FIDE World Chess Champs 2001 & 2002

Official Site Reports: Ponomariov draws 7th game to clinch match and become 16th World Champion! In the 7th game of the World Chess Championship 2001-2002 the opponents agreed to draw. This means Ruslan Ponomatiov of Ukrain becomes the new World Chess Champion. Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine became, at 18, the youngest world champion ever as he drew game 7 to win his match 4.5:2.5 against compatriot Vassily Ivanchuk. FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov congratulated the 16th World Champion at the post-game press conference. “The next World Championship shall be in London under the same system,” he pronounced. “I played for a draw,” Ponomariov admitted. “On the 29th, I shall call on Ukraine President Leonid Kuchma,” he announced. “Then my next tournament shall be in Linares,” Ponomariov said. Asked how he would feel playing against the strongest players like Kasparov, Kramnik and Anand, Ponomariov said “I feel a responsibility as world champion. In my childhood, Kasparov and Karpov were my favorites, but now I have no favorites. I prefer a universal style.” Ivanchuk joined the press conference and emphatically said “I studied the games of different players like Botvinnik. I never had any favorite players, I do not have now and I never will have.” Joining the youngest world champion at the press conference was the oldest living champion, Vassily Smyslov, who said “I am glad that the two finalists are products of the Soviet chess school.” Ponomariov came early but Ivanchuk refused to emerge from backstage for three minutes after Deputy Arbiter Jorge Vega of Mexico started the chess clock. After shaking hands with Ponomariov, Ivanchuk refused to make a move until time had elapsed and Chief Arbiter Yuri Averbach ordered photographers to leave. Surprisingly, according to commentator GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili, Ivanchuk used the Alekhine defense. “It is a strange opening by Ivanchuk. The Alekhine is not the type of opening to use when Black must win and if White does not want to complicate, he has many variations to choose,” Azmaiparashvili said. “Ruslan Ponomariov chose 4.Nf3 and Ivanchuk replied with Nc6 which is worse than any other line,” Azmaiparashvili added. “Yes, 4.Nf3 is the weakest continuation. It would have been better to develop the Bishop,” World Championship Cycle Committee Chairman Willy Iclicki agreed. Azmaiparashvili continued “White definitely stood better when Ivanchuk offered the draw. I predicted the game would end in less than two hours. I was wrong. It ended in one and a half hours.” At the press conference, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov replied to questions from journalists. He said “On the matter of having six or 12 games, I prefer more games, but the FIDE General Assembly decided on 8 and the players agreed to these rules before the start. We consulted many players on the matter of time control. These questions shall be discussed at the FIDE Congress during this year’s Olympiad in Slovenia.” And on the matter of sponsorship, the FIDE President said “When I assumed the presidency, FIDE was near bankruptcy. Now we have the situation in hand and we have many foreign and Russian companies who help finance FIDE. For example, this year we are starting the FIDE Grand Prix with sponsors from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.” Awards ceremonies are scheduled 7pm on Friday, 25 January here at the historic Metropol Hotel, host of the first Moscow International Chess Tournament in 1925 among Capablanca, Lasker and other notables.   Game 1, 16/1/2002 Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) - Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR) - 1-0 Game 2, 17/1/2002 Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR) - Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) - 1/2 Game 3, 18/1/2002 Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) - Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR) - 1/2 Game 4, 19/1/2002 Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR) - Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) - 1/2 Game 5, 21/1/2002 Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) - Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR) - 1-0 Game 6, 22/1/2002 Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR) - Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) - 1/2 Game 7, 23/1/2002 Ruslan Ponomariov (UKR) - Vassily Ivanchuk (UKR) - 1/2 View the games (java applet) | Get the games Schedule: 16 January -Wednesday - Play Day, 17 January - Thursday - Play day, 18 January - Friday - Play day, 19 January - Saturday - Play day, 20 January - Sunday - Rest day, 21 January - Monday - Play day, 22 January - Tuesday - Play day, 23 January - Wednesday - Play Day, 24 January - Thursday - Play Day, 25January - Friday - Tiebreak, Closing Ceremony, Time: Games start at 12.00 GMT (16.00 - Moscow time ) Live online display of the WCC Final games at http://wcc2001.fide.com Photos from official site >>> Alexandra Kosteniuk - Zhu Chen tie-break match Zhu Chen is a new World Women Chess champion!!! WOMEN - Final Day 1, 08/12/2001, Kosteniuk, Alexandra (IM)(RUS) - Zhu, Chen (GM)(CHN) 1-0 Day 2, 10/12/2001, Zhu, Chen (GM)(CHN) - Kosteniuk, Alexandra (IM)(RUS) 1-0 Day 3, 11/12/2001, Kosteniuk, Alexandra (IM)(RUS) - Zhu, Chen (GM)(CHN) 0-1 Day 4, 13/12/2001, Zhu, Chen (GM)(CHN) - Kosteniuk, Alexandra (IM)(RUS) 0-1 Tie Break, 14/12/2001 1. Zhu, Chen (GM)(CHN) - Kosteniuk, Alexandra (IM)(RUS) 1-0 2. Kosteniuk, Alexandra (IM)(RUS) - Zhu, Chen (GM)(CHN) 1-0  3. Zhu, Chen (GM)(CHN) - Kosteniuk, Alexandra (IM)(RUS) 1-0 4. Kosteniuk, Alexandra (IM)(RUS) - Zhu, Chen (GM)(CHN) 0-1 For More ... Men:      Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3  | Round 4 | Round 5  | Round 6 >>> Women: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5  | Round 6 >>> View the games (Java Applet) | Get the Games (Rounds 1-6 Tie breaks included - 394Kb) or round by round | Men Finals Source FIDE's WCC Web page: http://wcc2001.fide.com

Pamplona 2001

Greek Men Championships (Play offs)

Hellenic Cup - Final Four, Levidi - Arcadia

Botvinnik Memorial - Moscow, Columnar Hall

“WHITE TOWER 2001" & 1st BALKAN CUP OF PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP

Johann T. Jonsson Memorial

ECC in Groningen cancelled

Balkan Individual Chess Championships

European Team Championship 2001

KLOMPENDANS Tournament Amsterdam 2001 - Ladies vs Veterans 24.0 - 26.0

Corsica Rapidplay Open

Essent Chess Tournament

Spanish Teams Championship

Governor's Cup Kramatorsk

Spanish Teams Championship

German Bundesliga

The 4NCL

SmartChess International

5th World Chess Team Championship

European Club Cup Rethymno, Crete

FIDE World Chess Champs 2001 (Qualification lists for WCC 01)

Monarch Assurance

Panormo Open

Anatoly Karpov Join World Championship

Najdorf Memorial - Karpov's Victory

Circular on time control to be used in Moscow

FIDE World Chess Champs 2001 (Announcement)

Bulgarian Team Championship

Match Europe - Asia, Batumi 16 - 20 September 2001

China - Russia Chess Summit  

Kramnik vs Deep Fritz: Match to be delayed until early 2002 in respect of the tragedy in USA

Armenian Champs 2001

Bad Wiessee announcements

Enghien-les-Bains

Mainz Chess Classic

58th Men's Polish Chess Champs

Keres Memorial Rapid Tournament

Bundesliga 2001

Reggio Emilia 2001

Israeli Champs

1st Darmstadt International

Rilton Cup

4NCL 2000-2001

Australian Open '01