FIDE World Chess Championship 2007

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Introduction The FIDE World Chess Championship 2007 was held in Mexico City, featuring a double round-robin tournament format with eight top grandmasters, including reigning champion Vladimir Kramnik and eventual winner Viswanathan Anand of India. Anand dominated the event to become the ★15th Official World Chess Champion★. This was the first undisputed title to be decided by tournament play since 1948.

FIDE World Chess Championship 2007, Viswanathan Anand.

📷 Ygrek: (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons, 19 August 2007.

Winner: Viswanathan Anand

Born: 1969, Chennai, India​

By 2007, Viswanathan Anand was already regarded as one of the most versatile players in history, known for his speed, calm precision, and adaptability across formats. His wins in Morelia/Linares and other top events earlier in the year had positioned him as a favorite. In Mexico City, Anand played confidently with both colors and led the tournament from start to finish. His preparation was deeply collaborative, including help from Peter Heine Nielsen, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, and others. Anand’s success solidified his status as India’s greatest chess player and elevated the sport’s profile across the subcontinent.

«Winning this tournament was special because it proved that I could prevail against a field of top grandmasters in any format.» – Viswanathan Anand

Key Opponent: Vladimir Kramnik

Born: 1975, Tuapse, Russia​

Vladimir Kramnik entered the championship as the reigning unified world champion, having defeated Garry Kasparov in 2000 and merged the titles by beating Veselin Topalov in 2006. Known for his deep opening preparation and positional brilliance, Kramnik had previously never lost a world title contest. Though he fought tenaciously in Mexico, his form wasn’t sufficient to match Anand’s consistency. Kramnik placed second and was granted a rematch in 2008, reflecting his stature as the last Classical World Champion.

«Anand played solid, error-free chess – he deserved to win.» – Vladimir Kramnik

Match Overview

🗓️ Match Dates: September 12 – September 30, 2007
📍 Location: Mexico City, Mexico
✅ Format: Double round-robin tournament (8 players)
⏱️ Time Control: 120 minutes for 40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20, then 15 minutes to finish with a 30-second increment per move starting from move 61
💰 Prize Fund: $1.3 million total; $390,000 to the winner
📄 Main Sponsor: UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland)

Historical and Cultural Context

The 2007 championship marked a unique return to tournament-style title determination, evoking the 1948 Botvinnik victory. Anand’s win made him the first undisputed champion crowned via a tournament in nearly 60 years. It also triggered an explosion of chess interest in India, laying the groundwork for a new generation of grandmasters. Kramnik’s participation lent the tournament historic legitimacy, while the format sparked debates about fairness versus tradition in determining the world champion.

Final Standings

Players(W–L–D)Total
Anand4–0–109.0
Kramnik3–1–108.0
Gelfand3–1–108.0
Leko2–2–107.0
Svidler2–3–96.5
Morozevich2–4–86.0
Aronian2–4–86.0
Grischuk1–4–95.5

FIDE World Chess Championship 2007 Games

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Game 4

Game 5

Game 6

Game 7

Game 8

Game 9

Game 10

Game 11

Game 12

Game 13

Game 14

FIDE World Chess Championship 2007

Viswanathan Anand, India

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FIDE World Chess Championship 2007 Sources

Quote Sources

General Sources

Photo Credits

📷 Viswanathan Anand – Indian grandmaster
Ygrek: (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons, 19 August 2007.

Sources, image credits, and attributions for this championship are listed on this page. For general information about the World Chess Champions timeline, visit the main page.