FIDE World Chess Championship 2002

The FIDE World Chess Championship 2002 was held in Moscow, Russia. The first six rounds were played between 27 November and 14 December 2001, and the final match started on 16 January and ended on 23 January 2002. The Ukrainian Grandmaster Ruslan Ponomariov, aged 18, won the championship and became the youngest FIDE World Champion.

World Chess Championship 2002
Tournament information
SportChess
LocationMoscow
Dates27 November 2001–23 January 2002
AdministratorFIDE
Tournament
format(s)
Single-elimination tournament
Host(s)Russian Chess Federation
Participants128
Final positions
ChampionUkraine Ruslan Ponomariov
Runner-upUkraine Vasyl Ivanchuk
Tournament statistics
Matches played127

Background edit

At the time of this championship, the World title was split. The Classical World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik, did not participate, as well as the previous Classical Champion and world's highest-rated player, Garry Kasparov. However, all other strongest players of the world took part, including the top seed and winner of the previous FIDE World Championship Viswanathan Anand.

Playing conditions edit

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. The field of 128 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 75 minutes for the first 40 moves and 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with 30 seconds added after each move. Tie breaks consisted of two rapid chess games (20 minutes each + 10 seconds per move); followed by two blitz games if required (5 minutes + 10 seconds per move); followed by a single Armageddon chess game if required (white has 6 minutes and must win, black has 5 minutes and only needs to draw). The semifinals (round 6) were best of four games, and the final was best of eight games, with the same conditions for the tie-breaks.

In addition to previous criticisms of the knockout format (see FIDE World Chess Championship 1998#Controversies), this tournament was criticised by Garry Kasparov for using a faster time control, which Kasparov claimed was lowering the standard of the games.[1]

Participants edit

All players are Grandmasters unless indicated otherwise.

