FIDE World Chess Championship 1998

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The FIDE World Chess Championship 1998 was contested in a match between the FIDE World Champion Anatoly Karpov and the challenger Viswanathan Anand. The match took place between 2 January and 9 January 1998 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The challenger was determined in a tournament held in Groningen, Netherlands, between 9 December and 30 December 1997. After the championship match ended in a draw, Karpov won the rapid playoff, becoming the 1998 FIDE World Chess Champion.

New World Championship format

Background

From 1948 to 1993, the world chess championship had been administered by FIDE, the international chess federation. In 1993, World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov split from FIDE and formed a rival organisation, the Professional Chess Association. FIDE stripped Kasparov of his title, meaning there were now two rival championships: the FIDE title, held by Anatoly Karpov, and the PCA title, held by Kasparov. Karpov and Kasparov had successfully defended their titles at the FIDE World Chess Championship 1996 and PCA World Chess Championship 1995 respectively.

From 1948 until 1996, World Chess Championships had followed a similar pattern: a series of qualifying tournaments and matches were held over more than a year, culminating in the Candidates Tournament. The winner of the Candidates tournament was the official challenger for the world title and would play the incumbent champion in a match for world championship. (The 1996 cycle was an exception. The incumbent world champion participated in the Candidates tournament as a seeded semi-finalist.)

In 1997, FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov proposed a completely new structure: a knockout tournament, consisting of two-game matches (slightly longer in the final rounds), with match tie-breakers using rapid chess and blitz chess if necessary. This format had been done before in tournaments such as Tilburg 1992-94, but never at the world championship level.

In addition to the new format, it was proposed by Ilyumzhinov as a way to unify the two rival world titles. To do this, FIDE champion Anatoly Karpov and PCA champion Garry Kasparov were each to be seeded into the semi-finals.

Kasparov did not want to defend his title under these circumstances and declined his invitation. The format was then modified to have FIDE champion Karpov seeded directly into the final.

Controversies

The advantages of the new format were:

  • It avoided a long cycle, and was all over in a month or so. This is could all be done in the one venue, it would not have the scheduling problems which had beset some previous world championship cycles. Each round could be played in 3 days (one day for each normal time control game, and one for the tie breaks).
  • More players (up to 128) could be included.
  • There were no special privileges for the incumbent champion or seeded players (although some were preserved in the earlier championships, these were completely eliminated later on).

Opponents pointed out disadvantages of the format:

  • Short matches (only two games in the earlier rounds) left too much to chance - the stronger player could blunder a game, and it would be difficult to recover from a bad start. (Many world championship and Candidates matches had been won by the player who recovered from an early loss).
  • The rapid playoffs were also seen to be left too much to chance: strength in rapid chess is not the same as strength in chess with normal time controls.
  • These first two considerations, taken together, meant there was a very high chance that the best player would not win, or even that a complete outsider might win, opponents argued.
  • Some people felt that the tradition of the champion being seeded into the final should be preserved, so that a new champion can only be champion by defeating the old champion.
  • However, the scheduling of the match caused great controversy regarding the fairness of the contest: Anand was forced to play a fresh and prepared Karpov a mere three days[1] after his exhausting performance at Groningen.

Prominent non-participants

  • Kasparov did not want to defend his title under these circumstances, and declined his invitation.
  • Vladimir Kramnik declined to play, in protest against Karpov being seeded into the final.

Participants

All players are grandmasters unless indicated otherwise.

2

1 Kramnik (ranked 2nd in the world) declined participation on the grounds that Karpov's direct entry into the final was unacceptable.[3]

2 Mohammed did not appear.

Garry Kasparov (ranked 1st in the world), Gata Kamsky (ranked 7th), and Zsuzsa Polgar (Women's world champion) declined participation in advance.

Karpov as defending FIDE champion was seeded directly into the championship match. Of the 97 remaining participants, 68 entered the tournament in the first round, 28 in the second round and 1 (Gelfand, the winner of the previous Interzonal) in the third round.

