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World Chess Championship 2006From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. |
The World Chess Championship 2006 was a chess match between Classical World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik, and FIDE World Chess Champion Veselin Topalov. The match, which was won by Kramnik, determined, for the first time in 13 years, the undisputed World Chess Champion. The match was played between September 23 and October 13, 2006, in Elista, Kalmykia, Russia. On September 29, Kramnik refused to play Game 5 due to a dispute over bathroom arrangements. Topalov won the game on forfeit, and the match was delayed as administrators sought to resolve the controversy. On October 2 the match resumed with Game 6, but with Kramnik still protesting the result of Game 5. The scheduled match finished on October 12 with the score even at 6-6. A series of games with rapid time controls was played as a tie-breaker. Kramnik won the fourth game to take the tie-break 2.5-1.5 and win the match, becoming the 14th undisputed World Chess Champion. Background After Garry Kasparov split from FIDE in 1993, there were two world chess champions. There was the "Classical" world champion, the title that only passes on to a player when he defeats the previous world champion. This was held by Kasparov, until he was defeated by Kramnik in the Classical World Chess Championship 2000. There was also the 'Official' FIDE world champion, determined by various tournament formats, held since the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 by Topalov. From 1993 to 2006, no match was ever held between the various classical and official champions. This match brought the two titleholders together to unify the World Chess Championship for the first time since the 1993 split. Negotiations Kramnik was invited to the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 in San Luis, Argentina. As "Classical" World Champion, he refused to play, but indicated his willingness to play the winner in a match to unify the title. Negotiations for a match began soon after Topalov won in San Luis, but broke down after the two camps were unable to overcome substantial differences of opinion. However, in April 2006, FIDE announced that Kramnik would play current FIDE Champion Veselin Topalov in a world championship match to unify the "Classical" champion line with the FIDE championship. The prize fund of $1 million will be evenly divided between the players - regardless of the outcome of the match. Head to head In past encounters, Kramnik had defeated Topalov 10 times, lost 5 games, with 24 draws. (This becomes +19 -9 =34 if rapid and blindfold games are included). In classical time control games since the beginning of 2004, the score was 2 wins each, with 3 draws. Match conditions The match was a best of 12 games. Players scored 1 point for a win and half a point for a draw. If, after 12 games, the score was tied at 6 points each, then a tie-break would be held. As it turned out, the first round of tie-breaks (rapid games) was indeed required, and was held on October 13, 2006. Time control From the match conditions: The primary time control for each game shall be: 40 moves in the first 120 minutes, and if that is met, then a secondary time control of 20 moves in 60 minutes, and if that is also met, then the rest of the game shall be played out in 15 minutes, with an additional 30 seconds per move starting from move 61. Tie-break method
Allegations and forfeit On September 28, 2006, the rest day between games 4 and 5, Topalov's manager Silvio Danailov complained to the match organizers and the press about Kramnik's repeated visits to the bathroom. He noted that the bathrooms are the only place not under audio or video surveillance, and called the frequency of the breaks "strange, if not suspicious". Danailov suggested that Topalov would abandon the match if the concerns were not addressed. On September 29, 2006, the Appeals Committee, which consisted of Georgios Makropoulos, Jorge Vega, and Zurab Azmaiparashvili, determined that, although the frequency of Kramnik's visits to the toilet had been exaggerated, the private bathrooms would be closed and a common toilet opened for both players. In response, Kramnik's manager Carsten Hensel issued a public statement insisting that the original match conditions be adhered to - defending Kramnik's actions by saying, "The restroom is small and Mr Kramnik likes to walk and therefore uses the space of the bathroom as well...It should also be mentioned that Mr Kramnik has to drink a lot of water during the games." Otherwise, "Mr Kramnik will stop playing this match as long as FIDE is not ready to respect Mr Kramnik's rights, in this case to use the toilet of his own restroom whenever he wishes to do so." Hensel also declared his lack of confidence in the Appeals Committee and demanded that its members be changed. Awaiting a reversal of the Appeal Committee's decision, Kramnik refused to play Game 5. At 5:00 p.m. local time, the Chief Arbiter declared that Kramnik had forfeited. