21 World Champions at a Glance

The previous post, World Championship Posters (January 2025; alternate title: 'Of Posts and Posters'), started,

I discovered a photo of historical interest among others from game 10: [see link to photo; (Photo credit: FIDE / Eng Chin An)] Posters in the background told a couple of important stories.

Along with the posters featured in that post, was a poster with a unique prespective on the official World Champions. It is shown below.

The World Champions
(can be expanded)

The historical path starts with Steinitz in the upper left corner, shows the five non-FIDE World Champions, then drops to Botvinnik in the middle of the second row, who was the first FIDE World Champion, no.6 in the accepted sequence of numbering the World Champions. He is flanked by the two players who beat him in a title match (then lost a rematch), after which the path moves to Petrosian (no.9). The path then runs sequentially through Kasparov (no.13).

After Kasparov, the path resembles spaghetti. Kasparov is succeeded by Karpov and Kramnik (no.14). Karpov is succeeded by Khalifman then the other three FIDE Knockout (KO) World Champions plus Topalov. The Bulgarian is succeeded by Kramnik then Anand (no.15). The Indian is succeeded by Carlsen then Ding Liren (no.17). The current World Champion, Gukesh (no.18), is not shown.

The total of 17 numbered World Champions plus five FIDE World Champions makes 22 faces. Who's missing? No one, because Anand sits on two paths, as the second KO champion and for beating Kramnik in 2006. Karpov's win as the first KO champion in 1997/-98 is not shown, probably because he succeeded himself.

The colors used for the arrows could have been better chosen, but that's a detail. All in all, it's an informative chart with tons of info and good photos packed into a small space. Kudos to its designer. For more clarity on the spaghetti portion of the chart (ten faces), see the main page of my World Chess Championship (m-w.com) site.

World Championship Posters

While I was searching FIDE's official photos in preparation for previous posts, e.g. 2024 Gukesh - Ding Liren, Closing Ceremony (December 2024), I discovered a photo of historical interest among others from game 10: 2024-12-07 FIDE World Championship Singapore 2024 Others (Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An). Posters in the background told a couple of important stories.

First, here is a composite extract from the photo showing posters from various World Championship matches. Beneath the extract is a legend linking to my own pages (m-w.com).

Top to bottom, left to right [notes in brackets]; first row:-

• 1995 Kasparov - Anand; PCA Title Match; New York, IX-X, 1995. [see '(A)']
• (ditto)
• 1987 Kasparov - Karpov; Seville, X-XII, 1987.

Second row:-

• 2012 Anand - Gelfand; Moscow, V, 2012.
• 1993 Kasparov - Short; PCA Title Match; London, IX-X, 1993.
• 2016 Carlsen - Karjakin; New York, XI, 2016. [logo same as poster]

Third row:-

• 1981 Karpov - Korchnoi; Merano, X-XI, 1981.
• 1987 Kasparov - Karpov; Seville, X-XII, 1987. [as above, different poster]
• 1972 Fischer - Spassky; Reykjavik, VII-VIII, 1972. [program; see '(B)']

Fourth row:-

• 2014 Carlsen - Anand; Sochi (Russia), XI, 2014.
• 1990 Kasparov - Karpov; New York/Lyon, X-XII, 1990.

Notes:-

• (A) Chess at the World Trade Center (June 2018)
• (B) 1972 Fischer - Spassky Poster (March 2013)

It's noteworthy that some of the posters were created for non-FIDE World Championship matches; see the three PCA title matches in the first two rows.

The same FIDE photo which was the source of the composite image above included another poster/chart showing the relationships between the World Championships starting with Steinitz. I'll save that for the next post.

Twenty-Five Years into the Millennium

https://cooltext.com/

***

Is 2025 a Dystopian Year?
(Cooltext Style: Tesla)

2024 Gukesh - Ding Liren, Closing Ceremony

In last week's post, 2024 Gukesh - Ding Liren, Fourth Week (December 2024; 'The New World Champion, Gukesh Dommaraju'), I wrote,

I hope to have at least one more post with photos from the official albums on Flickr.

There are many good photos available, but I picked four for this current post. For all photos from the FIDE album, see Closing Ceremony | FIDE World Championship Match 2024.

Photos: FIDE

Top to bottom, left to right (photographer in parentheses):-
TL: FIDE President Dvorkovich (Eng Chin An)
TR: Medals, 'Runner-Up' and 'World Chess Champion' (Maria Emelianova)
BL: Confetti (Eng Chin An)
BR: Gukesh holding trophy (Maria Emelianova)

Why include a photo of confetti? Because it conveys the energy and excitement around India's new World Champion.

***

Today is Christmas. The last time the holiday fell on WCC Wednesday was Merry Christmas! from a Family of Blogs (December 2019). Five years later, with two intervening leap years, it falls again. For this year's annual Christmas post, see Inside Santa's Workshop (December 2024), on my main blog.

