FIDE World Chess Championships 1998-2004
Encyclopedia
The FIDE World Chess Championships 1998–2004 all followed a similar format, radically different from previous World Chess Championship
events. Previous events had had long qualifying cycles, spread over more than a year, culminating in a long match (best of 20 or 24 games) between the incumbent champion and a challenger. From 1998 to 2004, however, FIDE organised its World Championship as a single event over about a month, with a large number of players playing short knockout matches, rather in the style of a tennis
tournament such as Wimbledon
.
split from FIDE and formed a rival organisation, the Professional Chess Association
. FIDE stripped Kasparov of his title, meaning there were now two rival championships: the FIDE title, held by Anatoly Karpov
, and the PCA title, held by Kasparov. Karpov and Kasparov had successfully defended their titles at the FIDE World Chess Championship 1996
and PCA World Chess Championship 1995 respectively.
From 1948 until 1996, World Chess Championships had followed a similar pattern: a series of qualifying tournaments and matches were held over more than a year, culminating in the Candidates Tournament
. The winner of the Candidates tournament was the official challenger for the world title, and would play the incumbent champion in a match for world championship. (The 1996 cycle was an exception. The incumbent world champion participated in the Candidates tournament as a seeded semi-finalist.)
In 1997, FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
proposed a completely new structure: a knockout tournament, consisting of 2 game matches (slightly longer in the final rounds), with match tie-breakers using rapid chess and blitz chess
if necessary. This format had been done before in tournaments, but never at the world championship level.
Opponents pointed out disadvantages of the format:
. See FIDE World Chess Championship 2004
.
Kasparov did not want to defend his title under these circumstances, and declined his inviatation.
The format was then modified to have FIDE champion Karpov seeded directly into the final.
All of the tournament except the final was held in Groningen in December 1997. There were seven rounds. There were a few less than 128 players, with some players seeded into the second round. The first six rounds consisted of two normal time control games, plus tie breaks. The seventh round (the semi-final) consisted of four normal time control games, plus tie breaks.
The semi-final was between Viswanathan Anand
and Michael Adams, and was won by Anand.
Anand then played Karpov in the final in January 1998. The final was best of 6 normal time control games, and this was drawn 3-3. Karpov then won the rapid playoff, becoming the 1998 FIDE World Chess Champion.
There were criticisms that Anand never really had a chance, because Karpov was much fresher than Anand, who only recently completed the gruelling first leg of the tournament.
, in July and August 1999. Karpov was not seeded into the final, and refused to participate.
Kasparov again refused to take part, and famously said that most of the participants were "tourists".
The event was won by Alexander Khalifman
.
Khalifman was rated 44th in the world at the time, which some compared unfavourably to PCA champion Kasparov being rated #1. Khalifman said after the tournament, "Rating system works perfectly for players who play only in round robin closed events. I think most of them are overrated. Organizers invite same people over and over because they have the same rating and their rating stays high." Perhaps in response, Khalifman was invited to the next Linares chess tournament
, and performed creditably (though placing below joint winner Kasparov).
had recently defeated Kasparov for Kasparov's world title (see Classical World Chess Championship 2000
), and neither of these players (the top two in the FIDE rating list) took part.
The event was won in convincing fashion by Anand, who only had to rely on a rapid playoff once. This was the first time the top rated player had won the event (in 1997-98 Anand was top rated, followed by Karpov).
.
as an 8 player, double round robin tournament.
However FIDE still held a 2005 knockout tournament
called the "FIDE World Cup", as the first stage of qualification for the FIDE World Chess Championship 2007. It roughly fills the place of the old Interzonal
tournaments, with the top 10 placegetters qualifying for the 2007 Candidates Tournament
.
(who had defeated Garry Kasparov
in 2000) defeated the winner of the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005
, Veselin Topalov
.
World Chess Championship
The World Chess Championship is played to determine the World Champion in the board game chess. Men and women of any age are eligible to contest this title....
events. Previous events had had long qualifying cycles, spread over more than a year, culminating in a long match (best of 20 or 24 games) between the incumbent champion and a challenger. From 1998 to 2004, however, FIDE organised its World Championship as a single event over about a month, with a large number of players playing short knockout matches, rather in the style of a tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
tournament such as Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
.
Background
From 1948 to 1993, the world chess championship had been administered by FIDE, the international chess federation. In 1993, World Chess Champion Garry KasparovGarry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
split from FIDE and formed a rival organisation, the Professional Chess Association
Professional Chess Association
The Professional Chess Association , which existed between 1993 and 1996, was a rival organisation to FIDE, the international chess organization...
. FIDE stripped Kasparov of his title, meaning there were now two rival championships: the FIDE title, held by Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Karpov
Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov is a Russian chess grandmaster and former World Champion. He was the official world champion from 1975 to 1985 when he was defeated by Garry Kasparov. He played three matches against Kasparov for the title from 1986 to 1990, before becoming FIDE World Champion once...