Results, rounds 1-4

Section 1

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
            
9 Michael Adams 2
40 Giorgy Giorgadze 0
40 Giorgy Giorgadze 4
78 Étienne Bacrot 3
9 Michael Adams 1½
60 Sergei Tiviakov ½
27 Eduardas Rozentalis 1½
71 Konstantin Lerner ½
27 Eduardas Rozentalis ½
60 Sergei Tiviakov 1½
9 Michael Adams 4
19 Peter Svidler 2
19 Peter Svidler 1½
47 Utut Adianto ½
47 Utut Adianto 2
87 Wang Zili 0
19 Peter Svidler 1½
69 Vladimir Epishin ½
35 Ivan Sokolov 1½
69 Vladimir Epishin 2½

Section 2

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
            
4 Veselin Topalov ½
38 Jeroen Piket 1½
38 Jeroen Piket 2½
21 Loek van Wely 3½
21 Loek van Wely 1½
91 Igor Miladinović ½
54 Curt Hansen 1½
91 Igor Miladinović 2½
21 Loek van Wely 1½
12 Kiril Georgiev ½
12 Kiril Georgiev 2½
44 Boris Alterman 1½
44 Boris Alterman 1½
83 Peter Wells ½
12 Kiril Georgiev 1½
34 Vadim Milov ½
74 Larry Christiansen 4
28 Ulf Andersson 5
28 Ulf Andersson 3
34 Vadim Milov 4
63 Vasilios Kotronias 1½
34 Vadim Milov 2½

Section 3

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
            
6 Alexander Beliavsky 1½
42 Jan Timman ½
6 Alexander Beliavsky 2½
23 Sergei Rublevsky 1½
23 Sergei Rublevsky 2
68 Kevin Spraggett 0
23 Sergei Rublevsky 1½
92 Tal Shaked ½
92 Tal Shaked 3
56 Ivan Morovic 2
6 Alexander Beliavsky 1
18 Nigel Short 3
18 Nigel Short 3½
49 Viktor Korchnoi 2½
49 Viktor Korchnoi 1½
84 Gilberto Hernandez ½
18 Nigel Short 2
65 Andrei Sokolov 0
29 Alexander Chernin 2
75 Andrei Istrăţescu 3
75 Andrei Istrăţescu 0
65 Andrei Sokolov 2
65 Andrei Sokolov 1½
99 Watu Kobese ½

Section 4

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
            
22 Zurab Azmaiparashvili 2½
76 Roman Slobodjan 1½
76 Roman Slobodjan 1½
33 Peter Leko ½
22 Zurab Azmaiparashvili 1½
16 Aleksej Alexandrov ½
16 Aleksej Alexandrov 3
67 Boris Gulko 2
16 Aleksej Alexandrov 2½
51 Jóhann Hjartarson 1½
51 Jóhann Hjartarson 2½
89 Sarunas Sulskis 1½
22 Zurab Azmaiparashvili 3
25 Michal Krasenkov 4
11 Yevgeny Bareev 2
45 Vladimir Malaniuk 0
45 Vladimir Malaniuk 2
81 Hichem Hamdouchi 0
11 Yevgeny Bareev ½
25 Michal Krasenkov 1½
25 Michal Krasenkov 1½
73 Paul van der Sterren ½
25 Michal Krasenkov 1½
94 Gildardo Garcia ½
59 Emil Sutovsky ½
94 Gildardo Garcia 1½

Section 5

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
            
95 Vasily Smyslov 0
58 Alexander Morozevich 2
58 Alexander Morozevich ½
26 Lembit Oll 1½
72 Margeir Petursson ½
26 Lembit Oll 1½
26 Lembit Oll 1½
46 Vladislav Tkachiev 2½
80 Alexander Fominyh ½
46 Vladislav Tkachiev 1½
46 Vladislav Tkachiev 3
10 Valery Salov 1
46 Vladislav Tkachiev 2½
8 Boris Gelfand 3½
88 Dibyendu Barua 2
52 Zbyněk Hráček 3
52 Zbyněk Hráček ½
17 Joël Lautier 1½
17 Joël Lautier 2
8 Boris Gelfand 4
 
