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.

Background

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

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 ; followed by two blitz games if required ; followed by a single Armageddon chess game if required. The semifinals 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, this tournament was criticised by Garry Kasparov for using a faster time control, which Kasparov claimed was lowering the standard of the games.

Participants

All players are Grandmasters unless indicated otherwise.
  1. , 2797
  2. , 2744
  3. , 2739
  4. , 2731
  5. , 2730
  6. , 2719
  7. , 2714
  8. , 2711
  9. , 2706
  10. , 2704
  11. , 2702
  12. , 2699
  13. , 2695
  14. , 2695
  15. , 2695
  16. , 2692
  17. , 2690
  18. , 2686
  19. , 2684
  20. , 2677
  21. , 2675
  22. , 2675
  23. , 2674
  24. , 2669
  25. , 2667
  26. , 2659
  27. , 2655
  28. , 2652
  29. , 2651
  30. , 2650
  31. , 2646
  32. , 2642
  33. , 2639
  34. , 2638
  35. , 2633
  36. , 2630
  37. , 2630
  38. , 2630
  39. , 2629
  40. , 2628
  41. , 2627
  42. , 2627
  43. , 2627
  44. , 2625
  45. , 2624
  46. , 2618
  47. , 2614
  48. , 2614
  49. , 2613
  50. , 2610
  51. , 2609
  52. , 2608
  53. , 2605
  54. , 2604
  55. , 2604
  56. , 2602
  57. , 2602
  58. , 2600
  59. , 2599
  60. , 2599
  61. , 2598
  62. , 2598
  63. , 2595
  64. , 2594
  65. , 2593
  66. , 2591
  67. , 2589
  68. , 2588
  69. , 2588
  70. , 2587
  71. , 2585
  72. , 2581
  73. , 2580
  74. , 2579
  75. , 2578
  76. , 2574
  77. , 2573
  78. , 2573
  79. , 2573
  80. , 2573
  81. , 2572
  82. , 2571
  83. , 2570
  84. , 2566
  85. , 2564
  86. , 2558
  87. , 2557
  88. , 2556, IM
  89. , 2555
  90. , 2554
  91. , 2551, IM
  92. , 2550
  93. , 2549
  94. , 2548
  95. , 2537
  96. , 2533
  97. , 2533
  98. , 2532
  99. , 2531, IM
  100. , 2530
  101. , 2529
  102. , 2527
  103. , 2522
  104. , 2517, IM
  105. , 2509
  106. , 2508
  107. , 2506
  108. , 2499
  109. , 2495
  110. , 2494, IM
  111. , 2492
  112. , 2487, IM
  113. , 2487
  114. , 2481
  115. , 2477, IM
  116. , 2471, IM
  117. , 2464, IM
  118. , 2462, IM
  119. , 2461, IM
  120. , 2442, IM
  121. , 2425, IM
  122. , 2415, IM
  123. , 2400, IM
  124. , 2373, IM
  125. , 2348, IM
  126. , unrated, no title
  127. , 2357, FM
  128. , 2382, IM

    Qualification

Players qualified for the championship according to the following criteria:
  1. four semi-finalists of the previous championship ;
  2. the World Junior Champion 2000 ;
  3. 20 best rated players ;
  4. 90 qualifiers from the continental championships;
  5. eight qualifiers from the Internet championship;
  6. five nominees of the FIDE President.

    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