Vladimir Kramnik pulled off the greatest upset in modern chess history by defeating Garry Kasparov in their 2000 World Championship match, winning 8.5–6.5 without losing a single game—a feat that outshines #10 Mikhail Tal’s championship run for sheer strategic dominance. Known as "Deep Purple" for his calm demeanor and deeply prepared opening systems, Kramnik used the Berlin Defence to neutralize Kasparov's aggressive style, a rock-solid variation that revolutionized elite opening theory and remains one of the most analyzed systems in professional chess. He held the classical world title until 2007 and reached a peak FIDE rating of 2817 in 2002, a mark that is 37 points higher than Tal's peak estimate of 2780, demonstrating his consistent top-tier performance.
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