Kasimdzanov new FIDE champion

Grand Master (GM) Rustam Kasimdzanov of Uzbekistan became the new world chess champion after defeating GM Michael Adams of Britain in the final of the FIDE Championships which ended in Tripoli, Libya, on Tuesday. Kasimdzanov, who scored an overall 4.5-3.5 points in the final eight games played since Wednesday, succeeds Ukraine's GM Ruslan Ponomoriov, who opted out in protest over the championship format. The event drew 164 players from around the world. -- JP