The FIDE World Chess Championship 2000 was held in New Delhi, India, and Tehran, Iran. The first six rounds were played in New Delhi between 27 November and 15 December 2000, and the final match in Tehran started on 20 December and ended on 24 December 2000. The top seeded Indian Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won the championship. Background At the time of this championship, the World title was split. The newly crowned Classical World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik, did not participate, as well as the previous Classical Champion and world's highest-rated player, Garry Kasparov. Anatoly Karpov, the 1998 FIDE World Champion and No.11-rated player, also did not take part in the tournament as he was in the midst of filing a lawsuit against the organization. However, most other strongest players of the world took part, including the defending FIDE World Champion Alexander Khalifman and the 2000 World Cup winner Viswanathan Anand. The only other absentee from the top 25 was Ye Jiangchuan. Participants All players are Grandmasters unless indicated otherwise. , 2762 , 2756 , 2755 , 2746 , 2743 , 2719 , 2707 , 2702 , 2702 , 2690 , 2689 , 2681 , 2677 , 2677 , 2676 , 2673 , 2670 , 2668 , 2668 , 2667 , 2667 , 2666 , 2661 , 2660 , 2659 , 2657 , 2657 , 2649 , 2648 , 2646 , 2643 , 2643 , 2641 , 2633 , 2630 , 2627 , 2627 , 2627 , 2627 , 2623 , 2623 , 2620 , 2613 , 2611 , 2609 , 2606 , 2605 , 2599 , 2598 , 2598 , 2596 , 2595 , 2595 , 2594 , 2592 , 2591 , 2587 , 2584 , 2583 , 2582 , 2577 , 2574 , 2573 , 2572 , 2572 , 2567 , 2567 , 2566 , 2557 , 2557 , 2556 , 2555 , 2554 , 2554 , 2552 , 2545 , 2541 , 2536 , 2534 , 2529 , 2527 , 2526 , 2525 , 2522 , 2513, IM , 2510, IM , 2502 , 2499 , 2495 , 2488, no title , 2485 , 2485, IM , 2461, IM , 2454, IM , 2429, IM , 2426, IM , 2418, IM , 2409, IM , 2322, IM , 2257, no title Qualification Players qualified for the championship according to the following criteria: four semi-finalists of the previous championship