, and the PCA title, held by Kasparov. Karpov and Kasparov had successfully defended their titles at the FIDE World Chess Championship 1996
FIDE World Chess Championship 1996
The FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 was a chess tournament held by FIDE to determine the World Chess Champion.-Background:At the time the World Chess Champion title was split....
and PCA World Chess Championship 1995 respectively.
From 1948 until 1996, World Chess Championships had followed a similar pattern: a series of qualifying tournaments and matches were held over more than a year, culminating in the Candidates Tournament
Candidates Tournament
The Candidates Tournament is a chess tournament organized by the world chess federation FIDE since 1950, as the final contest to determine the challenger for the World Chess Championship...
. The winner of the Candidates tournament was the official challenger for the world title, and would play the incumbent champion in a match for world championship. (The 1996 cycle was an exception. The incumbent world champion participated in the Candidates tournament as a seeded semi-finalist.)
In 1997, FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov is a Kalmyk multi-millionaire businessman and politician. He was the President of the Republic of Kalmykia in the Russian Federation from 1993 to 2010, and he has been the President of FIDE , the world's pre-eminent international chess organization, since 1995...
proposed a completely new structure: a knockout tournament, consisting of 2 game matches (slightly longer in the final rounds), with match tie-breakers using rapid chess and blitz chess
Blitz chess
Fast chess, also known as blitz chess, lightning chess, sudden death, speed chess, bullet chess and rapid chess, is a type of chess game in which each side is given less time to make their moves than under the normal tournament time controls of 60 to 180 minutes per player.-Overview:The different...
if necessary. This format had been done before in tournaments, but never at the world championship level.
Controversies
The advantages of the new format were:- It avoided a long cycle, and was all over in a month or so. This is could all be done in the one venue, it would not have the scheduling problems which had beset some previous world championship cycles. Each round could be played in 3 days (one day for each normal time control game, and one for the tie breaks).
- More players (up to 128) could be included.
- There were no special privileges for the incumbent champion or seeded players (although some were preserved in the earlier championships, these were completely eliminated later on).
Opponents pointed out disadvantages of the format:
- Short matches (only two games in the earlier rounds) left too much to chance - the stronger player could blunder a game, and it would be difficult to recover from a bad start. (Many world championship and Candidates matches had been won by the player who recovered from an early loss).
- The rapid playoffs were also seen to be left too much to chance: strength in rapid chess is not the same as strength in chess with normal time controls.
- These first two considerations, taken together, meant there was a very high chance that the best player would not win, or even that a complete outsider might win, opponents argued.
- Some people felt that the tradition of the champion being seeded into the final should be preserved, so that a new champion can only be champion by defeating the old champion.
Prominent non-participants
- Kasparov, holder of the rival PCA/Classical World title until 2000, did not recognise the FIDE title, and did not play in any of five events.
- Likewise Vladimir KramnikVladimir KramnikVladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
, after winning Kasparov's title in 2000, did not play in the FIDE events after 2000. - In the 1997-98, Kramnik declined for a different reason, in protest against Karpov being seeded into the final.
- In 1999 Karpov declined to play, because the FIDE champion had always been seeded into the final or semi-final, but he was required to enter at the second round. Karpov didn't play in subsequent events either, but by then he was semi-retired from top level chess.
- In 1999, Anand did not play because he was expecting to play a match against Kasparov for the Classical World Chess Championship 2000Classical World Chess Championship 2000The Classical World Chess Championship 2000, known at the time as the Braingames World Chess Championships, was held from October 8, 2000 – November 4, 2000 in London, United Kingdom. Garry Kasparov, the defending champion, played Vladimir Kramnik...
- a match which did not eventuate. - A number of players refused to play in 2004. See FIDE World Chess Championship 2004FIDE World Chess Championship 2004The FIDE World Chess Championship, 2004 was held at the Almahary Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, from June 18 to July 13.It was won by Rustam Kasimdzhanov, who beat Michael Adams in the final by a score of 4½-3½...
Time control controversy
For the 2002 and 2004 events, FIDE used a faster time control, which was criticised by Kasparov for lowering the standard of the games.Location of 2004 event
The 2004 event had extra controversy due to it being played in LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
. See FIDE World Chess Championship 2004
FIDE World Chess Championship 2004
The FIDE World Chess Championship, 2004 was held at the Almahary Hotel in Tripoli, Libya, from June 18 to July 13.It was won by Rustam Kasimdzhanov, who beat Michael Adams in the final by a score of 4½-3½...
.
FIDE World Chess Championship 1997-1998
The first knockout tournament was held at the end of 1997. In addition to the new format, it was proposed by Ilyumzhinov as a way to unify the two rival world titles. To do this, FIDE champion Karpov and PCA champion Kasparov were each to be seeded into the semi-finals.Kasparov did not want to defend his title under these circumstances, and declined his inviatation.