  1.   Viswanathan Anand (IND), 2797
  2.   Michael Adams (ENG), 2744
  3.   Alexander Morozevich (RUS), 2739
  4.   Vasyl Ivanchuk (UKR), 2731
  5.   Peter Leko (HUN), 2730
  6.   Evgeny Bareev (RUS), 2719
  7.   Boris Gelfand (ISR), 2714
  8.   Veselin Topalov (BUL), 2711
  9.   Alexei Shirov (ESP), 2706
  10.   Rustam Kasimdzhanov (UZB), 2704
  11.   Ilya Smirin (ISR), 2702
  12.   Alexander Khalifman (RUS), 2699
  13.   Loek van Wely (NED), 2695
  14.   Kiril Georgiev (BUL), 2695
  15.   Peter Svidler (RUS), 2695
  16.   Anatoly Karpov (RUS), 2692
  17.   Alexey Dreev (RUS), 2690
  18.   Judit Polgár (HUN), 2686
  19.   Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR), 2684
  20.   Ye Jiangchuan (CHN), 2677
  21.   Joël Lautier (FRA), 2675
  22.   Nigel Short (ENG), 2675
  23.   Zurab Azmaiparashvili (GEO), 2674
  24.   Alexander Grischuk (RUS), 2669
  25.   Zhang Zhong (CHN), 2667
  26.   Alexander Beliavsky (SLO), 2659
  27.   Viktor Bologan (MDA), 2655
  28.   Predrag Nikolić (BIH), 2652
  29.   Emil Sutovsky (ISR), 2651
  30.   Rafael Vaganian (ARM), 2650
  31.   Xu Jun (CHN), 2646
  32.   Vladislav Tkachiev (FRA), 2642
  33.   Sergei Rublevsky (RUS), 2639
  34.   Vadim Zvjaginsev (RUS), 2638
  35.   Mikhail Gurevich (BEL), 2633
  36.   Francisco Vallejo Pons (ESP), 2630
  37.   Rustem Dautov (GER), 2630
  38.   Konstantin Sakaev (RUS), 2630
  39.   Aleksander Delchev (BUL), 2629
  40.   Alexander Lastin (RUS), 2628
  41.   Alexander Motylev (RUS), 2627
  42.   Sergei Movsesian (CZE), 2627
  43.   Jaan Ehlvest (EST), 2627
  44.   Sergei Shipov (RUS), 2625
  45.   Viktor Korchnoi (SUI), 2624
  46.   Sergei Tiviakov (NED), 2618
  47.   Vadim Milov (SUI), 2614
  48.   Gilberto Milos (BRA), 2614
  49.   Evgeny Pigusov (RUS), 2613
  50.   Alexander Graf (GER), 2610
  51.   Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu (ROM), 2609
  52.   Smbat Lputian (ARM), 2608
  53.   Gregory Kaidanov (USA), 2605
  54.   Thomas Luther (GER), 2604
  55.   Karen Asrian (ARM), 2604
  56.   Zoltan Gyimesi (HUN), 2602
  57.   Boris Gulko (USA), 2602
  58.   Pavel Kotsur (KAZ), 2600
  59.   Vladimir Baklan (UKR), 2599
  60.   Alexei Fedorov (BLR), 2599
  61.   Boris Avrukh (ISR), 2598
  62.   Vereslav Eingorn (UKR), 2598
  63.   Mikhail Kobalia (RUS), 2595
  64.   Alexander Goldin (USA), 2594
  65.   Peter Heine Nielsen (DEN), 2593
  66.   Konstantin Aseev (RUS), 2591
  67.   Krishnan Sasikiran (IND), 2589
  68.   Bartłomiej Macieja (POL), 2588
  69.   Ashot Anastasian (ARM), 2588
  70.   Joel Benjamin (USA), 2587
  71.   Leinier Domínguez (CUB), 2585
  72.   Giovanni Vescovi (BRA), 2581
  73.   Stuart Conquest (ENG), 2580
  74.   Igor Khenkin (GER), 2579
  75.   Sergey Volkov (RUS), 2578
  76.   Alexander Shabalov (USA), 2574
  77.   Michał Krasenkow (POL), 2573
  78.   Lázaro Bruzón (CUB), 2573
  79.   Šarūnas Šulskis (LTU), 2573
  80.   Alexander Ivanov (USA), 2573
  81.   Đào Thiên Hải (VIE), 2572
  82.   Alex Yermolinsky (USA), 2571
  83.   Larry Christiansen (USA), 2570
  84.   Lev Psakhis (ISR), 2566
  85.   Alexandre Lesiège (CAN), 2564
  86.   Teimour Radjabov (AZE), 2558
  87.   Vadim Malakhatko (UKR), 2557
  88.   Liang Chong (CHN), 2556, IM
  89.   Ognjen Cvitan (CRO), 2555
  90.   Georgy Timoshenko (UKR), 2554
  91.   Andrei Volokitin (UKR), 2551, IM
  92.   Dmitry Gurevich (USA), 2550
  93.   Stanislav Savchenko (UKR), 2549
  94.   Dorian Rogozenko (ROM), 2548
  95.   Jacek Gdański (POL), 2537
  96.   Nguyễn Anh Dũng (VIE), 2533
  97.   Hichem Hamdouchi (MAR), 2533
  98.   Suat Atalık (BIH), 2532
  99.   Slim Belkhodja (TUN), 2531, IM
  100.   Alonso Zapata (COL), 2530
  101.   Shukhrat Safin (UZB), 2529
  102.   Igor Nataf (FRA), 2527
  103.   Pendyala Harikrishna (IND), 2522
  104.   Yu Shaoteng (CHN), 2517, IM
  105.   Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami (IRI), 2509
  106.   Saidali Iuldachev (UZB), 2508
  107.   Daniel Cámpora (ARG), 2506
  108.   Dibyendu Barua (IND), 2499
  109.   Alexei Barsov (UZB), 2495
  110.   Li Wenliang (CHN), 2494, IM
  111.   Mohamad Al-Modiahki (QAT), 2492
  112.   Khvicha Supatashvili (GEO), 2487, IM
  113.   Zhang Pengxiang (CHN), 2487
  114.   Alejandro Hoffman (ARG), 2481
  115.   Fouad El Taher (EGY), 2477, IM
  116.   Rubén Felgaer (ARG), 2471, IM
  117.   Surya Shekhar Ganguly (IND), 2464, IM
  118.   Amon Simutowe (ZAM), 2462, IM
  119.   Nikolai Vlassov (RUS), 2461, IM
  120.   Aimen Rizouk (ALG), 2442, IM
  121.   Facundo Pierrot (ARG), 2425, IM
  122.   Alexis Cabrera (CUB), 2415, IM
  123.   Mikhail Gluzman (AUS), 2400, IM
  124.   Watu Kobese (RSA), 2373, IM
  125.   Baatr Shovunov (RUS), 2348, IM
  126.   Nugzar Zeliakov (RUS), unrated, no title
  127.   Gaetan Sarthou (FRA), 2357, FM
  128.   Olivier Touzane (FRA), 2382, IM

