Women's 2006 world chess champion Xu Yuhua of China has qualified for the men's World Chess Cup alongside with other seven Chinese, according to the International Chess Federation (FIDE) website on Friday.

 

The Chinese qualifiers are Xu, Bu Xiangzhi, Wang Yue, Zhang Penxiang, Wang Hao, Zhao Jun, Wen Yang and Ahou Jianchao.

 

World Cup 2007, slated in Khanty-Mansiysk from 23rd of November to 18th of December, will feature 128 chess players from 38 countries and regions having qualified from zonal and continental events, the FIDE stated.

 

Best chess players from Asia, Oceania, Europe, Americas and Africa have qualified for the tournament, including former World Chess Championship Mexico-2007 contenders Levon Aronian of Armenia and Russians Peter Svidler and Alexander Grischuk.

 

According to the FIDE's general statistics, China has 16 men chess grandmasters including Xu, 10 women grandmasters, seven international masters, 10 FIDE masters and five women Fide masters.

 

FIDE still has three wildcards for this event and it will later decide on the passes receivers.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2007)