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov told Kramnik "...I hereby inform you of my full trust in the members of the Match Appeals Committee and their latest decision taken in respect of the appeal of Topalov's team dated 28 September 2006. I am also asking you in good faith to continue your participation in this match..." Later, it emerged that Kramnik's team made a procedural blunder by not filing their protest before he defaulted the fifth game. The players were invited for a meeting by Ilyumzhinov "to discuss the actual situation of the match and to solve the problems". Ilyumzhinov stated that cancelling the forfeit was possible, but that if no compromise were reached by noon on 1 October, the match would not continue. On October 1, 2006, FIDE announced that agreement had been reached that the original bathroom arrangements would be reinstated and that the Appeals Committee had resigned and would be replaced. Later that day, FIDE announced that Game 6 would be played on October 2, with the forfeit standing and the score Kramnik 3 - Topalov 2. Kramnik replied that he was "ready to proceed playing the match by reserving all my rights. My further participation will be subject to the condition to clarify my rights regarding game five at later stage." This is the first world chess championship match since Spassky-Fischer 1972 in which a game was forfeited. In both matches, it was the forfeiting player who won the title. On October 3, 2006, the new Appeals Committee responded to Kramnik's appeal against the Game 5 forfeit saying that they had no powers to vary the decisions of the original Appeals Committee. Earlier, Kramnik had said that if his appeal fails, "the only thing I know for sure is that in this case I will sue FIDE." Kramnik's manager expressed concern that a member of Topalov's team might attempt to plant an electronic device in Kramnik's bathroom to foster suspicion that Kramnik is cheating. He suggested several measures relating to the inspection of the bathroom and Kramnik's person meant to forestall this possibility. Reactions On October 2 2006, more than 30 GMs, WGMs, and IMs expressed open support for Kramnik's position - including former World Champions Anatoly Karpov and Boris Spassky, whose opponent also famously disputed the match conditions. Kramnik protests On October 10 2006, in a press release Team Kramnik said: "Should the decision of FIDE regarding the fifth game have any influence on the awarding of the World Championship title, with Mr. Topalov receiving the title after being granted a free point for the unplayed game, Mr Kramnik declares unequivocally: 'I will not recognize Mr Topalov as World Champion under these conditions, and I will take legal action against FIDE at the end of the World Championship.'" Since Kramnik won the match, this situation did not eventuate. Later allegations On October 4, Topalov's manager, Silvio Danailov, issued a press release that identified what it labeled "coincidence statistics" showing the percentage of times that Kramnik played a move that would be recommended by Chessbase's Fritz 9 chessplaying software in that position (about 78% on average). GM Susan Polgar - who does not believe Kramnik is using computer assistance - characterized this as "another black eye for Danailov and chess. Even if he believes that it is true, he should complain to the committee and not through a press release. This is unprofessional and unacceptable." At the press conference following Game 7, Kramnik commented on the second game where the Fritz analysis had shown a match with 87% of Kramnik's moves. Kramnik said "A proper analysis must take into consideration that in the second game we both blundered a mate in three! First of all, this 87% is total nonsense - everything depends on the time allotted to the engine for analyzing a given position. Secondly, Topalov's percentages in San Luis, for example, were even higher." In an interview with the Spanish daily ABC published on 14 December 2006, Topalov alleged that Kramnik had cheated with computer help during the match, that network cables had been found in the bathroom ceiling, that threats were issued, and that he felt physically unsafe during the match. Ramifications Kramnik, as the winner of the match, earned the FIDE World Champion slot in the World Chess Championship 2007, an 8 player, double-round robin tournament. The loser of the match, Topalov, was eliminated from the 2007 World Championship cycle. Despite this, Topalov's manager was quoted after the match as saying "FIDE regulations allow every world champion that has lost the title to challenge the title holder. The total prize fund is 1.5 million dollars. We will find this money and will request the game to take place in Sofia. We will offer an exact date, 3rd of March 2007." In June 2007, FIDE announced plans for the 2007-2009 World Championship cycle. It was confirmed that Topalov was excluded from the 2007 tournament, but he (along with Kramnik) was given special privileges for the 2008 and 2009 cycle. See World Chess Championship 2008 and World Chess Championship 2009. |
 | World Chess Championship 2006. (5 July 2009). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11 October 2009, at 09.00, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Chess_Championship_2006 |
World Chess Championship 2006 - External Links |
 Mark Weeks' Chess Pages - World Chess Championship - 2006 Kramnik - Topalov - Unification Match Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - World Chess Championship Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - VM i skak 2006 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - FIDE World Chess Championship 2006 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - VM-turneringen i sjakk 2006 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Shakin maailmanmestaruusottelu 2006 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Campionato del mondo di scacchi FIDE 2006 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Campeonato Mundial de Ajedrez 2006 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - FIDE World Chess Championship 2006 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Svetovno sahovsko prvenstvo 2006 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - FIDE World Chess Championship 2006 |
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