FIDE World Chess Championship 2000
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The FIDE World Chess Championship 2000, held in New Delhi and Tehran, featured a knockout format with 100 participants. Viswanathan Anand emerged victorious, defeating Alexei Shirov in the final to secure his first world championship title. This win made Anand the first Indian player to claim a world chess championship, marking a historic moment for Indian chess.
Winner/Challenger: Viswanathan Anand
GFHund CC BY 30 License via Wikimedia Commons
Born: December 11, 1969, in Madras (now Chennai), India
Viswanathan Anand was renowned for his speed and precision. His ability to calculate deeply while maintaining rapid play made him one of the most formidable contenders in the world. Anand’s triumph in 2000 solidified his place among the elite and ignited a chess boom in India, inspiring future generations. Throughout the tournament, Anand dominated his opponents, combining tactical sharpness with deep strategic understanding.
Viswanathan Anand:
«For me, chess is about resilience and the joy of competition.»
Reigning Champion: Alexander Khalifman
Born: January 18, 1966, in Leningrad, Soviet Union (now Russia)
Alexander Khalifman, the 1999 FIDE World Chess Champion, entered the tournament as the reigning titleholder. His victory in the 1999 knockout championship had been an unexpected triumph, and he aimed to defend his title. However, Khalifman was eliminated by Anand in the quarterfinals, ending his reign after a single cycle.
«This format is unpredictable, but Anand showed incredible stability throughout.» – Alexander Khalifman
Match Overview
Format and Prize Fund
- Tournament Format: 100-player knockout
- Time Control: 100 minutes for 40 moves, 50 minutes for the next 20 moves, then 10 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move 1.
- Prize Fund: The total prize pool was $3 million, with Anand receiving $530,000 for winning the title.
- Final Match: Best of six games
The championship was contested in two stages: the early rounds in New Delhi and the later rounds, including the final, in Tehran. Anand’s path to victory was marked by dominant performances, culminating in a decisive win over Alexei Shirov.
Historical and Cultural Context
Anand’s landmark victory transformed India into a rising chess powerhouse. Before his win, India had limited global recognition in chess, but Anand’s triumph led to:
✔️ Increased sponsorship and funding for chess
✔️ Growth in chess academies across India
✔️ A surge in new Indian grandmasters
The FIDE World Chess Championship 2000 also reflected the ongoing split in world chess governance. At the time, two competing titles existed due to the divide between FIDE and the PCA. While Anand secured the FIDE championship, the classical title remained in a separate cycle.
Final Score
| Player | W–L–D | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Viswanathan Anand | 3 – 0 (1 draw) | 3½ |
| Alexei Shirov | 0 – 3 (1 draw) | ½ |
Anand’s Path to the Title
To reach the final, Anand defeated Viktor Bologan, Smbat Lputian, Bartłomiej Macieja, reigning champion Alexander Khalifman, and Michael Adams.
FIDE World Chess Championship 2000 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
Game 15
Game 16
Game 17
Game 18
Game 19
Game 20
FIDE World Chess Championship 2000
Viswanathan Anand, India
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FIDE World Chess Championship 2000 Sources
Quote Sources
- FIDE Press Conference, 2000 – Anand reflects on his historic victory.
- New in Chess Magazine – Shirov on Anand’s tactical superiority.
General Sources
- FIDE Archives – Official match records.
- ChessBase Reports – Tactical analysis of Anand’s performance.
- ESPN Chess Coverage – Impact of Anand’s victory on global chess.
Image Credits
📷 Photo by GFHund, 2000 – Wikimedia Commons
GFHund, CC BY 3.0 (License), via Wikimedia Commons.
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.