World Chess Championship 2000

Viswanathan Anand
Tournament information
Sport	Chess
Location	Tehran, New Delhi
Dates	27 November 2000–26 December 2000
Administrator	FIDE
Tournament format(s)	Single-elimination tournament
Host(s)	Chess Federation of Iran, All India Chess Federation
Participants	100
Purse	$3 million
Final positions
Champion	Viswanathan Anand
Runner-up	Alexei Shirov
Tournament statistics
Matches played	99

The FIDE World Chess Championship 2000 was held in New Delhi, India, and Tehran, Iran. The first six rounds were played in New Delhi between 27 November and 15 December 2000, and the final match in Tehran started on 20 December and ended on 24 December 2000. The top seeded Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won the championship.

Background

At the time of this championship, the World title was split. The newly crowned Classical World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik, did not participate, as well as the previous Classical Champion and world's highest-rated player, Garry Kasparov. Anatoly Karpov, the 1998 FIDE World Champion and No.11-rated player, also did not take part in the tournament as he was in the midst of filing a lawsuit against the organization.^[1] However, most other strongest players of the world took part, including the defending FIDE World Champion Alexander Khalifman and the 2000 World Cup winner Viswanathan Anand. The only other absentee from the top 25 was Ye Jiangchuan.^[2]

Participants

All players are Grandmasters unless indicated otherwise.

Qualification

Players qualified for the championship according to the following criteria:

1. four semi-finalists of the previous championship (Alexander Khalifman, Vladimir Akopian, Michael Adams, Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu);
2. juniors rated 2600 or higher in the rating lists of January 2000 to July 2000;
3. the World Junior Champions 1999 (Aleksandr Galkin) and 2000 (Lázaro Bruzón);
4. the Women's World Champion 1999 (Xie Jun);
5. three nominees of the FIDE President;
6. one nominee of the organizers;
7. 62 qualifiers from the zonal tournaments;
8. one nominee from each of the Continental Presidents (for a total of four players);
9. a sufficient number of best rated players, to bring the total number of participants to 100 (the average of January and July 2000 rating lists was used);

Playing conditions

The championship was a knockout tournament similar to other FIDE World Chess Championships between 1998 and 2004: the players were paired for short matches, with losers eliminated. 28 players (27 best rated and Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu, one of the quarterfinalists of the previous championship) were given byes to the second round. The field of 100 participants was reduced to one winner over seven rounds.

Rounds 1–5 consisted of a two-game match, followed by tie breaks at faster time controls if required. The time control for regular games was 100 minutes, with 50 minutes added after move 40, 10 minutes added after move 60, and 30 seconds added after each move starting with move 1. Tie breaks consisted of two rapid chess games (25 minutes each + 10 seconds per move); followed by two games with shorter time controls if required (15 minutes + 10 seconds per move); followed by a series of blitz games (4 minutes + 10 seconds per move for White, 5 minutes + 10 seconds per move for Black, first player to win is the winner of the match). The semifinals (round 6) were best of four games, and the final was best of six games, with the same conditions for the tie-breaks.

Schedule

There was one rest day during round 4 and two rest days during round 6. The tie-breaks of rounds 1–5 were played in the evening following the second game. The final took place one month after rounds 1–6.

• Round 1: 27 November 2000, 28 November 2000 (tiebreaks on 29 November 2000)
• Round 2: 30 November 2000, 1 December 2000 (tiebreaks on 2 December 2000)
• Round 3: 3 December 2000, 4 December 2000 (tiebreaks on 5 December 2000)
• Round 4: 6 December 2000, 7 December 2000 (tiebreaks on 8 December 2000)
• Round 5: 9 December 2000, 10 December 2000 (tiebreaks on 11 December 2000)
• Round 6: 12 December 2000 – 15 December 2000 (tiebreaks on 16 December 2000)
• Round 7: 20 December 2000 – 26 December 2000, with a rest day on 23 December 2000 (tiebreaks on 27 December 2000)

