Kramnik

Vladimir Kramnik was born in 1975 and entered the elite as a teenager. In 2000 he defeated Garry Kasparov 8.5 to 6.5 without losing a game. That victory gave him the classical world title, one of two branches then in existence because the championship had split between Kasparov's line and the title administered by FIDE, the International Chess Federation.

Kramnik defended that crown against Peter Leko in 2004. In 2006 he beat Veselin Topalov, champion of the FIDE branch, in a contest decided by additional tiebreak games. The result joined the two lines and made him unified world champion. He lost the crown to Viswanathan Anand in the 2007 championship tournament and failed to regain it in their 2008 match.

Chess contribution

Kramnik excelled in both openings and endgames. The opening is the early phase in which both sides develop pieces and contest the center; the endgame begins when few pieces remain and each decision carries greater weight. His use of the Berlin Defense against Kasparov showed that an opening once considered unambitious could become a resilient weapon at the highest level. His career is essential to understanding the reunification of the World Chess Championship and modern preparation.