Qualification edit

Players qualified for the championship according to the following criteria:

  1. four semi-finalists of the previous championship (Viswanathan Anand, Alexei Shirov, Michael Adams, Alexander Grischuk);
  2. the World Junior Champion 2000 (Lázaro Bruzón);
  3. 20 best rated players (the average of July 2000 and January 2001 rating lists was used);
  4. 90 qualifiers from the continental championships;
  5. eight qualifiers from the Internet championship;
  6. five nominees of the FIDE President.

Schedule edit

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 2001, 28 November 2001 (tiebreaks on 28 November 2001)
  • Round 2: 29 November 2001, 30 November 2001 (tiebreaks on 30 November 2001)
  • Round 3: 1 December 2001, 2 December 2001 (tiebreaks on 2 December 2001)
  • Round 4: 3 December 2001, 5 December 2001 (tiebreaks on 5 December 2001)
  • Round 5: 6 December 2001, 7 December 2001 (tiebreaks on 7 December 2001)
  • Round 6: 8 December 2001, 10 December 2001, 11 December 2001, 13 December 2001 (tiebreaks on 14 December 2001)
  • Round 7: 16 January 2002 – 24 January 2002, with a rest day on 20 January 2002 (tiebreaks on 25 January 2002)

Results, rounds 1-4 edit

Section 1 edit

First round Quarter-finals Third round Fourth round
            
1   Viswanathan Anand
128   Olivier Touzane
1   Viswanathan Anand
65   Peter Heine Nielsen ½
64   Alexander Goldin ½
65   Peter Heine Nielsen
1   Viswanathan Anand
32   Vladislav Tkachiev
32   Vladislav Tkachiev 3
97   Hichem Hamdouchi 1
32   Vladislav Tkachiev
96   Nguyễn Anh Dũng ½
33   Sergei Rublevsky 1
96   Nguyễn Anh Dũng 3
1   Viswanathan Anand
17   Alexey Dreev ½
16   Anatoly Karpov 1
113   Zhang Pengxiang 3
113   Zhang Pengxiang 0
49   Evgeny Pigusov 2
49   Evgeny Pigusov
80   Alexander Ivanov ½
49   Evgeny Pigusov ½
17   Alexey Dreev
17   Alexey Dreev
112   Khvicha Supatashvili ½
17   Alexey Dreev
48   Gilberto Milos ½
48   Gilberto Milos
81   Đào Thiên Hải ½

