FIDE World Chess Championship 2002 FIDE World Chess Championship 2002 The FIDE World Chess Championship 2002 was held in Moscow, Russia. The first six rounds were played between 27 November and 14 December 2001, and the final match started on 16 January and ended on 23 January 2002. The Ukrainian Grandmaster Ruslan Ponomariov, aged 18, won the championship and became the youngest FIDE World Champion. At the time of this championship, the World title was split. The Classical World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik, did not participate, as well as the previous Classical Champion and world's highest-rated player, Garry Kasparov. However, all other strongest players of the
Women's World Chess Championship 1934 Women's World Chess Championship 1934 The Women's World Chess Championship 1934 was held in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In 1934, reigning Women's World Chess Champion Vera Menchik was challenged by Sonja Graf, another female player who, like Menchik, regularly competed with men in open tournaments. The match was played in Rotterdam over four games. Menchik was a huge favourite beforehand, but Graf caused a small sensation by winning the first game. Menchik then won the other three, however, to successfully defend her title. This was the first time the women's title was put on the line in a match arranged