Kamsky v Topalov Coming Up

Kicking off later this month is that much-awaited Kamsky v Topalov Challenger Match, to be held in Sofia, Bulgaria from 16 Feb until the 28th. My pick for this one is the Bulgarian, Topalov. He wasn't there in the just completed Corus event, so he's pretty well-rested plus also enjoying a little extra time on his preparations. On the other hand, he will be under pressure. As his manager says in this interview:

The pressure for Veselin and for me is big. A loss will be a real national tragedy. Everyone expects victory, while this will be a very difficult match. I preferred that it were played abroad. In the end they could not find the money and it was either our offer or no match. I am happy that they were reasonable and this match will take place.

Thanks to our friends over at ChessDom for this story. And by the way, Anton (over at CD) tells me that they'll have as many as 10 contributors on-the-ground in the playing hall. So, it looks like plenty of news about this event will come from them. Meanwhile, no word yet on an official site for the match. And that seems rather stupid. If I were a sponsor, I wouldn't be too terribly impressed!