My observation in this match is brief: that it showed Kramnik can win a match against Topalov, even with 1 point odds. (duh!)

For me, it was a good thing that Kramnik won. It would be much easier for chess fans to accept the fact. Otherwise, the game 5 contoversy would be another gruelling deliberation that could unfortunately even lead to continued split in the world chess organization. At least, now we have a one and only legitimate world champion, and that is, in the person of Vladimir Kramnik!

rook

Download games in PGN, Chessbase, Official Website, FIDE

Reunification of the World Chess Crown

After 13 years of schism in the world chess arena, they finally settled for a reunification of the two titles. FIDE champion Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria is staged to face PCA champ Vladimir Kramnik of Russia starting tomorrow, September 23, 2006, in a best-of-twelve series match in Elista, Kalmykia.

My bet goes to the current highest rated player, Topalov (after Kasparov retired from active chess in 2005).
topalov-kramnik

To Val De Guzman, prepare for your starbucks treat next year. LOL

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