Topalov, Kramnik to play for the World title

Brussels, Apr 25 (UNI) In what will mark the end of a 13-year-split in the chess world, the two world champions, FIDE champion Bulgarian Veslin Topalov and Classical Chess Champion Valdimir Kramnik of Russia, have agreed for a 12-game showdown in September this year to decide the undisputed king of the game.

In a press conference in Moscow recently, World Chess Federation (FIDE) president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov announced that a ''reunification'' tournament will be played in Elista, Russia from September 21 to October 13.

''After months of consultations with both players, I am pleased to announce that the World Championship match Topalov versus Kramnik is game. The match will undoubtedly end any confusion about the World Championship status after the unfortunate schism which occurred in 1993,'' Mr Kirsan said.

He announced that the prize fund of the 12-game match would be 1.2 million dollars out of which which 200,000 dollars will go to FIDE.

The players would split the remaining amount -- one million dollars -- equally regardless of the result, he said.

The winner will get to possess the title for a year and will be the seeded into the next world championship, an eight-player, 1.3 million-dollar tournament in Mexico in October 2007. The loser has to enter a qualification process.

Kramnik, who was in Germany, has given his consent for the match.

The FIDE president also said the title would be decided in the future by similar eight-man tournaments.

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