World Championship 2007
: Created:29 Aug 2007 , byThe World Championship 2007 tournament starts on 13th September in Mexico City. Who will win?
Eight players contest the World Championship at the Sheraton Hotel in Mexico City in a double round all-play-all tournament which will last throughout September. Current World Champion, Vladimir Kramnik will be there together with Viswathan Anand, the highest rated player on the planet plus the two grandmasters who pre-qualified because of their performances in the last such event in 2005, Peter Svidler and Alexander Morozevich. Peter Leko, Lev Aronian, Alexander Grischuk and Boris Gelfand join them following their performances in this year's knock-out event so it will be four Russians, an Indian, a Hungarian, an Armenian and an Israeli (ex-Russian) who will contest the championship.
A notable absentee is Veselin Topalov who claimed the FIDE championship in 2005 and we should remember that amid all the shennanigans of his 2006 match with Viktor Kramnik and admittedly with the aid of a default, only lost the match in the umpteenth quickplay game.
What will happen if Kramnik does not win the tournament? Don't ask me. Read Chessbase.com and particularly Kramnik's interview on the subject. My tip is a surprise win for Peter Leko who was in superb form in the qualifiers. Anand will be the favourite but he is nearly forty now and with every competitor graded over 2700 might lose out on stamina. You disagree? Contact me on my email address with chapter and verse and intelligent arguments.