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FIDE World Chess Championship 1999

The FIDE World Chess Championship 1999 was held in Las Vegas, United States, between 31 July and 28 August 1999. The championship was won by Russian Alexander Khalifman, making him the FIDE World Chess Champion.

Format

The format was a knockout tournament of short matches. This was similar in style to that used at the FIDE World Chess Championship 1998, and had the same advantages and disadvantages - see Controversies.

A change from the 1998 championship was that incumbent champion (Anatoly Karpov) had no special privileges, other than that he (like a number of leading players) was seeded into the second round. In protest at this, Karpov refused to play.

Controversy and non-participants

In addition to Karpov, neither Garry Kasparov nor Viswanathan Anand took part. Kasparov, holder of a rival world championship title, refused to play in any of the FIDE knockout championships, and Anand was negotiating to play a match against Kasparov for his title. (This match never took place - see Classical World Chess Championship 2000).

Only three players in the top fifteen reached the quarterfinals and by the semifinals most of the favourites had been eliminated. Kasparov called three of the quarterfinalists "tourists", perhaps intending only to reflect the surprising results of the earlier rounds, but the remark raised some controversy.

Winner Khalifman was rated 44th in the world at the time, which some compared unfavourably to PCA champion Kasparov being ranked No. 1. Khalifman said after the tournament, "Rating system works perfectly for players who play only in round robin closed events. I think most of them are overrated. Organizers invite same people over and over because they have the same rating and their rating stays high." Perhaps in response, Khalifman was invited to the next Linares chess tournament, and performed creditably (though placing below joint winner Kasparov).

Participants

1 Morozevich, Karpov, Z. Polgar, and Velimirovic had to be replaced with the following players:

2 Hakki and Bagheri did not appear due to the visa problems.

Results, rounds 1-4

Section 1

  First round Second round Third round Fourth round
                                     
        
  1  Vladimir Kramnik 1½  
    33  Sergei Tiviakov ½  
33  Sergei Tiviakov 4½
69  Dmitry Gurevich 3½  
  1  Vladimir Kramnik 1½  
  17  Viktor Korchnoi ½  
        
        
  17  Viktor Korchnoi 4
    49  Sergey Dolmatov 2  
49  Sergey Dolmatov 2½
85  Pavel Kotsur 1½  
  1  Vladimir Kramnik 3
  9  Veselin Topalov 1
        
        
  9  Veselin Topalov 4
    41  Ruslan Ponomariov 2  
41  Ruslan Ponomariov 1½
77  Mohamad Al-Modiahki ½  
  9  Veselin Topalov 1½
  57  Lev Psakhis ½  
        
        
  25  Ilia Smirin 1½
    57  Lev Psakhis 2½  
57  Lev Psakhis 2½
93  Alonso Zapata 1½  

Section 2

  First round Second round Third round Fourth round
                                     
        
  5  Michael Adams 2  
    73  Mikhail Kobalia 0  
37  Nick DeFirmian ½
73  Mikhail Kobalia 1½  
  5  Michael Adams 1½  
  21  Zoltán Almási ½  
        
        
  21  Zoltán Almási 3
    53  Peng Xiaomin 1  
53  Peng Xiaomin 1½
89  Darmen Sadvakasov ½  
  5  Michael Adams 4
   Alexey Dreev 2
        
        
  13  Sergei Rublevsky 3
    45  Alex Yermolinsky 1  
45  Alex Yermolinsky 2½
81  Kevin Spraggett 1½  
  13  Sergei Rublevsky ½
   Alexey Dreev 1½  
65  Robert Zelcic 2½  
 Alexey Dreev 3½  
   Alexey Dreev 1½
    61  Vasilios Kotronias ½  
61  Vasilios Kotronias 1½
97  Slim Bouaziz ½  

Section 3

  First round Second round Third round Fourth round
                                     
        
  29  Alexei Fedorov 1½  
    35  Boris Gulko ½  
35  Boris Gulko 1½
71  Dimitri Reinderman ½  
  29  Alexei Fedorov 1½  
  19  Jan Timman ½  
        
        
  19  Jan Timman 1½
    87  Levon Aronian ½  
51  Eduardas Rozentalis 0
87  Levon Aronian 2  
  29  Alexei Fedorov 2½
  27  Sergei Movsesian 3½
        
        
  11  Peter Leko 1½
    79  Christian Bauer ½  
43  Rustam Kasimdzhanov ½
79  Christian Bauer 1½  
  11  Peter Leko 1½
  27  Sergei Movsesian 2½  
        
        
  27  Sergei Movsesian 2
    59  Goran Dizdar 0  
59  Goran Dizdar 1½
95  Liang Chong ½  

Section 4

  First round Second round Third round Fourth round
                                     
        
  7  Peter Svidler 1½  
    39  Aleksej Aleksandrov ½  
39  Aleksej Aleksandrov 2
75  Julio Becerra Rivero 0  
  7  Peter Svidler ½  
  23  Kiril Georgiev 1½  
        
        
  23  Kiril Georgiev 2
    91  Tal Shaked 0  
55  Vlastimil Babula 1½
91  Tal Shaked 2½  
  23  Kiril Georgiev ½
  31  Vladimir Akopian 1½
        
