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FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DES ECHECS
Recognized by the International Olympic Committee
9 Syngrou Ave., 11743 Athens, Greece
Tel: (+30) 2109212047, Fax: (+30) 2109212859, Email: office@fide.com
www.fide.com
Moscow, 1 March 2007
Dear Chess Friends,
Following the decision of the Presidential Board at its meeting in Antalya, I was tasked to take a decision on the World Chess Championship cycle and the World Chess Cup.
After a thorough examination of the responses from the top Grandmasters and ACP and based on my consultations with national federations and various representatives of the chess public, I have resolved as follows:
1. In respect of the World Championship Cycle, to approve Proposal A. The proposal is very simple and seems to me to be easier to explain to sponsors, the mass media and chess lovers throughout the world. This proposal gives more prestige to the World Cup and its winner. Choosing this proposal, we are going to continue the long tradition of chess championship matches, established in 1886. I am sure that everyone will like the clash of different styles, characters and approach to chess during these matches.
2. In respect of the World Chess Cup: 126 participants. First stage – 14 groups, 9 players each. Second stage: 14 group winners + 4 best of those who came second in the groups. At the second stage 18 players are divided into 2 groups, 9 players each. The group winners play a match of 4 games. The duration of the tournament is 26 days.
Taking into consideration the experience of other sport Federations and the opinions in favour of the tournament of 8 players, I am proposing hereby to organize “FIDE Masters' Cup” in November and /or December of each even year for the first 6 players according to the rating list (Double Round Robin system), with the minimum prize fund of 500,000 (five hundred thousand) USD.
Gens Una Sumus,
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
President
The proposal is to terminate the World Championship Tournament and keep the World Cup as a Candidates tournament to find a challenger for a World Championship match. So in every odd year there will be only the World Cup (2007, 2009, 2011, etc.) and the respective winner will play every next year (2008, 2010, 2012, etc.) a match against the World Champion.
The chronological breakdown:
a1. 2008: The winner from WCCT 2007 in Mexico plays a World Championship match against the previous World Champion. If Kramnik does not win the WCCT 2007, then Kramnik can challenge the winner of Mexico in the first part of 2008. If Kramnik wins in Mexico, then the right to challenge goes to the previous World Champion, i.e. Topalov.
a2. 2009: The winner of the "a1" match plays a World Championship match against the winner of the 2007 World Cup which will be held in Khanty-Mansiysk.
a3. 2010: The World Champion (winner of "a2") plays a World Championship match against the winner of the 2009 World Cup.
a4. 2012: The World Champion (winner of "a3") plays a World Championship match against the winner of the 2011 World Cup,
a5. 2014: The World Champion (winner of "a4") plays a World Championship match against the winner of the 2013 World Cup,
and so on.