 

Section 6

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
            
98 Hendrik Hoeksema ½
64 Alexander Nenashev 1½
64 Alexander Nenashev ½
30 Alexey Dreev 1½
30 Alexey Dreev 1½
14 Matthew Sadler ½
86 John van der Wiel ½
48 Jaan Ehlvest 1½
48 Jaan Ehlvest 2
14 Matthew Sadler 4
30 Alexey Dreev 3
36 Vadim Zvjaginsev 1
55 Grigory Kaidanov 2
36 Vadim Zvjaginsev 4
66 Joel Benjamin 2
36 Vadim Zvjaginsev 3
36 Vadim Zvjaginsev 2½
39 Yasser Seirawan 1½
39 Yasser Seirawan 3
77 Ashot Anastasian 1
39 Yasser Seirawan 1½
5 Vassily Ivanchuk ½

Section 7

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
            
96 Helgi Gretarsson 1½
62 Miguel Illescas ½
96 Helgi Gretarsson ½
32 Artur Yusupov 1½
32 Artur Yusupov ½
43 Zoltán Almási 1½
82 Peng Xiaomin ½
43 Zoltán Almási 1½
43 Zoltán Almási 1½
13 Judit Polgár ½
43 Zoltán Almási 0
2 Viswanathan Anand 2
90 Igor Glek 1½
53 Friso Nijboer 2½
53 Friso Nijboer 0
20 Alexander Khalifman 2
20 Alexander Khalifman 2½
2 Viswanathan Anand 3½
37 Predrag Nikolić 0
2 Viswanathan Anand 2

Section 8

First round Second round Third round Fourth round
            
100 Alexander Umgaev 0
61 Viktor Bologan 2
61 Viktor Bologan 0
31 Rafael Vaganian 2
31 Rafael Vaganian 3
15 Vladimir Akopian 4
85 Thomas Luther 3½
50 Lajos Portisch 2½
85 Thomas Luther ½
15 Vladimir Akopian 1½
15 Vladimir Akopian ½
7 Alexei Shirov 1½
57 Gilberto Milos 2
93 Niaz Murshed 0
57 Gilberto Milos 2
70 Stefan Kindermann 0
70 Stefan Kindermann 3
24 Alex Yermolinsky 2
57 Gilberto Milos 1½
7 Alexei Shirov 2½
79 Bojan Kurajica 1½
41 Julio Granda 2½
41 Julio Granda ½
7 Alexei Shirov 1½

Results, rounds 5–7

Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
         
9 England Michael Adams 2½
21 Netherlands Loek van Wely 1½
9 England Michael Adams 4
18 England Nigel Short 3
18 England Nigel Short 2
25 Poland Michal Krasenkov 0
9 England Michael Adams 4
2 India Viswanathan Anand 5
8 Belarus Boris Gelfand 2½
30 Russia Alexey Dreev 1½
8 Belarus Boris Gelfand ½
2 India Viswanathan Anand 1½
2 India Viswanathan Anand 1½
7 Spain Alexei Shirov ½

Championship match

The match was played over (only) 6 games in Lausanne, Switzerland (on January 2-3-4 and 6-7-8) and ended in a 3-3 tie. Two rapid games were then played on January 9. Karpov won both, retaining his title.

World Chess Championship Match 1998
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 R1 R2 Points
 Anatoly Karpov (Russia) 2735 1 0 ½ 1 ½ 0 1 1 5
 Viswanathan Anand (India) 2770 0 1 ½ 0 ½ 1 0 0 3

References

  1. ^ http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chess.pl?tid=55521
  2. ^ "The Week in Chess 212".
  3. ^ "World Chess Championship, 1997 FIDE Knockout Matches".

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=FIDE_World_Chess_Championship_1998&oldid=734099822"