The World Chess Championship is upon us and
Kramnik vs Topalov are ready to checkmate
After a 13-year split in the game, Vladamir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov will settle the World Championship battle over the chessboard in a 12-game match in Elista, between September 21 and October 13. The rift in the chess world occurred after Garry Kasparov played a title match against Nigel Short in 1993 outside the auspices of FIDE, and the world chess federation organised a separate World championship, which soon became a knock-out event. The Classical chess world champions were Kasparov, first, and then Kramnik; Kasparov beat Short in 1993 and Viswanathan Anand in 1995, but lost to Kramnik in 2000. Kramnik went on to retain his title after a draw against Peter Leko in 2004. The FIDE knock-out World champions were Anatoly Karpov, Alexander Khalifman, Viswanathan Anand, Ruslan Ponomariov and Rustam Kasimdzhanov, in that order.
Apparently this match-up is in the Russian republic of KALMYKIA! I've never heard of the place!! Read more about this country* & its president! (The article also has more details on the split-up mentioned above.)
Chess governing body, FIDE's president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is president of the Republic of Kalmykia. Ilyumzhinov's election platform for the presidency of Kalmykia included a promise of a mobile phone for every shepherd and the affirmation of his belief that he had previously been abducted by aliens.
* KALMYKIA FACTS
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