PARTICIPANTS
| Veselin Topalov | Bulgaria | ELO 2804 |
| Viswanathan Anand | India | ELO 2803 |
| Peter Svidler | Russia | ELO 2743 |
|
Ukraine |
ELO 2738 |
|
| France |
ELO 2708 |
|
| Gata Kamsky | USA | ELO 2671 |
PLACE
Sofia Bulgaria, Grand Hotel Sofia
RATE OF PLAY
Sistem - round-robin in two rounds (all play all with White and Black alternatively)
Time control - 2 hours for 40 moves + 1 hour for the 20 moves + 0.5 hour to the end of the game.
SHEDULE
| Wednesday | May 10 | ||
| 09.00 UTC | Press conference | ||
| 15.00 UTC | Official opening | ||
| 16.00 UTC | Cocktail party | ||
| Thursday | May 11 | 11.30 UTC | Round 1 |
| Friday | May 12 | 11.30 UTC | Round 2 |
| Saturday | May 13 | 11.30 UTC | Round 3 |
| Sunday | May 14 | 11.30 UTC | Round 4 |
| Monday | May 15 | 11.30 UTC | Round 5 |
| Tuesday | May 16 | Rest Day | |
| Wednesday | May 17 | 11.30 UTC | Round 6 |
| Thursday | May 18 | 11.30 UTC | Round 7 |
| Friday | May 19 | 11.30 UTC | Round 8 |
| Saturday | May 20 | 11.30 UTC | Round 9 |
| Sunday | May 21 | 10.30 UTC | Round 10 |
| 16.00 UTC | Tie breaks | ||
| 17.00 UTC | Closing ceremony | ||
| 18.00 UTC | Cocktail party |
TOURNAMENT RULES
The final standing of the players will be determined according to points. In case of sharing of places - the following criteria will be decisive for the tie-break:
- A greater number of wins.
- The result of the direct mini-matches between contenders.
- Berger.
- A greater numbers of moves played.
- A tie-break match will be played in case of a tie for the first place in the tournament between the first two players in the final standing (according to points, or the additional criteria). The match will consist of two games with a time-control of 15 minutes per player + 3 seconds added for every move played. In case of a tie, another match of two blitz-games will be played with a time-control of 5 minutes per player + 3 seconds for every move played. In case of another tied result – there will be played a last "sudden-death" decisive game with a time-control 6 minutes for the whole game for the White-player and 4 minutes for the whole game for Black-player. The White-player will only need a victory in this game to win the tournament, whole the Black-player will win the tournament by just not losing that final decisive game.
- In case the first place might be shared by more than two players – the final standing will be determined according to the criteria that have been mentioned above.
The players should not talk during the games; additionally they should not offer draws directly to their opponents. Draw-offers will be allowed only through the Chief-Arbiter in three cases: a triple-repetition of the position, a perpetual check and in theoretically drawn positions.
The Chief-Arbiter is the only authority who can acknowledge the final result of the game in these cases. He will be advised in his decisions throughout the tournament by GM Zurab Azmaiparashvili, FIDE Vice-President.
PHOTOGRAPHS, CAMERAS AND TV BROADCASTING
Taking pictures in the tournament hall will only be permitted during the first 10 minutes after beginning of the game.
TV broadcasting of the games can be done throughout the tournament of the playing area.
