Vladimir Kramnik Becomes Undisputed Champion in 2006

The 2006 World Chess Championship was held from September 23 to October 13 in Elista, Russia, and is remembered as the “Unification Match.” It brought together Vladimir Kramnik, the Classical World Chess Champion since 2000, and Veselin Topalov, the FIDE World Champion. This historic contest aimed to end the split in the chess world that had existed since 1993, when Garry Kasparov broke away from FIDE. The match was extremely tense, with controversies such as the famous “toilet incident,” where Topalov’s team accused Kramnik of irregular behavior during breaks. Despite the tension, the 12-game match ended 6–6, pushing the championship into rapid tiebreaks. Kramnik held his nerve and won 2½–1½ in the playoff, becoming the undisputed World Chess Champion. This victory reunited the chess crown after 13 years of division, restoring clarity and prestige to the title.