FIDE World Chess Championship 2000


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. 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.

Participants

All players are Grandmasters unless indicated otherwise.
  1. , 2762
  2. , 2756
  3. , 2755
  4. , 2746
  5. , 2743
  6. , 2719
  7. , 2707
  8. , 2702
  9. , 2702
  10. , 2690
  11. , 2689
  12. , 2681
  13. , 2677
  14. , 2677
  15. , 2676
  16. , 2673
  17. , 2670
  18. , 2668
  19. , 2668
  20. , 2667
  21. , 2667
  22. , 2666
  23. , 2661
  24. , 2660
  25. , 2659
  26. , 2657
  27. , 2657
  28. , 2649
  29. , 2648
  30. , 2646
  31. , 2643
  32. , 2643
  33. , 2641
  34. , 2633
  35. , 2630
  36. , 2627
  37. , 2627
  38. , 2627
  39. , 2627
  40. , 2623
  41. , 2623
  42. , 2620
  43. , 2613
  44. , 2611
  45. , 2609
  46. , 2606
  47. , 2605
  48. , 2599
  49. , 2598
  50. , 2598
  51. , 2596
  52. , 2595
  53. , 2595
  54. , 2594
  55. , 2592
  56. , 2591
  57. , 2587
  58. , 2584
  59. , 2583
  60. , 2582
  61. , 2577
  62. , 2574
  63. , 2573
  64. , 2572
  65. , 2572
  66. , 2567
  67. , 2567
  68. , 2566
  69. , 2557
  70. , 2557
  71. , 2556
  72. , 2555
  73. , 2554
  74. , 2554
  75. , 2552
  76. , 2545
  77. , 2541
  78. , 2536
  79. , 2534
  80. , 2529
  81. , 2527
  82. , 2526
  83. , 2525
  84. , 2522
  85. , 2513, IM
  86. , 2510, IM
  87. , 2502
  88. , 2499
  89. , 2495
  90. , 2488, no title
  91. , 2485
  92. , 2485, IM
  93. , 2461, IM
  94. , 2454, IM
  95. , 2429, IM
  96. , 2426, IM
  97. , 2418, IM
  98. , 2409, IM
  99. , 2322, IM
  100. , 2257, no title

    Qualification

Players qualified for the championship according to the following criteria:
  1. four semi-finalists of the previous championship ;
  2. juniors rated 2600 or higher in the rating lists of January 2000 to July 2000;
  3. the World Junior Champions 1999 and 2000 ;
  4. the Women's World Champion 1999 ;
  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 ;
  9. a sufficient number of best rated players, to bring the total number of participants to 100 ;

    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 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 ; followed by two games with shorter time controls if required ; followed by a series of blitz games. The semifinals 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.

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section 5

Section 6

Section 7

Section 8

Results, rounds 5–7

Championship final

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.
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 and followed with 20... Qxc3?, leaving his h-file bishop hanging. Anand was able to translate the resulting advantage into a winning position.