The international chess federation FIDE on Wednesday ordered a one-day delay in the start of the world chess final between Indian champion Viswanathan Anand and his Bulgarian challenger Veselin Topalov.
"I decided to postpone the first round for one day... I hope that both players and the organisers will understand that this is the fair solution," FIDE vice president and match supervisor Georgios Makropoulos said.
As a result, the first of the 12 games of the match would now begin on Saturday instead of Friday as planned.
If no clear winner emerges, four more games of so-called "blitz" chess, where players have a brief amount of time to make moves, will decide the match, according to the federation's rules.
Current world champion Anand had requested a postponement of three days after being stuck in Frankfurt amid the air chaos across Europe caused by the ash cloud from an erupting Icelandic volcano.
The Bulgarian organisers initially turned down the request, but it is FIDE that has the final say.
"Three days really is impossible because it would create unbelieveble problems for the organisers," Makropoulos said.
Anand, who travelled by bus to Bulgaria and arrived in Sofia four days later than initially expected, thanked the chess federation for its decision.
"I am happy with this compromise... The main thing is that I am here and will play," he told journalists, adding that he hoped that fans would "see some good chess."
Anand's Bulgarian challenger to the title Veselin Topalov also said that the change of schedule was so marginal that it would not affect his play.
He added that he was happy that Bulgaria had the chance to host this match and appeared poised to win.
"It is always good to win at home and always better to play away when you lose," he chuckled.
Topalov, 35, who is currently ranked number two by FIDE, won the right to challenge Anand in a contested semi-final in February 2009 against Gata Kamsky of the United States.
Anand, 40, who was ranked fourth on the March 2010 FIDE ratings list, became World Champion in 2007 and had already defended his title against Vladimir Kramnik in 2008.
The decision as to who will play black or white will be taken at the event's official opening ceremony Wednesday evening, with FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov expected to attend.
Copyright 2010 AFP South Asian Edition
