CLASSICAL WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP 2004

The 'Classical World Chess Championship 2004' was held from September 25, 2004 - October 18, 2004 in Brissago, Switzerland. Vladimir Kramnik, the defending champion, played Péter Lékó, the challenger, in a fourteen game match.
The match ended 7-7, each player scoring two wins. Kramnik retained his title under the rules of the match.^[1]

Contents

Background

Qualification

The games

References

See also

Background

Garry Kasparov's split from FIDE in 1993 resulted in two lines of world chess champions. There was the 'Classical' world champion, the title that only passes on to a player when he beats 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 who, at the time of this match, was Rustam Kasimdzhanov.
This match was intended to be part of the "Prague Agreement" to reunite the World Championship, with the winner of this match (the "Classical" World Champion) to play the winner of a match between Kasparov and the FIDE World Champion, for a united world title. However these other matches never took place, although the title were later unified at the FIDE World Chess Championship 2006.

Qualification

The 2002 Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Meeting acted as the Candidates Tournament to determine the challenger to Kramnik's title. However not all of the top-ranked players were present. World #1 Garry Kasparov declined his invitation, instead insisting that he deserved a rematch with Kramnik based on his tournament results in 2001.^[2] Some other players, including world #2 Viswanathan Anand, declined invitations because they believed they were in conflict with their obligations under the rival FIDE World Championship.
Lékó won the Candidates Tournament:^[3]
Group 1 1 2 3 4 Total
1= Alexei Shirov 1.0 1.5 1.5 4.0
1= Veselin Topalov 1.0 1.5 1.5 4.0
3 Boris Gelfand 0.5 0.5 1.5 2.5
4 Christopher Lutz 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.5
Shirov won a 2 game playoff 1.5-0.5 to be placed first ahead of Topalov
Group 2 1 2 3 4 Total
1 Evgeny Bareev 1.0 1.0 2.0 4.0
2 Peter Leko 1.0 1.5 1.0 3.5
3 Michael Adams 1.0 0.5 1.0 2.5
4 Alexander Morozevich 0.0 1.0 1.0 2.0
Semi-finals:
Leko defeated Shirov 2.5-0.5
Topalov-Bareev was tied 2-2; Topalov won rapid playoff 1.5-0.5
Final:
Leko defeated Topalov 2.5-1.5

The games

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Total
Kramnik 2770 -29	1	½	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	½	1	7/14
Lékó 2741 +29	0	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	0	7/14

References

1. Classical World Chess Championship 2004
2. Kasparov Press Release
3. 2002 Dortmund Candidates Tournament, Mark Weeks' Chess Pages

See also

★ World Chess Championship

★ Classical World Chess Championship 1995

★ Classical World Chess Championship 2000