Kramnik and Anand to clash in Dortmund

Press Release 30th June 2003

Interesting mix at the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess-Meeting 2003
Top players meet extraordinary talents

The Sparkassen Chess-Meeting 2003, which takes place at the Dortmund Theatre from 31 July to 10 August 2003, promises to be highly interesting this year: Top grandmasters and many very talented players meet to win at Germany's top chess event. The patron of the tournament is Otto Schily, Minister of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Among the six players are Classical World Chess Champion Vladimir Kramnik, his challenger for the World Title Peter Leko, and Viswanathan Anand, the winner of Wijk aan Zee.

Arkadi Naiditsch, Germany's big chess hope, will take part at the main tournament for the first time. With his win at the Aeroflot Open at Moscow, Viorel Bologan from Moldavia qualified for the Chess-Meeting. Also on the stage: Teimour Radjabov from Azerbaijan. The top talent, who is only 15 year old, surprised everyone in Linares by beating Garry Kasparov with black pieces.

The traditional Open Tournament of the title sponsor, the Sparkasse Dortmund, and an interesting side programme demonstrate the festival character of the event. Several TV broadcastings are expected to cover the Chess-Meeting..

You find further information about the tournament at the official website.

The players of the Top Tournament
(Rating dated June 2003)

	Vladimir Kramnik 28, Russia, Rating: 2789 World Chess Champion Classical Chess since October 2000. Won the Dortmund Super-GM six times: 1995-1998, 2000, 2001.
	Viswanathan Anand 33, India, Rating: 2764 Won the Super-GM in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, the Eurotel Trophy in Prague, the Mainz Chess Classic, the FIDE world cup in Hyderabad, the Monte Carlo blindfold/rapid and the SIS Masters in Denmark (with an incredible 5.5/6). Recently he was elected sportsman of the year in India.
	Peter Leko 23, Hungary, Rating: 2746 Winner of the Candidates Tournament 2002 in Dortmund and challenger of Vladimir Kramnik. In March he won the Super-GM in Linares.
	Viorel Bologan 31, Moldavia, Rating: 2663 As the winner of the Aeroflot Open at Moscow he qualified for the Dortmund tournament. A very experienced player with a lot of international wins.
	Teimour Radjabov 16, Azerbaijan, Rating: 2644 Youngest player in history to enter the top 100. In Linares, he beat Kasparow with the black pieces.
	Arkadi Naiditsch 17, Germany, Rating: 2588 For a long time he has been Germany's greatest talent and big hope. Second place at the Grandmaster B Tournament at Wijk aan Zee.

Schedule of the Super-GM

Other programme on the stage

• IM David Baramidze, super talent from Dortmund, will play a ten round match match against Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Belikov.
• Further, a special game of the Open Tournament will be presented on the stage every day.

The Sparkassen Open A and B

The organizers are staging the traditional Sparkassen Open in the Town Hall of Dortmund, Friedensplatz, which is near the Dortmund Theatre. It will be held from 1st to 10th August. The rounds begin every day at 11:00h. Further information and registration is available from: Schachfreunde Brackel. Phone: +49-231-2009265 or +49-231-2000560 or from the official website.

Tickets and Hotel

• To get tickets for the tournament please contact: karten_dortmund@chessgate.de
• For booking at a hotel with special conditions contact "Holiday Inn Dortmund City Centre". Phone: +49-231-5432-00, Code: "Chess-Meeting".

Information for journalists

The invitation to the opening press conference with the grandmasters on 30th July and further information for journalists will be sent out soon.

[Press Release, 30th June 2003. Dortmund Organizing Committee;
Press officer and spokesman: Rolf Behovits. Contact: pr-behovits@uumail.de]