The 1st round of the Candidates Matches 2011 launches on May 5 in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan.

Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian (2808) who’s ranked the highest among tournament participants will play against Russia’s Alexander Grischuk (2747) with white pieces.

The other pairings for the 1st round of the Candidates Matches are: Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria) - Gata Kamsky (U.S.), Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) – Teimour Radjabov (Azerbaijan), Boris Gelfand (Israel)– Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan).

The winner of the Candidates Matches 2011 will qualify to challenge the World Champion GM Vishy Anand in a 12-game match during the first half of 2012.