Bulgaria Likely to Host Topalov World Chess Championship Final

Bulgaria is likely to host the World Chess Championship final between Bulgaria's Veselin Topalov and India's Viswanathan Anand.

There has been a late bid by India to host the April 2010 final, but Bulgaria is believed to have found sponsors to present a good bid.

It was also reported that new Bulgaria PM Boyko Borisov has thrown his political might behind the Bulgarian bid as he is a self-confessed chess lover, indiatimes.com reported.

The deadline for presenting of the bid to the World chess federation (FIDE) is September 30 2009. The minimum prize fund, prescribed by FIDE, for the match is EUR 1 M.

With the current world champion Anand expressing his keenness to take on Topalov at home and the All-India Chess Federation (AICF) only now waking up to the possibility, the mood in Sofia seems celebratory with reports suggesting that the bid from the Bulgarian capital has found no challenge either from India or elsewhere.

Bulgaria had expected Russia, Azerbaijan and India to be in the race.