New World Championship Cycle

The FIDE explanation of the new World Championship cycle is not a model of clarity...

Tallinn Presidential Board Maps New World Chess Championship Cycle
http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=1388

...The portion of the qualification path relevant to the current cycle (culminating in the Mexico 2007 tournament) and the next cycle (culminating in a 2009 match) is shown in the following diagram.

A couple of important points:-

• The winner of Mexico 2007 becomes the next World Champion (the event should have been shown in yellow).
  
  
• The two qualifying events in 2008 for the 2009 match depend on Kramnik's result in Mexico. This is not shown in the diagram and was not explained well in the accompanying text.

If Kramnik loses in Mexico, there will be two qualification matches:-

• Kramnik vs. winner Mexico
  
• Topalov vs. winner World Cup

The winners of the two matches will meet in the 2009 World Championship match.

If Kramnik wins in Mexico, there will be one qualification match:-

• Kramnik vs. Topalov
  
• Winner World Cup is direct seed

The winner of the Kramnik vs. Topalov match will meet the winner of the World Cup in the 2009 World Championship match.

***

This is all, of course, subject to change. If it holds up, the following cycle (culminating in a 2010 match) is a model for subsequent cyles.