Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match (2008)

MATCH STANDINGS
Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match

Viswanathan Anand	6.5/11	(+3 -1 =7)	[view games]
Vladimir Kramnik	4.5/11	(+1 -3 =7)	[view games]

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Anand vs Kramnik, 2008
Bonn, Germany

After Viswanathan Anand's victory in the 2007 World Championship Tournament, preparations were made to stage a title contest with former champion Vladimir Kramnik to be held in Bonn, Germany.

This match was a one-off event in which the previous world champion (Vladimir Kramnik) has been given the right to challenge to regain his title. Its origin lies in the complications of re-unifying the world title in 2006.¹

Vishy Kramnik 2008
The State Art Gallery in Bonn, Germany
This event is especially significant because Anand did not win the 2007 FIDE World Championship in the traditional manner, by defeating the standing champion in a head-to-head match, but instead by winning a tournament. By winning this match, Anand cemented the legitimacy of his World Championship status beyond reproach.

The match format was a best of 12 games. In the event that the 12 games end in a 6-6 tie, the match is decided by a short series of rapid games, then blitz (if necessary), and finally, if needed, a single decisive "Armageddon game."²

In the game 3, Anand scored a stunning victory from the black side of the Meran variation of the Semi-Slav Defense, giving him the lead. In game 5 the same variation was tested again, and once more Anand triumphed with the black pieces. Anand then won the 6th game (playing White against the Nimzo-Indian Defense) giving him a commanding three point lead in the first half of the match. Kramnik scored his first victory in game 10, but Anand needed only one draw in the remaining two games to secure victory.

After a draw in the 11th game, Viswanathan Anand defended his title and became the undisputed 15th World Chess Champion.

¹ Wikipedia article World Chess Championship 2008
² Official Website of the 2008 World Chess Championship

page 1 of 1; 11 games

Game Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening
1. Kramnik vs Anand ½-½ 32 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match D14 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Exchange Variation

2. Anand vs Kramnik ½-½ 32 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match E25 Nimzo-Indian, Samisch

3. Kramnik vs Anand 0-1 41 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match D49 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran

4. Anand vs Kramnik ½-½ 29 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match D37 Queen's Gambit Declined

5. Kramnik vs Anand 0-1 35 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match D49 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav, Meran

6. Anand vs Kramnik 1-0 47 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match E34 Nimzo-Indian, Classical, Noa Variation

7. Anand vs Kramnik ½-½ 37 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match D19 Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, Dutch

8. Kramnik vs Anand ½-½ 39 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match D37 Queen's Gambit Declined

9. Anand vs Kramnik ½-½ 45 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match D43 Queen's Gambit Declined Semi-Slav

10. Kramnik vs Anand 1-0 29 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match E21 Nimzo-Indian, Three Knights

11. Anand vs Kramnik ½-½ 24 2008 Anand-Kramnik World Championship Match B96 Sicilian, Najdorf

REFINE SEARCH: White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)

< Earlier Kibitzing · PAGE 5 OF 445 · Later Kibitzing>
Sep-30-08		Whack8888: <you vs yourself> Funny point, Kramnik could lose this match without losing a game. Hehe, I think we can all agree that would be a disaster.

Sep-30-08		ksr: So who all are going to Bonn?

Sep-30-08		chancho: <So who all are going to Bonn?> This guy might go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu9i...

