World Chess Championship, Bonn 2008
The 2008 World Chess Championship was held in Bonn, Germany from 14 October to 2 November. Vladimir Kramnik, the unified World Chess Champion since 2006, defended his title against Viswanathan Anand, who had won the FIDE World Championship tournament in Mexico City in 2007. Anand dominated the match with a remarkable display of opening preparation, winning three games — two of them with the black pieces — while Kramnik could manage only one victory in reply. Anand clinched the title with a draw in Game 11, winning 6½–4½ and becoming the undisputed World Chess Champion. The match is remembered for Anand's exceptional home preparation, particularly in the Nimzo-Indian and Slav defences.
- Format
- 12 classical games, time control: 2 hours for 40 moves + 1 hour for 20 moves + 15 minutes for the rest with 30-second increment
- Prize fund
- €1,500,000 (€1,000,000 to the winner, €500,000 to the runner-up)
- Venue
- Bonn
- Dates
- 14 October 2008 — 2 November 2008
Match games
Game 11 of 12Game analysis
Replay the key games in our editor with engine support — the positional ideas behind the Berlin Wall, Kramnik’s wins in games 2 and 10.
Final table
| Player | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Viswanathan Anand India · 2783 | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 1 | ½ | 0 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | — | 6½ |
Vladimir Kramnik Russia · 2772 | ½ | 0 | 0 | ½ | 0 | ½ | 1 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | — | 4½ |