Section 2 edit

First round Quarter-finals Third round Fourth round
            
8   Veselin Topalov 2
121   Facundo Pierrot 0
8   Veselin Topalov
72   Giovanni Vescovi ½
57   Boris Gulko ½
72   Giovanni Vescovi
8   Veselin Topalov
25   Zhong Zhang ½
25   Zhang Zhong 3
104   Yu Shaoteng 1
25   Zhong Zhang
40   Alexander Lastin ½
40   Alexander Lastin
89   Ognjen Cvitan ½
8   Veselin Topalov 3
9   Alexei Shirov 4
9   Alexei Shirov 2
120   Aimen Rizouk 0
9   Alexei Shirov
56   Zoltan Gyimesi ½
56   Zoltan Gyimesi 4
73   Stuart Conquest 3
9   Alexei Shirov
41   Alexander Motylev
24   Alexander Grischuk
105   Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami ½
24   Alexander Grischuk ½
41   Alexander Motylev
41   Alexander Motylev
88   Liang Chong ½

Section 3 edit

First round Quarter-finals Third round Fourth round
            
4   Vasyl Ivanchuk
125   Baatr Shovunov ½
4   Vasyl Ivanchuk 3
68   Bartłomiej Macieja 1
61   Boris Avrukh 0
68   Bartłomiej Macieja 2
4   Vasyl Ivanchuk
29   Emil Sutovsky ½
29   Emil Sutovsky 4
100   Alonso Zapata 3
29   Emil Sutovsky 2
36   Francisco Vallejo Pons 0
36   Francisco Vallejo Pons
93   Stanislav Savchenko
4   Vasyl Ivanchuk
20   Ye Jiangchuan ½
13   Loek van Wely
116   Rubén Felgaer ½
13   Loek van Wely 2
52   Smbat Lputian 0
52   Smbat Lputian 2
77   Michał Krasenkow 0
13   Loek van Wely ½
20   Ye Jiangchuan
20   Ye Jiangchuan 3
109   Alexei Barsov 1
20   Ye Jiangchuan
84   Lev Psakhis
45   Viktor Korchnoi
84   Lev Psakhis

Section 4 edit

First round Quarter-finals Third round Fourth round
            
5   Peter Leko 3
124   Watu Kobese 1
5   Peter Leko
69   Ashot Anastasian
60   Alexei Fedorov ½
69   Ashot Anastasian
69   Ashot Anastasian ½
28   Predrag Nikolić
28   Predrag Nikolić
101   Shukhrat Safin ½
28   Predrag Nikolić
37   Rustem Dautov
37   Rustem Dautov
92   Dmitry Gurevich ½
28   Predrag Nikolić 1
21   Joël Lautier 3
12   Alexander Khalifman 3
117   Surya Shekhar Ganguly 1
12   Alexander Khalifman 3
76   Alexander Shabalov 1
53   Gregory Kaidanov ½
76   Alexander Shabalov
12   Alexander Khalifman 1
21   Joël Lautier 3
21   Joël Lautier 2
108   Dibyendu Barua 0
21   Joël Lautier
44   Sergei Shipov
44   Sergei Shipov
85   Alexandre Lesiège ½

Section 5 edit

First round Quarter-finals Third round Fourth round
            
2   Michael Adams 2
127   Gaetan Sarthou 0
2   Michael Adams
63   Mikhail Kobalia ½
63   Mikhail Kobalia 3
66   Konstantin Aseev 1
2   Michael Adams 3
34   Vadim Zvjaginsev 1
31   Xu Jun
98   Suat Atalık ½
31   Xu Jun ½
34   Vadim Zvjaginsev
34   Vadim Zvjaginsev
95   Jacek Gdański ½
2   Michael Adams
15   Peter Svidler
15   Peter Svidler
114   Alejandro Hoffman ½
15   Peter Svidler
79   Šarūnas Šulskis
50   Alexander Graf 1
79   Šarūnas Šulskis 3
15   Peter Svidler 2
47   Vadim Milov 0
18   Judit Polgár 2
111   Mohamad Al-Modiahki 0
18   Judit Polgár
47   Vadim Milov
47   Vadim Milov
82   Alex Yermolinsky

