09.09.07 The 2007 World Chess Championship will be getting underway this week in Mexico City with the opening ceremony scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday, September 11, 2007. The first round will commence at 3:00 p.m. EST on the following day. This tournament brings together eight of the world's strongest players and qualifies as a Category XXI event, the strongest ever in the history of chess.

September 12 - October 1, 2007

Mexico City, Mexico

Venue: Sheraton Centro Histˆ„rico Hotel

Prize fund: US $1.3 million

Format: Eight player double round-robin (all-play-all)

All games begin at 3:00 p.m. EST

Official site of the 2007 World Chess Championship

Watch LIVE chess games from the World Championship here.

The following is courtesy of www.chessmexico.com

The Players

Vladimir Kramnik, the World Champion

Birthplace: Tuapse, Russia
Date of birth: June 25th, 1975
Current FIDE rating: 2769
Current position in FIDE list: 2-3 (tied with Topalov)
Highest FIDE rating: 2809 (from October 2001 to January 2003)
Highest position in the list: 1-2 (shared with Kasparov) January 1996 with rating 2775.
Most important achievements:
- 2000: He defeated Kasparov in the World Championship Match.
- Three times winner of the Linares tournament: 2000, 2003 and 2004.
- Winner of high category tournaments in Wijk ann Zee, Dortmund, Tilburg, Dos Hermanas, etc.
- 2006: He defeated Topalov in the reunification match to select the official world champion.
Latest results in 2007:
- Wijk ann Zee Tournament, 4th place
- Melody Amber Tournament (blind and fast games) 1st place
- Dortmund 2007: 1st Place

Biographical Sketch

The Russian Vladimir Kramnik (1975 - ) is a giant of today's chess scene. In 1996, thanks to his huge talent, he took the top place in the international classification after winning the strongest tournaments. In London, 2000, he beat Kasparov in a match for the world championship (unofficial). Thanks to his victory in the controversial match against Topalov in Elista 2006 (Republic of Kalmikia), he is the new world champion of the FIDE and will come to Mexico to defend his crown. Along with Anand, he is considered the main favorite to obtain the championship.
He has a solid style and he looses rarely. He has a positional understanding only comparable to the great ones of all times. His opening preparation is very deep and his repertoire very wide. He has used a great variety of defenses; he is a great endgame specialist and has a remarkable collection of middlegame attacks.

Viswanathan Anand, number 1 in the FIDE list

Place of Birth: Madras, India
Date of birth: December 11th, 1969
Current FIDE rating: 2792
Current position in FIDE list: 1st (April 2007)
Highest FIDE rating: 2803 (April, 2006. 2nd place behind Topalov)
Highest position in the list: 1st (April and June 2007)
Most important achievements:
- In 1987, he became Junior World Chess Champion, and the Grand Master title.
- FIDE world champion, Teheran, Iran, 2000.
- Five times winner of the Wijk ann Zee tournament.
Latest results in 2007:
First place in Morelia-Linares tournament 2007
Second place in Melody Amber tournament 2007

Biographical Sketch

In 1992, Viswanathan Anand won the Reggio Emilia super tournament (Italy); since then, he has become one of the best players in the world. In 1995, he competed in the PCA chess championship against Kasparov (he lost after a close encounter). In 1998, he was defeated by Karpov in the FIDE world chess championship. Several times he has occupied second place on the FIDE rating list, mainly after his victories in high level events, like Linares 1998 and in Wijk ann Zee (five times). Thanks to his victory in the Morelia-Linares tournament, he currently (April, 2007) occupies, with 2786 points, the first place spot. In 2000, he got his greatest achievement when he won the official FIDE World Title in New Delhi.
He has a universal style based on great tactical ability and deep theoretical training. He is characterized by his unusual speed. His formidable natural talent has lead him to countless tournament victories. Because of his charisma and interpersonal skills, he is one of the most popular elite players amongst fans. Besides Kramnik, the champion, he will be undoubtedly one of the favorites to win the world chess championship in Mexico.


