FIDE World Chess Championship 2008

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The FIDE World Chess Championship 2008 was a 12-game match between Viswanathan Anand of India, the reigning World Champion, and Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, held at the Art and Exhibition Hall in Bonn, Germany. Anand won the match convincingly, defending his title with bold and creative opening preparation that neutralized Kramnik’s deep positional play. It was Kramnik’s final appearance in a World Championship match.

FIDE World Chess Championship 2008, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik

📷 Ygrek: (CC BY 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons, 23 October 2008.


FIDE World Chess Championship 2008, Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik.
📷 Georgios Souleidis CC BY 20 via Wikimedia Commons 29 October 2008

Winner: Viswanathan Anand

Born: 1969, Chennai, India

By 2008, Viswanathan Anand was already established as one of the most versatile champions in chess history. After unifying the title in 2007 in Mexico City, he prepared rigorously for the match in Bonn with the help of a strong team: Peter Heine Nielsen, Rustam Kasimdzhanov, Surya Ganguly, and Radosław Wojtaszek. Magnus Carlsen also contributed to early training. Anand’s strategy relied on surprise and dynamism—his sharp play in the Meran and Slav Defenses caught Kramnik off guard. His mix of speed, deep preparation, and psychological poise proved decisive. The victory solidified his legacy as one of the all-time greats.

«Chess is a sport that teaches you to think before you act.»Viswanathan Anand


Opponent: Vladimir Kramnik

Born: 1975, Tuapse, Russia

Vladimir Kramnik, former Classical World Champion, entered the 2008 match with the right to a rematch after finishing second in the 2007 unified championship. He was renowned for his strategic depth and expert use of solid openings like the Berlin and Petroff. Although he had never lost a world title match before, Anand’s aggressive preparation left him on the back foot. Kramnik fought back with a win in Game 10, but it was too late. This match marked the end of his reign as a world title contender, though his influence on modern opening theory remained immense.

«I didn’t lose the match because of poor form. Anand simply played better.» – Vladimir Kramnik


Vladimir Kramnik’s World Chess Championship Appearances

YearEventOpponent(s)Result
2000PCAKasparovWon
2004PCALekoWon
2006FIDETopalovWon
2007FIDESeveral2nd
2008FIDEAnandLost

Match Overview

🗓️ Match Dates: October 14 – October 29, 2008
📍 Location: Bonn, Germany
Format: Best of 12 classical games
⏱️ Time Control: 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves, then 15 minutes for the rest of the game with a 30-second increment from move 61
💰 Prize Fund: €1,500,000 (shared equally)
📄 Main Sponsors: Evonik Industries, Gazprom


Historical and Cultural Context

This match was a turning point in modern chess. Anand’s triumph helped popularize chess across India, inspiring a generation. His team-based preparation model became the gold standard. For Kramnik, it was a symbolic passing of the torch. Held in Germany, the event had strong media coverage in Europe, and the return to a match format after the 2007 tournament reaffirmed the classical match model as the gold standard for deciding the title.


FIDE World Chess Championship 2008, Viswanathan Anand (IND), Vladimir Kramnik (RUS)

FIDE World Chess Championship 2008 Games

Game 1


Game 2


Game 3


Game 4


Game 5


Game 6


Game 7


Game 8


Game 9


Game 10


Game 11


FIDE World Chess Championship 2008

Viswanathan Anand, India

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FIDE World Chess Championship 2008 Sources

Quote Sources

General Sources

Photo Sources

📷 World Chess Championship 2008. Anand — Kramnik
Ygrek: (CC BY 3.0) via Wikimedia Commons, 23 October 2008.

📷 GM Viswanathan Anand India India, Chess World Championship Bonn 2008
Georgios Souleidis: (CC BY 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons, 29 October 2008.

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.