Section 6 edit

First round Quarter-finals Third round Fourth round
            
7   Boris Gelfand
122   Alexis Cabrera ½
7   Boris Gelfand
71   Leinier Domínguez ½
58   Pavel Kotsur
71   Leinier Domínguez
7   Boris Gelfand 2
39   Aleksander Delchev 0
26   Alexander Beliavsky
103   Pendyala Harikrishna ½
26   Alexander Beliavsky
39   Aleksander Delchev
39   Aleksander Delchev
90   Georgy Timoshenko ½
7   Boris Gelfand
23   Zurab Azmaiparashvili
10   Rustam Kasimdzhanov
119   Nikolai Vlassov ½
10   Rustam Kasimdzhanov
74   Igor Khenkin
55   Karen Asrian
74   Igor Khenkin
10   Rustam Kasimdzhanov
23   Zurab Azmaiparashvili
23   Zurab Azmaiparashvili
106   Saidali Iuldachev ½
23   Zurab Azmaiparashvili
42   Sergei Movsesian
42   Sergei Movsesian
87   Vadim Malakhatko

Section 7 edit

First round Quarter-finals Third round Fourth round
            
3   Alexander Morozevich
126   Nugzar Zeliakov ½
3   Alexander Morozevich
67   Krishnan Sasikiran ½
62   Vereslav Eingorn
67   Krishnan Sasikiran
3   Alexander Morozevich
35   Mikhail Gurevich ½
30   Rafael Vaganian
99   Slim Belkhodja ½
30   Rafael Vaganian
35   Mikhail Gurevich
35   Mikhail Gurevich
94   Dorian Rogozenko ½
3   Alexander Morozevich
19   Ruslan Ponomariov
14   Kiril Georgiev 3
115   Fouad El Taher 1
14   Kiril Georgiev 3
78   Lázaro Bruzón 1
51   Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu 3
78   Lázaro Bruzón 4
14   Kiril Georgiev 0
19   Ruslan Ponomariov 2
19   Ruslan Ponomariov
110   Li Wenliang ½
19   Ruslan Ponomariov 3
46   Sergei Tiviakov 1
46   Sergei Tiviakov 3
83   Larry Christiansen 1

Section 8 edit

First round Quarter-finals Third round Fourth round
            
6   Evgeny Bareev 2
123   Mikhail Gluzman 0
6   Evgeny Bareev
59   Vladimir Baklan ½
59   Vladimir Baklan
70   Joel Benjamin
6   Evgeny Bareev 3
38   Konstantin Sakaev 1
27   Viktor Bologan ½
102   Igor Nataf
102   Igor Nataf ½
38   Konstantin Sakaev
38   Konstantin Sakaev
91   Andrei Volokitin
6   Evgeny Bareev 2
43   Jaan Ehlvest 0
11   Ilya Smirin 2
118   Amon Simutowe 0
11   Ilya Smirin
54   Thomas Luther ½
54   Thomas Luther 3
75   Sergey Volkov 1
11   Ilya Smirin 3
43   Jaan Ehlvest 4
22   Nigel Short ½
107   Daniel Cámpora
107   Daniel Cámpora ½
43   Jaan Ehlvest
43   Jaan Ehlvest
86   Teimour Radjabov

Results, rounds 5-7 edit

Quarterfinals Semifinals (best of 4) Final (best of 8)
         
1   Viswanathan Anand
9   Alexei Shirov ½
1   Viswanathan Anand
4   Vasyl Ivanchuk
4   Vasyl Ivanchuk
21   Joël Lautier
4   Vasyl Ivanchuk
19   Ruslan Ponomariov
15   Peter Svidler
7   Boris Gelfand
15   Peter Svidler
19   Ruslan Ponomariov
19   Ruslan Ponomariov 3
6   Evgeny Bareev 1

Championship final edit

World Chess Championship Final 2002
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Points
  Ruslan Ponomariov (Ukraine) 2684 1 ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ ½
  Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine) 2731 0 ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ ½

References edit

External links edit