World champion Viswanathan Anand will open his title defence against Bulgarian challenger Veselin Topalov with black pieces when their 12-game World chess championship match opens at Sofia, Bulgaria, on Saturday.
The draw of lots of performed by chief arbiter Panaqiotis Nikolopouloson on Wednesday. He first chose one of the two identical wooden boxes. When opened, the box had Topalov’s name. Topalov was then asked to pick one of the two smaller, but identical boxes.
The box that Topalov chose had a white piece - the colour of his pieces for the first game. Anand will get to play with white in the second, fourth and sixth games.
The colours would be reversed after six games, which means Anand will play with white pieces in the seventh game, as well. Topalov will get to play white in the eighth, 10th and 12th games.
Earlier in the evening, the opening ceremony started with a minute of silence in the memory of former International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch. This was followed by speeches by, among others, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boiko Borisov and FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.
The following is the revised schedule of match:
April 24 – Game One; April 25 – Game Two; April 26 – Rest day; April 27 – Game Three; April 28 – Game Four; April 29 – Rest day; April 30 – Game Five; May 1 – Game Six; May 2 – Rest day; May 3 – Game Seven; May 4 – Game 8; May 5 – Rest day; May 6 – Game Nine; May 7 – Game 10; May 8 – Rest day; May 9 – Game 11; May 10 – Rest day; May 11 – Game 12; May 12 – Rest day; May 13 – tie breaks (if required).
