Participants Dortmund made public

Yesterday, the participants of the Sparkassen Chess Meeting 2008 (Dortmund) have been made public. This year Kramnik, Mamedyarov, Leko, Ivanchuk, Naiditsch, Gustafsson, Nepomniachtchi and Van Wely will play in the German super tournament.

From June 28 till July 6, in the Theater of Dortmund, the Sparkassen Chess Meeting 2008 will take place. This year not one but two German players will participate: besides ex-winner Naiditsch also Jan Gustafsson.

Naiditsch wrote history in 2005 by winning Dortmund as a 19-year-old. Jan Gustafsson from Hamburg plays the tournament for the first time, just like 17-year old Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia, who qualified by winning the Aeroflot Open. Loek van Wely also played in 2005 and will now return to Dortmund.

Dortmund is a shorter tournament than usual: not a double but a single eight-player round roubin will be played. It's not part of the Grand Slam. During the main tournament, an open tournament will also take place.