List of chess games between Kasparov and Kramnik

Garry Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik have played 49 classical chess games, of which Kramnik won five, Kasparov won four, with the remaining 40 games drawn. Thus the overall score favors Kramnik (+5−4=40). If blitz and rapid games are included (where time controls are much shorter than in classical games) the overall score favors Kasparov (+22−21=79). The first decisive classical game between the two players was at Linares in 1994, which Kramnik won at the age of just 18.

Kasparov achieved two wins before the title match against Kramnik's Sicilian Defence. Kramnik had success against Kasparov's King's Indian Defence. In the title match Kramnik dropped the Sicilian and successfully employed the Berlin defence of the Ruy Lopez. The score was 5–3 in favor for Kramnik after the match, but Kasparov narrowed the gap to 5–4 in Astana 2001.

All the decisive games were won by white except for a win by Kramnik in 1996. After the tournament in Astana the players met only in the Botvinnik Memorial match and in Linares 2003 and 2004. Kasparov retired from professional chess in 2005.

White Black Year Result Moves Winner Tournament Opening Notes and Reference 1 Kramnik Kasparov 1993 ½–½ 19 Linares E86 King's Indian Defence 2 Kramnik Kasparov 1994 1–0 40 Kramnik Linares E93 King's Indian Defence 3 Kasparov Kramnik 1994 1–0 35 Kasparov Novgorod B33 Sicilian Defence 4 Kramnik Kasparov 1994 ½–½ 26 Novgorod D85 English Opening 5 Kramnik Kasparov 1995 ½–½ 14 Riga, Tal Memorial C54 Italian Game 6 Kramnik Kasparov 1995 ½–½ 58 Novgorod C55 Two Knights Defense 7 Kasparov Kramnik 1995 ½–½ 13 Horgen B57 Sicilian Defence 8 Kasparov Kramnik 1996 1–0 43 Kasparov Amsterdam B66 Sicilian Defence 9 Kasparov Kramnik 1996 0–1 35 Kramnik Dos Hermanas D48 Queen's Gambit The only black win between Kramnik and Kasparov () 10 Kasparov Kramnik 1996 ½–½ 19 Las Palmas E71 King's Indian Defence 11 Kramnik Kasparov 1996 ½–½ 58 Las Palmas D56 Queen's Gambit 12 Kasparov Kramnik 1997 1–0 58 Kasparov Linares E59 Nimzo-Indian Defence 13 Kramnik Kasparov 1997 1–0 32 Kramnik Novgorod E97 King's Indian Defence 14 Kramnik Kasparov 1997 ½–½ 41 Novgorod B66 Sicilian Defence 15 Kasparov Kramnik 1997 ½–½ 35 Tilburg E39 Nimzo-Indian Defence 16 Kramnik Kasparov 1998 ½–½ 26 Linares D85 Grünfeld Defence 17 Kasparov Kramnik 1998 ½–½ 52 Linares E32 Nimzo-Indian Defence 18 Kramnik Kasparov 1999 ½–½ 28 Wijk aan Zee D49 Semi-Slav Defense 19 Kasparov Kramnik 1999 ½–½ 20 Linares E34 Nimzo-Indian Defence 20 Kramnik Kasparov 1999 ½–½ 35 Linares D88 Grünfeld Defence 21 Kramnik Kasparov 2000 ½–½ 37 Wijk aan Zee D85 Grünfeld Defence 22 Kasparov Kramnik 2000 ½–½ 21 Linares C42 Petrov's Defence 23 Kramnik Kasparov 2000 ½–½ 41 Linares D23 Queen's Gambit 24 Kasparov Kramnik 2000 ½–½ 25 London (1) C67 Ruy Lopez 25 Kramnik Kasparov 2000 1–0 40 Kramnik London (2) D85 Grünfeld Defence 26 Kasparov Kramnik 2000 ½–½ 53 London (3) C67 Ruy Lopez 27 Kramnik Kasparov 2000 ½–½ 74 London (4) D27 Queen's Gambit 28 Kasparov Kramnik 2000 ½–½ 24 London (5) A34 English Opening 29 Kramnik Kasparov 2000 ½–½ 66 London (6) D27 Queen's Gambit 30 Kasparov Kramnik 2000 ½–½ 11 London (7) A32 English Opening 31 Kramnik Kasparov 2000 ½–½ 38 London (8) E32 Nimzo-Indian Defence 32 Kasparov Kramnik 2000 ½–½ 33 London (9) C67 Ruy Lopez 33 Kramnik Kasparov 2000 1–0 25 Kramnik London (10) E54 Nimzo-Indian Defence 34 Kasparov Kramnik 2000 ½–½ 41 London (11) C78 Ruy Lopez 35 Kramnik Kasparov 2000 ½–½ 33 London (12) E55 Nimzo-Indian Defence 36 Kasparov Kramnik 2000 ½–½ 14 London (13) C67 Ruy Lopez 37 Kramnik Kasparov 2000 ½–½ 57 London (14) A30 English Opening 38 Kasparov Kramnik 2000 ½–½ 38 London (15) E05 Catalan Opening Kramnik won the title () 39 Kasparov Kramnik 2001 ½–½ 46 Wijk aan Zee C67 Ruy Lopez 40 Kramnik Kasparov 2001 ½–½ 30 Astana D85 Grünfeld Defence 41 Kasparov Kramnik 2001 1–0 46 Kasparov Astana C67 Ruy Lopez This win in the last round enabled Kasparov to overtake Kramnik and take sole possession of the first place () 42 Kramnik Kasparov 2001 ½–½ 18 Botvinnik Memorial D27 Queen's Gambit 43 Kasparov Kramnik 2001 ½–½ 72 Botvinnik Memorial B41 Sicilian Defence 44 Kramnik Kasparov 2001 ½–½ 21 Botvinnik Memorial D58 Queen's Gambit 45 Kasparov Kramnik 2001 ½–½ 19 Botvinnik Memorial C80 Ruy Lopez 46 Kramnik Kasparov 2003 ½–½ 18 Linares D27 Queen's Gambit 47 Kasparov Kramnik 2003 ½–½ 33 Linares C88 Ruy Lopez 48 Kasparov Kramnik 2004 ½–½ 44 Linares E12 Queen's Indian Defence 49 Kramnik Kasparov 2004 ½–½ 17 Linares D27 Queen's Gambit

References