Boris Gelfand

Birthdplace: Minsk, Bielorusia
Country: Israel
Date of Birth: June 24, 1968
Current FIDE rating: 2733
Current position in FIDE list: 13
Highest FIDE rating: 2750 (january 2001)
Hihest position in the list: 3¬ƒ (with 2727 points in July 1990)
Most important achievements:
1990: Linares Tournament: 2¬ƒ place,
Interzonal at Palma de Mallorca: 1st place
1991: He plays in the World Chess Championship (Candidantes cicle), losing in round 2 against Short.
1993: Interzonal at Biel: 1st place
1994- Wins to Adams and Kramnik in the candidates matches, but lose against Karpov in semifinals.
Latest results in 2007:
Blitz World Cup in Odessa, Ukrania: 2¬ƒ place (lost final against Leko)
Melody Amber Tournament, Mˆ„naco: 6-7 place (Shared with Morozevich)
Festival Villa de Calatrava (25 minutes per player): 1-4

Biographical Sketch:

The Israeli (born in Bielorussia), Boris Gelfand is one of the great chess players of the last 15 years, remaining constantly in the ten best chess players in the world. After a good start as a young player, Gelfand got his Grandmaster title in 1989 and in 1991, he classified for the World Chess Championship cycle. He has a very good technique and great theoretical preparation. Probably he is the player with the least preparation for chess matches, but even with this lack of match experince, he has won his place in the World Chess Championship in Mˆ©xico City.

Peter Svidler

Birthplace: Leningrad, Russia
Date of birth: June 17th, 1976
Current FIDE rating: 2736 points
Current position in FIDE list: 9th
Highest FIDE rating: (January, 2006)
Highest position in the list: 3rd ’Äì 4th (October, 2006; he tied with Kramnik: 2750 points)
Most important achievements:
Four times Russia Champion: 1994, 1995, 1997 y 2003.
1997 Tilburg tournament winner (shared); 1998 and 2006 Dortmund tournament winner.
2005 World Chess Champion in San Luis (Argentina): 2-3 (tied with Anand).
Latest results in 2007:
Morelia/Linares Tournament: 5th place
Melody Amber Tournament: 4th-5th place

Biographical Sketch

The four times Russian champion Peter Svidler (1976) is the ninth position in FIDE ranking, with 2736 points (though he got to share third place in October of 2006). Svidler is a great attacking player; because of his deep theoretical preparation, he is especially feared when he plays with the white pieces. He has some mixed results lately: in 2005, 2¬ƒ-3¬ƒ in the world chess championship of San Luˆ‚s; in 2006, he reached the middle of the tournament chart in Morelia-Linares and Sofˆ‚a he finished the year with a wonderful triumph shared with Kramnik in Dortmund. In the Wijk ann Zee tournament (2007) he got the 6th place; in Morelia/Linares he got the 5th place. Svidler is a person with a calm and sociable personality; he is always ready to talk with people and to sign autographs for his fans. His hobbies are reading, listening to music and playing Cricket.

Alexander Grischuk

Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
Date of birth: October 31, 1983
Current FIDE rating: 2717
Current position in FIDE list: 16
Highest FIDE rating: 2732
Highest position in the list: 6th place (July, 2003)
Most important achievements:
2000: World Chess Championship in New Delhi, he got to the semifinals (he lost against Shirov)
2004: Russian Championship Finalist; there he lost against Kasparov.
2006: He won the Quick Chess World Championship in Rishon Lezion, Israel
Latest results in 2007:
Memorial Tal, Moscow (2006): 6th place, 4.5 of 9 possible
Quick Chess Calatrava Festival: 7th place
He qualifies for the World Chess Championship in Mexico defeating Malakhov and Rublevsky.

Biographical Sketch

The Russian Grischuk is one of the most prominent young talented chess players of the last years. He is a very creative and tactical player however, he is prone to a certain lack of discipline, which has seemed to curb his enormous potential. (It is said that nowadays he devotes himself more to poker than to chess.) Despite this he continues to be a fearsome rival. Some years ago, he was distinguished by Kasparov as one of his possible successors. His most outstanding performance was a second place (behind Bareev) in the Wijk ann Zee elite tournament in 2002.

