Anand gets relief as 1st round is deferred

With the Bulgarian Organising Committee for the World Chess Championship unrelenting, the sport's world governing body stepped in on Wednesday and ordered a one-day delay in the start of the first round game between World champion Viswanathan Anand and challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in Sofia, Bulgaria.

With the Bulgarian Organising Committee for the World Chess Championship unrelenting, the sport's world governing body stepped in on Wednesday and ordered a one-day delay in the start of the first round game between World champion Viswanathan Anand and challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in Sofia, Bulgaria.

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The first round, which was scheduled to start on Friday, will now start on Saturday because Anand reached Sofia four days late as volcanic ash clouds from Iceland brought air travel in Europe to a standstill.

Though the local organisers rejected the three days' time sought by Anand, FIDE vice-president and supervisor for this match, Georgios Makropoulos, decided to reschedule the first round after consulting the FIDE president and presidential board.