        
  15  Evgeny Bareev 1½
    47  Jaan Ehlvest ½  
47  Jaan Ehlvest 1½
83  Friso Nijboer ½  
  15  Evgeny Bareev 1½
  31  Vladimir Akopian 2½  
31  Vladimir Akopian 1½  
67  Maia Chiburdanidze ½  
  31  Vladimir Akopian 2½
    63  Rogelio Antonio Jr. 1½  
63  Rogelio Antonio Jr. 2
99  Alexander Kozak 0  

Section 5

  First round Second round Third round Fourth round
                                     
        
  2  Alexei Shirov 2½  
    34  Ivan Sokolov 1½  
34  Ivan Sokolov 1½
70  Sergey Kudrin ½  
  2  Alexei Shirov 3  
  50  Gilberto Milos 1  
        
        
  18  Valery Salov 0
    50  Gilberto Milos 2  
50  Gilberto Milos 1½
86  Alexander Ivanov ½  
  2  Alexei Shirov 1½
  10  Nigel Short ½
        
        
  10  Nigel Short 1½
    78  Daniel Fridman ½  
42  Utut Adianto 0
78  Daniel Fridman 2  
  10  Nigel Short 1½
  26  Alexander Beliavsky ½  
        
        
  26  Alexander Beliavsky 1½
    58  Hichem Hamdouchi ½  
58  Hichem Hamdouchi w/o
94  Imad Hakki  

Section 6

  First round Second round Third round Fourth round
                                     
        
  6  Vassily Ivanchuk 2  
    38  Matthias Wahls 0  
38  Matthias Wahls 1½
74  Altin Cela ½  
  6  Vassily Ivanchuk 2  
  22  Sergei Shipov 0  
        
        
  22  Sergei Shipov 2½
    54  Hannes Stefansson 1½  
54  Hannes Stefansson 3½
90  Alexander Zubarev 2½  
  6  Vassily Ivanchuk 1½
  46  Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu 2½
        
        
  14  Zurab Azmaiparashvili 1½
    46  Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu 2½  
46  Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu 2
82  Stefan Djuric 0  
  46  Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu 2½
  62  Rafael Leitao 1½  
66  Bartłomiej Macieja 2½  
 Vadim Milov 1½  
  66  Bartłomiej Macieja ½
    62  Rafael Leitao 1½  
62  Rafael Leitao w/o
98  Amir Bagheri  

Section 7

  First round Second round Third round Fourth round
                                     
        
  4  Gata Kamsky 1½  
    36  Alexander Khalifman 2½  
36  Alexander Khalifman 3½
72  Dibyendu Barua 2½  
  36  Alexander Khalifman 1½  
  52  Karen Asrian ½  
        
        
  20  Matthew Sadler ½
    52  Karen Asrian 1½  
52  Karen Asrian 2½
88  Andrés Rodríguez 1½  
  36  Alexander Khalifman 2½
  12  Boris Gelfand 1½
        
        
  12  Boris Gelfand 1½
    44  Jon Speelman ½  
44  Jon Speelman 1½
80  Pablo Ricardi ½  
  12  Boris Gelfand 4
   Joël Lautier 2  
        
        
  28  Konstantin Sakaev 1½
     Joël Lautier 2½  
96  Watu Kobese 0
 Joël Lautier 2  

Section 8

  First round Second round Third round Fourth round
                                     
        
  30  Michael Krasenkow 2½  
    40  Tony Miles 1½  
40  Tony Miles 2½
76  Ralf Åkesson 1½  
  30  Michael Krasenkow ½  
  24  Vadim Zvjaginsev 1½  
        
        
  24  Vadim Zvjaginsev 2½
     Ulf Andersson 1½  
92  Esam Mohamed Ahmed Nagib 0
 Ulf Andersson 2  
  24  Vadim Zvjaginsev 1
  16  Judit Polgár 3
        
        
  16  Judit Polgár 1½
    84  Peter Heine Nielsen ½  
48  Joel Benjamin 3
84  Peter Heine Nielsen 4  
  16  Judit Polgár 1½
  64  Jordi Magem Badals ½  
32  Vladislav Tkachiev 2  
68  Alejandro Sergio Hoffman 0  
  32  Vladislav Tkachiev 1
    64  Jordi Magem Badals 3  
64  Jordi Magem Badals 2
100  Vladimir Feldman 0  

Results, rounds 5-7

Quarterfinals Semifinals (best of 4) Final (best of 6)
                 
1 Vladimir Kramnik 2
5 Michael Adams 4
5 Michael Adams ½
31 Vladimir Akopian 2½
27 Sergei Movsesian 1½
31 Vladimir Akopian 2½
31 Vladimir Akopian 2½
36 Alexander Khalifman 3½
2 Alexei Shirov ½
46 Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu 1½
46 Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu 2½
36 Alexander Khalifman 3½
36 Alexander Khalifman 1½
16 Judit Polgár ½

Championship final

FIDE World Chess Championship Final 1999
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 Points
Vladimir Akopian (Armenia) 2640 0 ½ 1 0 ½ ½ 2½
Alexander Khalifman (Russia) 2616 1 ½ 0 1 ½ ½ 3½
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