Vladimir Kramnik facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vladimir Kramnik |
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Kramnik at the Candidates Tournament 2018
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| Full name | Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik |
| Country |
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| Born | 25 June 1975 Tuapse, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Title | Grandmaster (1992) |
| World Champion | 2000–06 (Classical) 2006–07 (undisputed) |
| FIDE rating | 2753 (June 2025) |
| Peak rating | 2817 (October 2016) |
| Peak ranking | No. 1 (January 1996) |
Vladimir Kramnik (born June 25, 1975) is a famous Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006. He then became the 14th undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007.
In 2000, Kramnik beat Garry Kasparov to become the Classical World Chess Champion. He kept his title in 2004 against Peter Leko. In 2006, he won a special match against Veselin Topalov. This win made him the first undisputed World Champion since 1993.
In 2007, Kramnik lost his title to Viswanathan Anand. Anand won the World Chess Championship 2007 tournament. Kramnik tried to win it back in 2008 but lost to Anand again. He stayed a top player, competing in many Candidates tournaments. He almost won in 2013. Kramnik stopped playing professional chess in January 2019. He wanted to focus on chess projects for kids and education.
Kramnik reached a very high rating of 2817 in October 2016. This makes him one of the highest-rated players ever. He is well-known for his new ideas in chess openings.
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Vladimir Kramnik's Early Chess Journey
Vladimir Kramnik was born in Tuapse, a town by the Black Sea. His mother was a music teacher. His father was a painter and sculptor. As a child, Vladimir went to a chess school started by Mikhail Botvinnik.
His first big success was winning a gold medal at the 1992 Chess Olympiad in Manila. He played for the Russian team. This was a surprise because he was only a FIDE Master then. But Garry Kasparov supported his choice. Kramnik won eight games and drew one, without any losses. This amazing performance earned him a gold medal.
The next year, Kramnik played in the strong Linares tournament. He finished fifth and even beat Vasyl Ivanchuk, who was then the world number three. He kept getting good results. In 1995, he won his first major tournament in Dortmund. He finished that tournament without losing a single game.
In 1995, Kramnik helped Kasparov prepare for his World Championship match. Kasparov won that match. In January 1996, Kramnik became the world number-one player. He was the youngest player ever to reach this spot at the time. This record stood for 14 years. Kramnik won the Dortmund tournament ten times between 1995 and 2011. He was also the second player to reach a rating of 2800.
Becoming a World Chess Champion
Early Attempts to Reach the Top
In the 1990s, Kramnik was one of the best players. But he had trouble qualifying for a World Championship match. In 1994, he lost to Gata Kamsky and Boris Gelfand in qualifying matches. In 1998, he lost to Alexei Shirov for the chance to play Kasparov. In 1999, he lost in the quarterfinals of the FIDE championship.
Winning the World Title in 2000
In 2000, Kramnik played a 16-game match against Garry Kasparov in London. This was for the Classical Chess World Championship. Many thought Kasparov would win. But Kramnik used a special opening called the Berlin Defence. This opening worked very well against Kasparov.
Kramnik won two games and drew the rest. He won the match 8½–6½ without losing a single game. This was a huge surprise. It was only the second time a World Champion lost without winning any games. It was also Kasparov's first time losing a World Championship match. Kramnik's great play earned him the Chess Oscar award for 2000.
After Winning the Title
In 2002, Kramnik played an eight-game match against a chess computer called Deep Fritz. This match was in Bahrain. Kramnik started well, leading 3–1. But in game five, he made a big mistake and lost. He also lost game six. The match ended in a 4–4 tie.
In 2004, Kramnik won the Linares Tournament for the first time. He finished without any losses. He was ahead of Kasparov, who was the world's highest-rated player.
Defending His Title in 2004
From September to October 2004, Kramnik defended his title. He played against Péter Lékó in Switzerland. The match had 14 games. Lékó was leading until the very last game. Kramnik won the final game, making the match a 7–7 draw. This meant Kramnik kept his title as World Champion. The prize money was split between them.
Unifying the World Title in 2006
For many years, there were two "World Chess Champions." One was the "classical" champion, and the other was the FIDE champion. When Kramnik beat Kasparov, he became the classical champion. In 2006, FIDE arranged a match to unite the titles. Kramnik played against the FIDE World Champion, Veselin Topalov.
The match took place in Elista, Russia. Kramnik led 3–1 after four games. There was a disagreement about bathroom use during the match. Kramnik refused to play game five, and the point was given to Topalov. This made the score 3–2. Kramnik felt the committee was unfair.
After 12 regular games, the score was tied 6–6. Kramnik then won the tie-break games by 2½–1½. This made him the first undisputed World Champion since 1993. Kramnik won his second Chess Oscar for this victory.
Losing the Title in 2007
After uniting the titles, Kramnik played in the 2007 World Championship tournament. He said he would accept the winner of this tournament as the true World Champion. Kramnik finished second in the tournament. Viswanathan Anand won the tournament and became the new World Champion.
