FIDE World Chess Championship 2002

World Chess Championship 2002

Ruslan Ponomariov
Tournament information
Sport	Chess
Location	Moscow
Dates	27 November 2001–23 January 2002
Administrator	FIDE
Tournament format(s)	Single-elimination tournament
Host(s)	Russian Chess Federation
Participants	128
Final positions
Champion	Ruslan Ponomariov
Runner-up	Vasyl Ivanchuk
Tournament statistics
Matches played	127

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.

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.

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]

All players are Grandmasters unless indicated otherwise.

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.

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)

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	1	Viswanathan Anand	2½
	128	Olivier Touzane	1½
						1	Viswanathan Anand	1½
						65	Peter Heine Nielsen	½
	64	Alexander Goldin	½
	65	Peter Heine Nielsen	1½
											1	Viswanathan Anand	2½
											32	Vladislav Tkachiev	1½
	32	Vladislav Tkachiev	3
	97	Hichem Hamdouchi	1
						32	Vladislav Tkachiev	1½
						96	Nguyễn Anh Dũng	½
	33	Sergei Rublevsky	1
	96	Nguyễn Anh Dũng	3
																1	Viswanathan Anand	1½
																17	Alexey Dreev	½
	16	Anatoly Karpov	1
	113	Zhang Pengxiang	3
						113	Zhang Pengxiang	0
						49	Evgeny Pigusov	2
	49	Evgeny Pigusov	1½
	80	Alexander Ivanov	½
											49	Evgeny Pigusov	½
											17	Alexey Dreev	1½
	17	Alexey Dreev	1½
	112	Khvicha Supatashvili	½
						17	Alexey Dreev	1½
						48	Gilberto Milos	½
	48	Gilberto Milos	1½
	81	Đào Thiên Hải	½

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	8	Veselin Topalov	2
	121	Facundo Pierrot	0
						8	Veselin Topalov	1½
						72	Giovanni Vescovi	½
	57	Boris Gulko	½
	72	Giovanni Vescovi	1½
											8	Veselin Topalov	1½
											25	Zhong Zhang	½
	25	Zhang Zhong	3
	104	Yu Shaoteng	1
						25	Zhong Zhang	1½
						40	Alexander Lastin	½
	40	Alexander Lastin	1½
	89	Ognjen Cvitan	½
																8	Veselin Topalov	3
																9	Alexei Shirov	4
	9	Alexei Shirov	2
	120	Aimen Rizouk	0
						9	Alexei Shirov	1½
						56	Zoltan Gyimesi	½
	56	Zoltan Gyimesi	4
	73	Stuart Conquest	3
											9	Alexei Shirov	3½
											41	Alexander Motylev	2½
	24	Alexander Grischuk	1½
	105	Ehsan Ghaem-Maghami	½
						24	Alexander Grischuk	½
						41	Alexander Motylev	1½
	41	Alexander Motylev	1½
	88	Liang Chong	½

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	4	Vasyl Ivanchuk	1½
	125	Baatr Shovunov	½
						4	Vasyl Ivanchuk	3
						68	Bartłomiej Macieja	1
	61	Boris Avrukh	0
	68	Bartłomiej Macieja	2
											4	Vasyl Ivanchuk	1½
											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	2½
	93	Stanislav Savchenko	1½
																4	Vasyl Ivanchuk	1½
																20	Ye Jiangchuan	½
	13	Loek van Wely	1½
	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	1½
	20	Ye Jiangchuan	3
	109	Alexei Barsov	1
						20	Ye Jiangchuan	2½
						84	Lev Psakhis	1½
	45	Viktor Korchnoi	1½
	84	Lev Psakhis	2½

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	5	Peter Leko	3
	124	Watu Kobese	1
						5	Peter Leko	1½
						69	Ashot Anastasian	2½
	60	Alexei Fedorov	½
	69	Ashot Anastasian	1½
											69	Ashot Anastasian	½
											28	Predrag Nikolić	1½
	28	Predrag Nikolić	1½
	101	Shukhrat Safin	½
						28	Predrag Nikolić	2½
						37	Rustem Dautov	1½
	37	Rustem Dautov	1½
	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	1½
											12	Alexander Khalifman	1
											21	Joël Lautier	3
	21	Joël Lautier	2
	108	Dibyendu Barua	0
						21	Joël Lautier	2½
						44	Sergei Shipov	1½
	44	Sergei Shipov	1½
	85	Alexandre Lesiège	½

