NIIT Brand Ambassador Viswanathan Anand will participate in the Thirteenth edition of the "Torneo Magistral de Ajedrez" that will be played in Leon, Spain.

The tournament, which is based on the new concept of Advanced Chess, will be played from the 2nd -4th of June. This year, there will be two semi-finals and the winners will play the finals on 4th June.

The pairings are: First Semi-final Miguel Illescas- Alexei Shirov 2nd June 16.30 hours (CET) Second Semi-final Viswanathan Anand- Judith Polgar 3rd June 16.30 hours (CET) The Finals will be played on 4th June at 16.30 hours (CET) The drawing of the colours will be held on 1st June.

Each player will play with the help of a 1000 MHz computer and Chess programmes from Chessbase™. The game will be of two-hour duration each. Two games will be played with each player playing with both colours. In case of tie, rapid games will be played until a clear winner emerges.

The format of the games will be decided at the opening ceremony. This new method of playing chess known as "Advanced Chess " has been a big success in recent years. It allows the audience to watch the thinking process of the player during a game. Giant television screens allow the audience to watch each of the player analyse and check various options before executing the best move.

In last year's edition, where Anand played Karpov in an advanced Chess match it is estimated that nearly 6 million people in Spain alone watched the event on television. This year the finals are to be transmitted live on Spanish television.

The event will be transmitted on the Internet. Please refer to the following sites:
www.chesscenter.com/twic/twic.htm
www.ajedrezdelfuturo.com
www.advancedchess.com

For more information, please contact the Organiser
Mr. Marcelino Sion Castro
Fax: 0034987249106
E-mail: magistral@inicia.es