Challenging for the Title in 2008
In 2008, Kramnik played a match against Anand to try and win back the title. This match was in Bonn, Germany. Anand played very well and won three of the first six games. Kramnik's play improved, and he won one game. But he lost the match to Anand by a score of 6½ to 4½.
Later Chess Career and Retirement
Strong Performances (2009-2012)
Kramnik had a great year in 2009. He won in Dortmund again. He also won the Tal Memorial tournament in Moscow. This was a very strong tournament with many top players. After this win, Kramnik said he wanted to become World Champion again. He also finished second in the London Chess Classic. His high rating helped him qualify for the Candidates Tournament for the 2012 World Championship.
In 2010, Kramnik played in the Corus chess tournament. He beat Magnus Carlsen, who was the new world number one. This ended Carlsen's long unbeaten streak. Kramnik also helped Viswanathan Anand prepare for his 2010 World Championship match. Anand won that match. Kramnik won the President's Cup in Baku. He also won the Grand Slam Chess Masters final in Bilbao. This was one of the strongest tournaments ever.
In 2011, Kramnik won the Dortmund tournament for the tenth time. He also won the London Chess Classic with a very high performance rating.
Candidates Tournaments and World Cups (2013-2018)
Kramnik played in the 2013 Candidates Tournament in London. He tied for first place with Magnus Carlsen. But Carlsen won because of better tie-break rules. Kramnik won the Chess World Cup 2013 in Norway. This win qualified him for the Candidates Tournament 2014. In 2014, he finished third in the Candidates Tournament.
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In 2015, Kramnik did not defend his World Cup title. He also missed qualifying for the Candidates Tournament 2016. This was the first Candidates Tournament he missed since they were brought back in 2012. He played in the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Berlin. He finished third in the World Blitz Championship.
In 2016, Kramnik played in several top tournaments. He finished joint second in Dortmund. He also played in the Grand Chess Tour events.
In 2017, Kramnik was still a top player. He finished second in the Gashimov Memorial. He was also third in Norway Chess. He gave a simultaneous exhibition in Geneva, winning almost all his games.
In 2018, Kramnik received a special invitation to the Candidates Tournament 2018. He started well, winning a brilliant game against Levon Aronian. But he finished fifth in the tournament.
Retirement from Professional Chess
In January 2019, Kramnik played in the 81st Tata Steel Chess Tournament. After this tournament, he announced he was retiring from professional chess. He said he wanted to focus on chess for children and education. He might still play in faster chess games and give exhibitions.
Online Chess Activities
Kramnik has been active on the online chess platform Chess.com. He often plays fast games and joins tournaments. He has shared his concerns about fair play in online chess. In late 2023, there were some issues with his online account and blog on Chess.com.
Kramnik vs. Deep Fritz: A Human-Computer Match
In 2006, Kramnik played a six-game match against the computer program Deep Fritz. This match was in Bonn, Germany. Kramnik lost the match 2–4, with two losses and four draws. He received a lot of money for playing. Deep Fritz used a powerful computer.
The first game was a draw. Some experts thought Kramnik missed a chance to win. Deep Fritz won the second game because Kramnik made a big mistake. The next three games were draws. In the last game, Kramnik tried to win with a risky opening. But Fritz played better, and Kramnik had to give up. Fritz won the match 4–2. This match was one of the last big human-computer chess matches.
Vladimir Kramnik's Personal Life
On December 30, 2006, Kramnik married Marie-Laure Germon, a French journalist. They got married in Paris. They have two children, a daughter named Daria and a son named Vadim. They live in Geneva, Switzerland.
Kramnik has a health condition called ankylosing spondylitis. This is a type of arthritis that can cause pain. In 2006, he took a break from chess to get treatment. He returned later that year and played very well in the 37th Chess Olympiad.
How Kramnik Changed Chess
His Playing Style
Garry Kasparov said Kramnik's style was practical and tough. He was very hard to beat. Before his match with Kasparov, Kramnik lost only one game out of over a hundred. He even had an amazing streak of eighty games without a loss. Kasparov could not beat Kramnik in their 2000 World Championship match. This was partly because of Kramnik's strong use of the Berlin Defence. Kramnik is also known for his excellent skills in the endgame.
New Ideas in Chess Openings
Kramnik has greatly influenced opening theory in chess. Viswanathan Anand once said that for 10 years, chess players were mostly using Kramnik's opening ideas. Kramnik's success with the white pieces against the King's Indian Defence made Kasparov stop using it. This also made the opening less popular for many years. Kramnik's use of the Berlin Defence in 2000 made it very popular. He also helped bring back the Petrov's Defence and the Catalan Opening.
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See also
In Spanish: Vladímir Krámnik para niños
- List of chess games between Anand and Kramnik
- List of chess games between Kasparov and Kramnik