2024 Gukesh - Ding Liren, Fourth Week

For last week's post, 2024 Ding Liren - Gukesh, Third Week (December 2024), the score in the Singapore World Championship match was tied:-

+2-2=8 after the 12th game • That's where this blog will pick up for the next post with two regulation games to be played.

The last reports filed by 'IM Michael Rahal (Singapore)' were:-

• 2024-12-11: Ding dodges a bullet (worldchampionship.fide.com; g.13)
• 2024-12-12: India crowns the 18th World Champion, Gukesh D (ditto; g.14)
• 2024-12-13: Gukesh D crowned 18th FIDE World Champion (ditto; closing ceremony)

The title of that game 14 report could easily have been more sensational. The game's turning point will go down in the annals of chess as one of those moves that changed the course of chess history. From the game report:-

On move twenty-nine, Ding decided to sacrifice a Pawn, to ensure the exchange of Queens and Rooks. Although White was a Pawn down, the game was clearly heading towards a draw. Ding was holding his ground, but just when most of the analysts and journalists in the media center were already preparing their reports with the draw and tie-breaks, disaster struck for the champion.

In an effort to force a quick draw, he offered an exchange of Rooks at an inappropriate moment. "I was totally in shock when I realized I made a blunder,” Ding explained in the postgame press conference.

The Rook exchange was immediately followed by a forced exchange of the last remaining pieces, a Bishop for each player. Now the extra Pawn was just enough for Gukesh to force a win. The report on the closing ceremony started,

After almost a month of fierce competition, against an opponent who never gave in, 18-year-old Grandmaster from Chennai Gukesh D. raised the winner’s trophy this evening, in the magnificent ballrooms of the Equarius Hotel Sentosa.

There were a half-dozen photos I could have used to illustrate this post, but I liked this one best.

Game 14 - The New World Champion, Gukesh Dommaraju

'FIDE World Championship Singapore 2024'
Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An

I hope to have at least one more post with photos from the official albums on Flickr. Although the match was disparaged by some powerful critics -- most notably ex-World Champions Kasparov and Carlsen -- I thoroughly enjoyed it.

2024 Ding Liren - Gukesh, Third Week

Last week's post, 2024 Ding Liren - Gukesh, Second Week (December 2024), on the World Championship taking place in Singapore ended with the score '+1-1=5 after the seventh game' (3.5 for each player). That was the half way point for the 14 scheduled regulation games. Since that post, five more games have been played. Here are the daily reports published by FIDE:-

• 2024-12-04: The most exciting game of the match ends in a draw (worldchampionship.fide.com; g.08)
• 2024-12-05: The calm after the storm (ditto, also following links; g.09)
• 2024-12-07: Ding hits a brick wall as match stands at 5-5 (g.10)
• 2024-12-08: Ding cracks under pressure and Gukesh takes the lead (g.11)
• 2024-12-09: Ding Liren takes down Gukesh D and ties the match (g.12)

All reports continued to be signed 'IM Michael Rahal', now with the mention of 'Singapore' after his name. Adding those five games to the seven played previously gives:-

+1-1=5 after the 2nd week
+1-1=3 during the 3rd week
======
+2-2=8 after the 12th game

That's where this blog will pick up for the next post with two regulation games to be played. This week's featured photo shows the official commentators at work.

'Game 11 Howell, Houska, Hou'
GM David Howell, IM Jovanka Houska, GM Hou Yifan
Photo: FIDE / Maria Emelianova

Howell and Houska have commentated on every game. Former Women's World Champion GM Hou Yifan was their guest for an extended interview during the 11th game. According to my page World Chess Championship for Women (m-w.com), Hou Yifan first won the title in 2010, then defended it three times before retiring while still reigning champion.

2024 Ding Liren - Gukesh, Second Week

Last week's post, 2024 Ding Liren - Gukesh, First Week (November 2024), on the World Championship taking place in Singapore ended,

After the first two games, the score was 1.5-0.5 in Ding Liren's favor.

Since that post, five more games have been played. Here are the daily reports published by FIDE:-

• 2024-11-27: Gukesh strikes back and ties the FIDE World Championship! (worldchampionship.fide.com; g.03)
• 2024-11-29: 100% accuracy for Ding Liren and Gukesh in their 4th game draw (ditto, also following links; g.04)
• 2024-11-30: Ding Liren lets Gukesh off the hook (g.05)
• 2024-12-01: Accurate defence by Gukesh secures another draw (g.06)
• 2024-12-03: Ding Liren escapes by the skin of his teeth (g.07)

Those reports were all signed 'IM Michael Rahal'. Adding those five games to the two played previously gives:-

+1-0=1 in Ding Liren's favor after the 1st week
+0-1=4 from Ding Liren's viewpoint during the 2nd week
======
+1-1=5 after the seventh game

That's where this blog will pick up for the next post.

'Game 4 Press Conference'
Ding Liren, GM Maurice Ashley, Gukesh
Photo: FIDE / Eng Chin An