Why is d4 so often chosen in the world championships?

Why is d4 so often chosen in the world championships?

Because it is a good move?

But why D4 instead of E4 or C4 in world championships 

1.d4 has more class.

its a fad

1. d4 tends to go to a lot of positonal games as opposed to 1. e4 games with usually go into attacking games fairly quickly.

they say it's to avoid the sicilian but i don't know i like white against any sicilian

I like it as well.

Many fewer good responses by black.

Really - good responses after e4:

1. - The sicilian

Good responses after c4:

1. - The neo-grunfeld

2. - The symmetrical english

3. - The reversed sicilian

4. KID transpoitions

Good respones after d4:

1. KID

2. Grunfeld

3. Slav (This should count as about 5.)

4. Semi-slav

5. QGD (This should count as 3 or more).

6. Queens indian/Nimzo indian

7. Benoni (perhaps)

the only time i would play d4 is in an attempt to perform the stonewall attack, i tried c4 a bit but only for a surprise against friends.

So that black can't play the Sicilian?

Kasparov - Karpov, 198x (I don't know when, maybe even 1990!?). Kasparov kept 1.e4 and Ruy Lopez, while Karpov played 1.d4 and KID. 

In 2000 the world champ mach between kramnick and Kasparov, Kasparov Enployed e4 7 times but, Kramnick played the Berlin 6 times and drew all. It seems as the berlin is the reason you don't see e4 regularly at world championship maches

1. e4 is close to being mined out.

The reason e4 is not played is the Petrov Defense.

Probably because they think it gives them more winning chances than 1.e4. Back in the 1927 WCC Alekhine and Capablanca played QGD in 32 out of 34 games so favoring 1.d4 isn't exactly a brand new fad.

BTW have you looked up all the openings played in all official WCC matches beginning with Steinitz-Zuckertort 1886? Maybe your question needs to be qualified a tad - what era or decade(s) are you referring to?

The Capablanca-Alekhin match started with Capa playing 1.e4. Alekhin responded with a French, got a great position and won. Capa didn't play 1.e4 again in the match.

1.d4, as NimzoRoy says, gives white more winning chances than Black. It does so because it is inherently more complex than 1.e4. It is more complex because 1.d4 positions tend to lead to closed centers more often than 1.e4 openings do. When the center is open (that is, without any central pawns getting in the way), it's almost impossible to close it back up again. When a position is closed, both sides need to constantly work out how and when or whether to open the center.

This added complexity allows white to play for more winning positions. It also allows white to control the outcome a bit more. This means that if something does go wrong, white can usually find a way to get a draw. Wins as Black in world championship matches are extremely rare and are usually decisive in determining the winner of the match.

I agree with you. The Petrov is the most annoying defense to face.