Sep-30-08		Whitehat1963: What kind of world championship match will we see? Below I've typed a list of World Championship contests, the number of games played (including forfeits) and the number of short draws (25 moves or fewer) that resulted: Steinitz-Zukertort 1886, 20 games, 2 short draws Steinitz-Chigorin 1889, 17 games, 0 short draws Steinitz-Gunsberg 1890/91, 19 games, 1 short draw Steinitz-Chigorin 1892, 23 games, 0 short draws Lasker-Steinitz 1894, 19 games, 0 short draws Lasker-Steinitz 1896, 17 games, 0 short draws Lasker-Marshall 1907, 15 games, 1 short draw Lasker-Tarrasch 1908, 16 games, 0 short draws Lasker-Schlecter 1910, 10 games, 0 short draws Lasker-Janowski 1910, 11 games, 0 short draws Capablanca-Lasker 1921, 14 games, 3 short draws Alekhine-Capablanca 1927, 34 games, 7 short draws Alekhine-Bogoljubov 1929, 25 games, 0 short draws Alekhine-Bogoljubov 1934, 26 games, 2 short draws Euwe-Alekhine 1935 30 games, 3 short draws Alekhine-Euwe 1937 25 games, 0 short draws 1948 Tournament 50 games, 3 short draws Botvinnik-Bronstein 1951 24 games, 1 short draw Botvinnik-Smyslov 1954 24 games, 1 short draw Smyslov-Botvinnik 1957 22 games, 5 short draws Botvinnik-Smyslov 1958 23 games, 2 short draws Tal-Botvinnik 1960 21 games, 3 short draws Botvinnik-Tal 1961 21 games, 1 short draw Petrosian-Botvinnik 1963 22 games, 4 short draws Petrosian-Spassky 1966 24 games, 2 short draws Spassky-Petrosian 1969 24 games, 2 short draws Fischer-Spassky 1972 21 games, 0 short draws Karpov-Korchnoi 1978 32 games, 4 short draws Karpov-Korchnoi 1981 18 games, 1 short draw Karpov-Kasparov 1984 47 games, 22 short draws Kasparov-Karpov 1985 24 games, 4 short draws Kasparov-Karpov 1986 24 games, 4 short draws Kasparov-Karpov 1987 24 games, 4 short draws Kasparov-Karpov 1990 24 games, 2 short draws Fischer-Spassky 1992 30 games, 0 short draws Kasparov-Short 1993 20 games, 1 short draw Karpov-Timman 1993 21 games, 4 short draws Kasparov-Anand 1995 18 games, 6 short draws Karpov-Kamsky 1996 18 games, 1 short draw Karpov-Anand 1998 8 games, 1 short draw Kramnik-Kasparov 2000 15 games, 4 short draws 2001 Knockout Tournament 22 games, 0 short draws Kramnik-Leko 2004 14 games, 6 short draws Kramnik-Topalov 2006 16 games, 0 short draws

Sep-30-08		The Rocket: how does the time controls work for this match? the games before an eventual rapid tiebreak that is... This match has potential to be really among the best ever, we have the positional Kramnik the endgame maestro vs Anand a more offensive player. As I have said earlier Kramnik is the better player when they are at their peak(which none of them are) but if Anand can get sharp/chaotic positions in the games I think he has very good chances of beating Kramnik.

Sep-30-08		RoundSquares: Where do you get all these interesting lists from? Must take a lot of research.

Sep-30-08		trapdor: <AgentRgent 4. Kramnik and Anand are better players than either Topalov or Kamsky, so one can expect better (higher level) chess.> I don't think so. If you REALLY want to watch "higher level" chess, why don't you watch something like Rybka vs Rybka? The quality of that match should be way higher than Kramnik vs Anand.

Sep-30-08		Whitehat1963: <RoundSquares>, I compile them right here, from the database.

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: The problem with that is that results may often be very different in different formats of play. For Kramnik vs. Anand, for example, Kramnik holds a +6-4 edge in Classical Games, but Anand holds a +10-2 edge in Rapids.

Sep-30-08		fgh: <Whack8888> As far as I'am concerned, if the scores are tied, they will play rapid games, Anand wouldn't retain the title.

Sep-30-08		Ezzy: <fgh: <Whack8888> As far as I'am concerned, if the scores are tied, they will play rapid games, Anand wouldn't retain the title.> Most people thought that Topalov would beat Kramnik if it went to rapids.

Sep-30-08		dumbgai: <Karpov-Kasparov 1984 47 games, 22 short draws> That's a lot of draws. But since draws didn't count in that match I can understand Kasparov's strategy to draw every single game until Karpov cracked.

Sep-30-08		micartouse: This upcoming match is an absolute mystery, partly because one of the participants Anand himself is mysterious. With Kramnik, it is easy to toss off predictions about his repertoire and to debate about how he should approach the games. Anand is notoriously difficult to gauge. Few of the top players even understand him, and even when he gets a bad position it's not a sure thing he'll lose. I predict nothing.

Sep-30-08		klangenfarben: <dumbgai>: The word at the time was that Karpov was doing a lot of amphetamines to boost his performance. The "color" commentator the NYTimes sent (not Byrne) to cover the 1984 Moscow match noted that, three months into the match, Karpov was terribly gaunt and had apparently lost twenty pounds on an already thin frame. The drawing strategy Kasparov employed was thought to give Garri "time out" without taking actual time outs after getting smacked down 0-5 early, but perhaps his team had clues that wearing Analtoli out physically was a path to victory.