Results, rounds 1–4

Section 1

First round

Second round

Third round

Fourth round

1

Viswanathan Anand

1½

33

Viktor Bologan

½

33

Viktor Bologan

1½

70

Hannes Stefánsson

½

1

Viswanathan Anand

1½

49

Smbat Lputian

½

17

Sergei Rublevsky

½

49

Smbat Lputian

1½

49

Smbat Lputian

1½

86

Paweł Blehm

½

1

Viswanathan Anand

1½

78

Bartłomiej Macieja

½

9

Michael Krasenkov

4½

78

Bartłomiej Macieja

5½

41

Jon Speelman

1½

78

Bartłomiej Macieja

2½

78

Bartłomiej Macieja

3

25

Alexander Beliavsky

1

25

Alexander Beliavsky

1½

57

Aleksandr Galkin

½

57

Aleksandr Galkin

2

93

Aleksandar Wohl

0

Section 2

First round

Second round

Third round

Fourth round

5

Peter Leko

1½

74

Sergey Volkov

½

37

Konstantin Sakaev

2½

74

Sergey Volkov

3½

5

Peter Leko

3½

21

Alexander Khalifman

4½

21

Alexander Khalifman

2½

53

Christopher Lutz

1½

53

Christopher Lutz

2½

90

Ehsan Ghaem Maghami

1½

21

Alexander Khalifman

1½

66

Rafael Leitão

½

13

Nigel Short

2½

82

Igor Nataf

3½

45

Emil Sutovsky

½

82

Igor Nataf

1½

82

Igor Nataf

½

66

Rafael Leitão

1½

29

Joël Lautier

½

66

Rafael Leitão

1½

66

Rafael Leitão

1½

61

Joel Benjamin

½

61

Joel Benjamin

2

97

Fabian Fiorito

0

Section 3

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
						3	Michael Adams	3
						72	Đào Thiên Hải	1
	35	Ruslan Ponomariov	½
	72	Đào Thiên Hải	1½
											3	Michael Adams	3
											51	Alex Yermolinsky	1
						19	Xu Jun	½
						51	Alex Yermolinsky	1½
	51	Alex Yermolinsky	1½
	88	Mohammed Al-Modiahki	½
																3	Michael Adams	2½
																11	Peter Svidler	1½
						11	Peter Svidler	3
						43	Étienne Bacrot	1
	43	Étienne Bacrot	3
	80	Mikhail Rytshagov	1
											11	Peter Svidler	2½
											27	Peng Xiaomin	1½
						27	Peng Xiaomin	2½
						59	Utut Adianto	1½
	59	Utut Adianto	1½
	95	Imad Hakki	½

Section 4

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
						7	Veselin Topalov	1½
						39	Andrei Kharlov	½
	39	Andrei Kharlov	1½
	76	Sune Berg Hansen	½
											7	Veselin Topalov	1½
											23	Kiril Georgiev	½
						23	Kiril Georgiev	3½
						55	Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu	2½
																7	Veselin Topalov	4
																15	Alexey Dreev	2
						15	Alexey Dreev	4
						47	Vladimir Malakhov	2
	47	Vladimir Malakhov	2
	84	Aloyzas Kveinys	0
											15	Alexey Dreev	1½
											31	Loek van Wely	½
	31	Loek van Wely	1½
	68	Karen Asrian	½
						31	Loek van Wely	2
						63	Krishnan Sasikiran	0
	63	Krishnan Sasikiran	1½
	99	Amon Simutowe	½

Section 5

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
						2	Alexander Morozevich	2
						34	Gilberto Milos	0
	34	Gilberto Milos	2½
	71	Abhijit Kunte	1½
											2	Alexander Morozevich	1½
											50	Evgeny Vladimirov	½
						18	Zoltán Almási	1½
						50	Evgeny Vladimirov	2½
	50	Evgeny Vladimirov	2
	87	Dibyendu Barua	0
																2	Alexander Morozevich	½
																26	Vladislav Tkachiev	1½
						10	Rustam Kasimdzhanov	2½
						42	Pavel Tregubov	1½
	42	Pavel Tregubov	3½
	79	Alexander Rustemov	2½
											10	Rustam Kasimdzhanov	1½
											26	Vladislav Tkachiev	2½
						26	Vladislav Tkachiev	1½
						58	Alexandre Lesiège	½
	58	Alexandre Lesiège	2
	94	Rodrigo Vasquez	0