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	2	Michael Adams	2
	127	Gaetan Sarthou	0
						2	Michael Adams	1½
						63	Mikhail Kobalia	½
	63	Mikhail Kobalia	3
	66	Konstantin Aseev	1
											2	Michael Adams	3
											34	Vadim Zvjaginsev	1
	31	Xu Jun	1½
	98	Suat Atalık	½
						31	Xu Jun	½
						34	Vadim Zvjaginsev	1½
	34	Vadim Zvjaginsev	1½
	95	Jacek Gdański	½
																2	Michael Adams	2½
																15	Peter Svidler	3½
	15	Peter Svidler	1½
	114	Alejandro Hoffman	½
						15	Peter Svidler	2½
						79	Šarūnas Šulskis	1½
	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	1½
						47	Vadim Milov	2½
	47	Vadim Milov	3½
	82	Alex Yermolinsky	2½

First round

Second round

Third round

Fourth round

7

Boris Gelfand

1½

122

Alexis Cabrera

½

7

Boris Gelfand

1½

71

Leinier Domínguez

½

58

Pavel Kotsur

1½

71

Leinier Domínguez

2½

7

Boris Gelfand

2

39

Aleksander Delchev

0

26

Alexander Beliavsky

1½

103

Pendyala Harikrishna

½

26

Alexander Beliavsky

1½

39

Aleksander Delchev

2½

39

Aleksander Delchev

1½

90

Georgy Timoshenko

½

7

Boris Gelfand

3½

23

Zurab Azmaiparashvili

2½

10

Rustam Kasimdzhanov

1½

119

Nikolai Vlassov

½

10

Rustam Kasimdzhanov

2½

74

Igor Khenkin

1½

55

Karen Asrian

2½

74

Igor Khenkin

3½

10

Rustam Kasimdzhanov

1½

23

Zurab Azmaiparashvili

2½

23

Zurab Azmaiparashvili

1½

106

Saidali Iuldachev

½

23

Zurab Azmaiparashvili

2½

42

Sergei Movsesian

1½

42

Sergei Movsesian

2½

87

Vadim Malakhatko

1½

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	3	Alexander Morozevich	1½
	126	Nugzar Zeliakov	½
						3	Alexander Morozevich	1½
						67	Krishnan Sasikiran	½
	62	Vereslav Eingorn	1½
	67	Krishnan Sasikiran	2½
											3	Alexander Morozevich	1½
											35	Mikhail Gurevich	½
	30	Rafael Vaganian	1½
	99	Slim Belkhodja	½
						30	Rafael Vaganian	1½
						35	Mikhail Gurevich	2½
	35	Mikhail Gurevich	1½
	94	Dorian Rogozenko	½
																3	Alexander Morozevich	1½
																19	Ruslan Ponomariov	2½
	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	1½
	110	Li Wenliang	½
						19	Ruslan Ponomariov	3
						46	Sergei Tiviakov	1
	46	Sergei Tiviakov	3
	83	Larry Christiansen	1

	First round					Second round					Third round					Fourth round
	6	Evgeny Bareev	2
	123	Mikhail Gluzman	0
						6	Evgeny Bareev	1½
						59	Vladimir Baklan	½
	59	Vladimir Baklan	3½
	70	Joel Benjamin	2½
											6	Evgeny Bareev	3
											38	Konstantin Sakaev	1
	27	Viktor Bologan	½
	102	Igor Nataf	1½
						102	Igor Nataf	½
						38	Konstantin Sakaev	1½
	38	Konstantin Sakaev	3½
	91	Andrei Volokitin	2½
																6	Evgeny Bareev	2
																43	Jaan Ehlvest	0
	11	Ilya Smirin	2
	118	Amon Simutowe	0
						11	Ilya Smirin	1½
						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	1½
						107	Daniel Cámpora	½
						43	Jaan Ehlvest	1½
	43	Jaan Ehlvest	3½
	86	Teimour Radjabov	2½

Quarterfinals (best of 2)

Semifinals (best of 4)

Final (best of 8)

1

Viswanathan Anand

1

½

1½

9

Alexei Shirov

0

½

½

1

Viswanathan Anand

½

½

½

0

1½

4

Vasyl Ivanchuk

½

½

½

1

2½

4

Vasyl Ivanchuk

½

½

2½

3½

21

Joël Lautier

½

½

1½

2½

4

Vasyl Ivanchuk

0

½

½

½

0

½

½

2½

19

Ruslan Ponomariov

1

½

½

½

1

½

½

4½

15

Peter Svidler

½

½

2½

3½

7

Boris Gelfand

½

½

1½

2½

15

Peter Svidler

½

½

0

½

1½

19

Ruslan Ponomariov

½

½

1

½

2½

19

Ruslan Ponomariov

½

½

2

3

6

Evgeny Bareev

½

½

0

1

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	4½
Vasyl Ivanchuk (Ukraine)	2731	0	½	½	½	0	½	½	2½

• World Chess Championship, 2001-02 FIDE Knockout Matches