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World chess championship in Delhi

Gary Kasparov, Vishwanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Anatoly Karpov, Alexander Khalifman, Zhum Hee and S Vijayalaxmi are among a hundred Grandmasters who will vie for honours in the World Chess Championship - 2000 (men and women), to be held in Delhi from November 24 to December 16.

Speaking to newspersons in Delhi on Monday, FIDE vice-president and All India Chess Federation secretary Umer Koya said the total prize pool for the event is 3.5 million dollars.

The participants include the 1999 World championships semifinalists, junior(s) rated 2600 or higher in the FIDE rating lists from January 2000 to July 2000, World junior champions of 1999 and 2000, the women's World chess champion of 1999, three nominees of the FIDE president, one nominee of the administrator and 62 qualifiers from zonal tournaments.

The women's event will see current World champion Zhum Hee of China in action.

The Indian team will comprise Grandmasters Vishwanathan Anand, Dibyendu Barua, Abhijit Kunte and K Sasikiran in the men's section and the first woman GM S Vijayalaxmi and Bhagyashree Thipsay in the women's.

An organising committee headed by AICF president D M Sawhney is coordinating with the government and various organisations to make the event a success.

The last edition of the championship was watched by 35 million people on television and the Internet. The organisers are making efforts to show the current edition live on television, AICF general secretary R K Shukla said.

UNI