Events in chess during the year 2002:
- The Manhattan Chess Club closes. Founded in 1877, it was the second oldest chess club in the United States.
Top players edit
FIDE top 10 players by Elo rating - October 2002;[1]
- Garry Kasparov
Russia 2836 - Vladimir Kramnik Russia 2809
- Viswanathan Anand
India 2755 - Michael Adams
England 2745 - Veselin Topalov
Bulgaria 2743 - Peter Leko
Hungary 2743 - Ruslan Ponomariov
Ukraine 2743 - Evgeny Bareev Russia 2737
- Alexander Morozevich Russia 2742
- Vassily Ivanchuk Ukraine 2709
Tournaments edit
| Tournament | City | System | Dates | Players (2700+) | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corus Chess Tournament |  Wijk aan Zee |
Round robin | 11–27 Jan | 14 (5) |  Evgeny Bareev |
Alexander Grischuk
|
| Corus Chess Tournament Group B | Wijk aan Zee |
Round robin | 11–27 Jan | 14 (0) |  Michał Krasenkow |
Friso Nijboer  Ivan Sokolov
|
| FIDE World Cup | Moscow |
Knockout | 9 – 22 Oct | 24 (3) |  Viswanathan Anand |
 Rustam Kasimdzhanov
|
| FIDE World Chess Championship | Moscow |
Knockout | 27 Nov 2001 – 23 Jan |
128 (11) |  Ruslan Ponomariov |
Vasyl Ivanchuk
|
Deaths edit
- Ricardo Calvo, a Spanish chess International Master - September 26
- Eduard Gufeld, a Ukrainian International Grandmaster and chess author - September 23
- Edmar Mednis, an American International Grandmaster and chess writer - February 13