The official website for the much awaited clash between defending champion V. Anand and challenger Magnus Carlsen is now available. The championship will also be followed on various social networks and subsequent accounts have been created as under Twitter (already gaining followers!), Facebook and Flickr.

The tickets for the match will be available for sale on the following web pages after IST 5 p.m. on the 23rd of September 2013 at the official web site or from the Delhi Chess Association's ticketing service. Note: there are 63 Indian Rupees to the US dollar and 85 Rupees to the Euro. Thus a day ticket costs €24 or $32, a season ticket (for the entire match) is €248 or $335, at the current rate of exchange.

Schedule

The match will be played over a maximum of twelve games, and the winner of the match will be the first player to score 6.5 points or more. If the winner scores 6.5 points in less than 12 games then the closing ceremony will take place on the day after the World Championship has been decided or one day thereafter.

The drawing of colors will be conducted during the opening ceremony. The colors will be reversed after game six, i.e. the player getting white in game one will play game seven with black. The time control for each game will be 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting after move 61 has been made.

Tiebreak

If the scores are level after the regular twelve games, after a new drawing of colors, four tie-break games will be played, at a rate of 25 minutes for each player, with an increment of 10 seconds after each move. The players will not be required to record the moves. If the scores are level after the four games then, after a new drawing of colors, a match of two games will be played, with a time control of five minutes plus three seconds increment after each move. In case of a level score, another two-game match will be played to determine a winner. If still there is no winner after five such matches (total ten games), one sudden-death game will be played: the player who wins the drawing of lots before this game may choose the color. The player with the white pieces receives five minutes, the player with the black pieces four minutes whereupon, and after the 60th move both players receive an increment of three seconds per move. In case of a draw the player with the black pieces is declared the winner.

Security

Only the players and stewards will be allowed in the actual playing area, except with the permission of the Chief Arbiter or his Deputy. Both players will have access to the same toilet facilities during the games, and there will be no separate rest rooms: both players must use the same rest lounge area which will be on/at the stage and visible by the Arbiter and the spectators. During the playing session, a player may leave the playing area only with the permission of the Chief Arbiter and only if he is accompanied by one of the arbiters.

The players must arrive at the venue at least ten minutes before the start of each game and participate in a security check. The players are not permitted to bring into the playing area telephones, technical and other equipment extraneous to play, which may in any way disturb or upset the opponent. The Chief Arbiter shall decide what constitutes extraneous equipment liable to offend the opponent.

A player may communicate with an arbiter. The players cannot draw a game by agreement before Black’s 30th move. In the cases of perpetual check or threefold repetition before Black’s 30th move a claim for a draw is permitted only through the Chief Arbiter (or his Deputy). In the case of a draw offer after Black’s 30th move the player may communicate with his opponent as permitted by article 9.1.b of the World Championship Technical Regulations.

Interviews and dress code

The players are required to wear suits during the playing session. They are allowed to wear branding of their personal sponsors only if these are not in conflict with the FWCM sponsors. The players are expected to co-operate reasonably with the media. Immediately after the completion of a game both players have to take part in post game press conferences, of not more than 20 minutes duration. General interviews with them can be arranged through the Press Officer and the team managers.

The venue

The venue of the FIDE World Championship Match is the Hyatt Regency Chennai, the epitome of five star luxury in the heart of Chennai on the iconic Anna Salai. The hotel is easily accessible from the Chennai domestic and International airport and is also in close proximity to consulates, business districts, Chennai’s IT corridor, Chennai Trade Centre and prime residential areas, including Boat Club Road and Poes Garden.

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Situated on the iconic Anna Salai (Mount Road), the hotel is a 327 luxury room contemporary business hotel in Chennai (Madras) providing authentic hospitality to the discerning buisness and leisure travelers. Hyatt Regency Chennai is also home a vibrant foodscape, and has a stunning outdoor leisure pool, steam room, sauna and a Fitness Centre with the latest in cardio and strength training is also available.

Chennai

Chennai, which was formerly known as Madras, is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial, cultural, economic and educational center in South India – the "Cultural Capital of South India"– and was declared as the most liveable city in India by the Institute of Competitiveness on account of economic, social, security and medical conditions as parameters. The population is 4.7 million. Chennai is the home town of Viswanathan Anand.

Mobile coverage

For the first time in the history of a world championship match, specially downloadable apps for the Android and IOS versions will be available around two weeks before the championship. These apps will be available on major play stores and will be usable for about 99% of Android Phones and tablets.

Playchess

Naturally the games will be covered live on Playchess, with full GM commentary, and wrap-ups after each round. A list of commentators will be published before the event.

Links Official tournament site All games in PGN The games will be broadcast live on the official web site and on the chess server Playchess.com. If you are not a member you can download a free Playchess client there and get immediate access. You can also use ChessBase 12 or any of our Fritz compatible chess programs.