The format was then modified to have FIDE champion Karpov seeded directly into the final.
All of the tournament except the final was held in Groningen in December 1997. There were seven rounds. There were a few less than 128 players, with some players seeded into the second round. The first six rounds consisted of two normal time control games, plus tie breaks. The seventh round (the semi-final) consisted of four normal time control games, plus tie breaks.
The semi-final was between Viswanathan Anand
Viswanathan Anand
V. Anand or Anand Viswanathan, usually referred as Viswanathan Anand, is an Indian chess Grandmaster, the current World Chess Champion, and currently second highest rated player in the world....
and Michael Adams, and was won by Anand.
Anand then played Karpov in the final in January 1998. The final was best of 6 normal time control games, and this was drawn 3-3. Karpov then won the rapid playoff, becoming the 1998 FIDE World Chess Champion.
There were criticisms that Anand never really had a chance, because Karpov was much fresher than Anand, who only recently completed the gruelling first leg of the tournament.
FIDE World Chess Championship 1999
The 1999 tournament was held in Las VegasLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, in July and August 1999. Karpov was not seeded into the final, and refused to participate.
Kasparov again refused to take part, and famously said that most of the participants were "tourists".
The event was won by Alexander Khalifman
Alexander Khalifman
Alexander Valeryevich Khalifman is a Soviet and Russian chess Grandmaster of Jewish descent; he is also a former FIDE champion.When Khalifman was 6 years old, he was taught chess by his father....
.
Khalifman was rated 44th in the world at the time, which some compared unfavourably to PCA champion Kasparov being rated #1. Khalifman said after the tournament, "Rating system works perfectly for players who play only in round robin closed events. I think most of them are overrated. Organizers invite same people over and over because they have the same rating and their rating stays high." Perhaps in response, Khalifman was invited to the next Linares chess tournament
Linares chess tournament
The Linares International Chess Tournament , is an annual chess tournament, usually played around the end of February, takes its name from the city of Linares in the Jaén province of Andalusia, Spain, in which it is held...
, and performed creditably (though placing below joint winner Kasparov).
FIDE World Chess Championship 2000
This event was played in November–December 2000. Vladimir KramnikVladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
had recently defeated Kasparov for Kasparov's world title (see Classical World Chess Championship 2000
Classical World Chess Championship 2000
The Classical World Chess Championship 2000, known at the time as the Braingames World Chess Championships, was held from October 8, 2000 – November 4, 2000 in London, United Kingdom. Garry Kasparov, the defending champion, played Vladimir Kramnik...
), and neither of these players (the top two in the FIDE rating list) took part.
The event was won in convincing fashion by Anand, who only had to rely on a rapid playoff once. This was the first time the top rated player had won the event (in 1997-98 Anand was top rated, followed by Karpov).
FIDE World Chess Championship 2002
This event was won by Ruslan PonomariovRuslan Ponomariov
Ruslan Olegovich Ponomariov is a Ukrainian chess player and former FIDE World Champion.-Early career:Ponomariov was born in Horlivka in Ukraine. In 1994 he placed third in the World Under-12 Championship at the age of ten. In 1996 he won the European Under-18 Championship at the age of just...
.
FIDE Changes its format
FIDE abandoned the knockout format in 2005, instead running the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005FIDE World Chess Championship 2005
The FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 took place in Potrero de los Funes, San Luis Province in Argentina from September 27 to October 16, 2005. It was won by Veselin Topalov.-Background:...
as an 8 player, double round robin tournament.
However FIDE still held a 2005 knockout tournament
Chess World Cup 2005
The Chess World Cup 2005 served as a qualification tournament for the FIDE World Chess Championship 2007. It was held as a 128-player tournament, between 27 November and 17 December 2005, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia....
called the "FIDE World Cup", as the first stage of qualification for the FIDE World Chess Championship 2007. It roughly fills the place of the old Interzonal
Interzonal
Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, and were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle.- Zonal tournaments :...
tournaments, with the top 10 placegetters qualifying for the 2007 Candidates Tournament
Candidates Tournament
The Candidates Tournament is a chess tournament organized by the world chess federation FIDE since 1950, as the final contest to determine the challenger for the World Chess Championship...
.
Aftermath
The world championship was eventually reunified in 2006, when classical champion Vladimir KramnikVladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
(who had defeated Garry Kasparov
Garry Kasparov
Garry Kimovich Kasparov is a Russian chess grandmaster, a former World Chess Champion, writer, political activist, and one of the greatest chess players of all time....
in 2000) defeated the winner of the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005
FIDE World Chess Championship 2005
The FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 took place in Potrero de los Funes, San Luis Province in Argentina from September 27 to October 16, 2005. It was won by Veselin Topalov.-Background:...
, Veselin Topalov
Veselin Topalov
Veselin Aleksandrov Topalov is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. He currently has the sixth highest rating in the world, and was the challenger facing world champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2010, losing the match 6½–5½....
.