Section 6

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
						6	Vassily Ivanchuk	1½
						38	Jaan Ehlvest	2½
	38	Jaan Ehlvest	4
	75	Jesús Nogueiras	2
											38	Jaan Ehlvest	4
											22	Sergei Movsesian	2
						22	Sergei Movsesian	4
						54	Viorel Iordăchescu	2
	54	Viorel Iordăchescu	2½
	91	Michele Godena	1½
																38	Jaan Ehlvest	1½
																46	Alexander Grischuk	2½
						14	Ilya Smirin	1
						46	Alexander Grischuk	3
	46	Alexander Grischuk	2½
	83	Darcy Lima	1½
											46	Alexander Grischuk	1½
											62	Grigory Serper	½
	30	Alexei Fedorov	½
	67	Alexander Ivanov	1½
						67	Alexander Ivanov	0
						62	Grigory Serper	2
	62	Grigory Serper	1½
	98	Amir Bagheri	½

Section 7

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
						4	Alexei Shirov	2½
						36	Alexander Onischuk	1½
	36	Alexander Onischuk	1½
	73	Evgenij Agrest	½
											4	Alexei Shirov	2½
											20	Mikhail Gurevich	1½
						20	Mikhail Gurevich	2½
						52	Artashes Minasian	1½
	52	Artashes Minasian	4
	89	Buenaventura Villamayor	2
																4	Alexei Shirov	2½
																12	Boris Gelfand	1½
						12	Boris Gelfand	2
						81	Emir Dizdarevic	0
	44	Lev Psakhis	3
	81	Emir Dizdarevic	4
											12	Boris Gelfand	1½
											28	Jeroen Piket	½
	28	Jeroen Piket	2½
	65	Gilberto Hernandez	1½
						28	Jeroen Piket	2
						60	Vladislav Nevednichy	0
	60	Vladislav Nevednichy	1½
	96	Ibrahim Hasan Labib	½

Section 8

First round

Second round

Third round

Fourth round

8

Evgeny Bareev

4

40

Rafael Vaganian

2

40

Rafael Vaganian

2

77

Hichem Hamdouchi

0

8

Evgeny Bareev

2

56

Alexej Alexandrov

0

24

Vladimir Akopian

½

56

Alexej Alexandrov

1½

56

Alexej Alexandrov

4½

92

Fouad El Taher

3½

8

Evgeny Bareev

2½

32

Boris Gulko

1½

16

Zurab Azmaiparashvili

1½

48

Vladimir Baklan

½

48

Vladimir Baklan

3½

85

Ivan Zaja

2½

16

Zurab Azmaiparashvili

½

32

Boris Gulko

1½

32

Boris Gulko

2½

69

Alexei Bezgodov

1½

32

Boris Gulko

3½

64

Alexander Chernin

2½

64

Alexander Chernin

1½

100

Alexander Utnasunov

½

Results, rounds 5–7

Quarterfinals

Semifinals (best of 4)

Final (best of 6)

1

V Anand

3½

21

A Khalifman

2½

1

V Anand

2½

3

M Adams

1½

3

M Adams

1½

7

V Topalov

½

1

V Anand

3½

4

A Shirov

½

26

V Tkachiev

1½

46

A Grischuk

2½

46

A Grischuk

1½

4

A Shirov

2½

4

A Shirov

2½

8

E Bareev

1½

Championship final

Anand–Shirov, 2000 World Ch.

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Final position of the match.

The final match of the FIDE World Championship featured Viswanathan Anand, the pre-tournament favorite and No. 1 seed, and Alexei Shirov, who had previously been denied a chance to challenge Garry Kasparov for the Classical World Championship despite winning a candidates' match two years earlier. After an uneventful 34-move draw in Game 1, the two players exchanged pieces quickly in Game 2, leading to a relatively even rook-and-pawn endgame after 30 moves. But Shirov gave Anand an opening with 47... Ke5?, allowing the latter to preserve two passed pawns and turn them into a winning advantage. Anand would strike again in the third game – with Shirov on the attack, Anand held a strong defensive position until 27... Qg5! followed by 28. Qf3?! from Shirov gave him a solid advantage.^[3]

In the decisive Game 4, Shirov played a sharp attacking game, knowing a victory was required to stay in contention for the championship. But he faltered with 19... Qf6?, missing a sound queen sacrifice that would have led to an equal endgame with winning opportunities (19... Qxe2 20. Bxe2 Bf2 21. Rh1 e5) and followed with 20... Qxc3?, leaving his h-file bishop hanging. Anand was able to translate the resulting advantage into a winning position.^[4]

FIDE World Chess Championship Final 2000

	Rating	1	2	3	4	Points
Alexei Shirov (Spain)	2746	½	0	0	0	½
Viswanathan Anand (India)	2774	½	1	1	1	3½

References

External links

• World Chess Championship, 2000 FIDE Knockout Matches