Sep-30-08		Whitehat1963: <This upcoming match is an absolute mystery> True. Will Kramnik try to quickly draw every game he plays with black and conserve his energy for white? Will Anand, who is not nearly as opposed to short draws as many people believe (but statistics confirm), decline the short draw when he plays white? (That seems to have been Topalov's approach.) I really don't care who wins; I only want them to really FIGHT to the death and have a decisive result before the match reaches the tie-breaks. No short draws! No repeat of Kramnik-Leko 2004! The match is short enough as it is without them taking rest days via 15-move bloodless draws.

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: <The "color" commentator the NYTimes sent (not Byrne) to cover the 1984 Moscow match noted that, three months into the match, Karpov was terribly gaunt and had apparently lost twenty pounds on an already thin frame.> Lev Alburt heavily pushed that idea in <Chess Life>, though I doubt he himself actually went to Moscow.

Sep-30-08		DEEPERGRAY: Unfornately Anand will lose Anand is not at his best Coming from a bad tournament performance he will lack comfidence Kramnik is a great match player Kramnik will make less blunders Although confidence is shaken a bit his miraculous victory over Kasparov eons ago will help him find a great mental zone to be in If he loses it will make his victory over "big K" seem like a fluke both tarnishing and obscuring his place in chess history forever Kramnik Will prevail Ps Anand if you are reading this just ignore it -its just trash talk- play the board as it lies

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: <Anand is not at his best Coming from a bad tournament> You forget that Kramnik is also coming off of a weak tournament performance. I'd agree that Kramnik is a more experienced match player than Anand. But he's also less hungry. He beat Kasparov. He beat Topalov. He survived against Leko. He's proven himself the best. But as a chess player goes on, it gets harder and harder to keep proving something incredibly difficult that you've already proven before. Their playing strengths are about even. Anand's hunger will balance out Kramnik's match experience. Chances are as close to dead even as they get. It will all come down to which one shows up in better form.

Sep-30-08		ravel5184: Go Kramnik!

Sep-30-08		Whitehat1963: I'd say watch for Kramnik to jump out to an early lead as he did against Kasparov, Leko, and Topalov. If he does, he'll be content to trot out his Petrov as black and play for the quick draw. He won't take any chances. Anand had better figure out a way of turning the tables on Kramnik early and while playing black. The problem is that Kramnik is pretty versatile with his openings as white. Difficult to prepare for him. He's just as likely to play 1. d4 as he is 1. e4 or 1. Nf3 or even 1. c4. Look for him to mix it up a bit with white and keep Anand guessing. Especially if he jumps out to an early lead.

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: <I'd say watch for Kramnik to jump out to an early lead as he did against Kasparov, Leko, and Topalov. If he does, he'll be content to trot out his Petrov as black and play for the quick draw.> It could happen, but it would be more interesting to see what would happen if Anand took the early lead. Against Leko, Kramnik started busting his butt even with Black to try to equalize the scores near the end. At Mexico, he didn't. (Compare Leko-Kramnik Game 13 with Grischuk-Kramnik from Mexico City). Apparently Kramnik had no Plan B for Mexico City. Nothing that he could trot out when he desperately needed a win with Black. He'd better have a Plan B this time, otherwise he's asking for trouble. Now, if he were to lose Game 1 with White, that doesn't mean it would be time to panic and bring out Plan B immediately. He'd probably use the Petroff in Game 2, and try to equalize the scores in Game 3. But if he should find himself trailing after the halfway point, that's the time when Plan B needs to come out.

Sep-30-08		Mahendrakumar: This world championship is going to be very interesting.Hope there will be only few draws. Kramnik saying that he has temporarily lent his crown to Vishy Anand is really sad. I was an admirer of Kramnik till he made this comment. Vishy must definitely give a fitting reply to this by beating Kramnik. Best of luck to you Vishy.

Sep-30-08		DEEPERGRAY: I wonder who Kasparov is rooting for? His friendship I believe lies with Kramnik But if Kramnik loses Garry (nolastnamenecessary) will come closer to regaining or concreting his title "the best player ever" Belittling his lost to Kramnik as maybe a fluke or just a bad month considering how he crushed Anand in his world championship match

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: <Kramnik saying that he has temporarily lent his crown to Vishy Anand is really sad. I was an admirer of Kramnik till he made this comment.> What's so bad about that? Every boxer who tries to get a title back says something similar. If he doesn't go in expecting to win, he shouldn't be playing at all.

Sep-30-08		Alphastar: I hope there will be drama. Lots of drama ;)

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