Alexander Morozevich

Birthplace: Moscow, Rusia
Date of birth: July 18th, 1977
Current FIDE rating: 2762 (April, 2007)
Current position in FIDE list: 4th place
Highest FIDE rating: 2762
Highest position in the list: 4th place (many times)
Most important achievements:
2003: Russia champion
Winner of important tournaments, such as:
Biel (2003, 2004, 2006), Melody Amber (2002, 2004, 2006) Pamplona, 2006
Latest results in 2007:
Morelia-Linares Tournament, 2nd place
Melody Amber Tournament, 6th place

Peter Leko

Place of Birth: Subotica, Serbia
Nationality: Hungarian
Date of Birth: 8th of September, 1979
Current FIDE Rating: 2738
Current position in FIDE list: 8th place
Highest FIDE Rating: 2763 (July 2005)
Highest Position in FIDE list: 4th place (6 times)

Most important achievements:
2002: Winner of the Candidates Tournament in Dortmund, Germany
2003: Linares: 1-2 (tied with Kramnik)
2003: Ties 7-7 the match for the World Title (unofficial) against Kramnik, at Brissago, Switzerland.
2005: Wijk ann Zee: 1st place
2006: Tal Memorial, Moscow: 1-3

Latest results in 2007:
Champion of the World Rapid Chess Cup at Odessa, Ukraine.
Morelia/Linares: 8th place (6/14 points)
Melody Amber, Monaco: 8-9 place (tied with Carlsen)
Rapid Chess Match against Kramnik, at Miskolc, Hungary. Looses 3.5 to 4.5
Candidates Tournament, Elista, Kalmikia: He defeated Gurevich 3.5 - 0.5 and, Bareev 3.5 - 1.5; he qualified for the World Chess Championship Mexico 2007.

Biographical Sketch

Hungarian Peter Leko (1979) is a solid player, of great theoretical preparation, who never risks too much, leading him to draw against weaker players; on the other hand, he rarely looses. He has triumphed in important tournaments like Linares (2003), Wijk ann Zee (2005) and has tied a match for the World Championship (unofficial) against Kramnik (2004). In 2006 he was first in Tal's Memorial in Moscow and in the World Rapid Chess Cup in Odessa but, in general, the last two years have brought him unstable results and he is going through rough times since the World Championship at San Luis in 2005. During the candidates games he played brilliantly and won his two matches without problems; he beat Gurevich and Bareev in order to qualify for the World Chess Championship in Mexico.

Levon Aronian

Birthplace: Yerevan, Armenia
Date of Birth: October 6, 1982
Current FIDE rating: 2759
Current position in FIDE list: 5th place
Highest FIDE rating: 2761
Highest position in the list: 3rd (April and July lists, 2006)
Most important achievements:
2002: World Junior Chess Champion (Under 20)
2005: World Cup Winner in Khanty Mansiysk
2006: Morelia/Linares Tournament, first place.
2006: Armenia wins the Chess Olympiad with Aronian at first board.
2006: Tal Memorial, Moscow, Russia: 1-3
Latest results in 2007:
Corus Tournament (Wijk ann zee): 1-3 (Shared with Topalov and Radjabov).
Morelia/Linares Tournament: 4-5 lugar (Shared with Svidler, with 50% performance )
Melody Amber Tournament(Mˆ„naco): 4-5 (Shared with Svidler)
Classifies to the World Chess Championship in Mexico, beating Carlsen and Shirov, in the candidates matches of Elista, Kalmikya.

Biographical Sketch

The Armenian Levon Aronian (1982) has had a meteoric ascent in the FIDE rating list and is now, at 2759 points, the fifth highest player in the world. His best results have been: first place in the World Cup of Khanty-Mansiysk (2005), winning the Morelia-Linares Tournamentof the 2006 as well the Wijk ann Zee tournament where he shared first place. Also he helped the Armenian team win the Chess Olympiad Games in Turin 2006. His style is eminently tactical and he definitely likes complicated games that require deep calculation. Of relaxed and friendly personality, he is a player appreciated by colleagues and fans.