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 8 OF 445 · Later Kibitzing>
Sep-30-08		ksr: <sure the match will happen> till now no sponsors and Bulgaria is no no for Kamsky

Sep-30-08		moronovich: <to all> I once saw an interview with one of the organizers of the Anand -Kramnik - match ,where he stated that the match will be a "Pay pr view". ("small"prize he said , around 5 euro pr. game). Anyone who knows about this ? Thanks in advance.

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: <Cactus> <Who's TS Eliot?> I dunno, but his name is an anagram for toilets.

Sep-30-08		ksr: Why are Susan and Sofia also written as Zsuzsa and Zsofi? Is this a hungarian convention?

Sep-30-08		SetNoEscapeOn: <Ezzy> <I will stick my neck out and predict a Kramnik win.> For myself: Anand (surprise!) 3, Kramnik 2.

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: I went to a Hungarian convention once. It was a real trip. A bunch of guys singing the R�k�czi march with lampshades on their heads and drinking Tokay.

Sep-30-08		TommyC: I think Anand is favourite, but not my much. Also Anand is prone to a really bad slip-up every now and again. So maybe Kramnik won't need to try to win - he might just wait for Anand to lose one.

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: <For myself: Anand (surprise!) 3, Kramnik 2.> If we get 5 decisive games in this match, I'm going to jump for joy.

Sep-30-08		micartouse: <Petrosianic: I dunno, but his name is an anagram for toilets.> lol so that's what hitman84 meant.

Sep-30-08		DEEPERGRAY: You know what would kick ass Imagine this the final game of the match Anand by some miracle is only behind by a point and needs a win to go to rapid chess finale Anand plays the Sicilian dragon defense (ergo Kasparov vs Anand world championship flashback) with black pieces AND WiNs decisively!!!!!!!!!!! Kramnik crushed by this loss then ends up losing on Anands home turf speed chess finale tie breaker. The chess crowd goes crazy and hot chicks attracted by the overload of chess phermones have no choce but to put out for chess players all around the world :). :) Anand would completley redeem himself in my eyes as fully deserving the world championship belt around his waiste (so to speak) and the chess world would flourish I was hoping for some chess feedback

Sep-30-08		DEEPERGRAY: Did I mention chess players would score big time with super hot chicks? Where's the love analytical people?

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: <DEEPERGRAY> <You know what would kick ass> Eh. If Kramnik loses this match, my scenario of choice would be for him to be down 6-5, and have Black in the 12th game. His greatest weakness has been an almost complete inability to win with Black, and I want to see him have to make the effort.

Sep-30-08		ravel5184: Go Kramnik!

Sep-30-08		SetNoEscapeOn: All right: the scenario makes no sense because Kramnik would never allow an open Sicilian up a point with one game to go.

Sep-30-08		Whitehat1963: Go Topalov! ;o)

Sep-30-08		WannaBe: From the official site: <3.4.1 The draw for colors will be conducted during the opening ceremony. The colors shall be reversed after game 6. (The player getting the white color in game 1 shall play game 7 with the black color).> So... Game 1. White Game 2. Black Game 3. White Game 4. Black Game 5. White Game 6. Black Game 7. Black (again) Game 8. White ... ... Is my understanding correct? And why the switching of colours?

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: I believe the reason for the switching of colours is because they don't want the same person having White the day after a rest day throughout the entire match. Though you'd think it would be easier to adjust the rest day schedule than to make one player have two consecutive Blacks. This rule, combined with the forfeit, meant that Kramnik had three consecutive Blacks in the Godforsaken Elsita match, which was completely unprecedented outside of a weekend Swiss.

Sep-30-08		gazzawhite: My prediction: Anand 6.5, Kramnik 4.5 (not sure if 12th game will be played if there is a winner after 11 games). BTW, <ravel5184>, who are you hoping will win?

Sep-30-08		klangenfarben: <Petrosianic> <WannaBe>: What strikes me as odd about the arrangement is that whoever gets White in the first game also gets White in the last game. The only drawback is having to "suffer" as Black twice in a row mid-match. This strikes me as an unnecessary advantage given to the winner of the luck of the draw.

Sep-30-08		WannaBe: <gazzawhite> No, game 12 will not be played. What they will do, is move the closing ceremony to an earlier date.

Sep-30-08		Jole: klangenfarben: if I were one of the players and had a choice about it, i'd rather be the one who had white at the beginning and the end, because it gives one the better opportunity to shed first blood; and also, if need be, one has white for the last game in the scenario that the last game is important. I wonder if Anand has learnt from his match with Kasparov in 1995, where Kasparov dubbed him as ready for the chess, but not the pressure of the match. I imagine that he would be a lot better now, but by how much - we'll see.

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: <klangenfarben> Yeah, I think I'd rather have White in both the first and last games. The solution causes as many problems as it solves. Better to just have one extra rest day in there somewhere.

Sep-30-08		Resignation Trap: <Petrosianic> <<>Enjoy it while you can because the next match will almost certainly be either Anand or Kramnik against Topalov (The Dick Dastardly and Muttley of the chess world.<>> All I can add to that statement is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SazB... :)

Sep-30-08		Petrosianic: Just in case I didn't make that clear, I see Danailov as Dastardly and Topalov as Muttley. You know, Muttley was voiced by Don "Scooby Doo" Messick.

Sep-30-08		kulangot: It's either Kamsky-Kramnik again or Kamsky-Anand for the third time.Topalov is not a match player.He lost all his seven attempts in a world championship match plays,the last two where he lost to Leko and Kramnik.

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