Today's drawing of lots has pointed out that in tomorrow's first game of the 2008 World Chess Championship Match Vladimir Kramnik will play with the white pieces and Viswanathan Anand with the black pieces. You can follow the match live at www.chessvibes.com/live. Here's a small report on the drawing of lots.

Tonight the drawing of lots was held at the Altes Rathaus in the old centre of Bonn. It took place after the players had signed the "Golden Book" of the city of Bonn, and after some speeches were held at the opening banquet by, among others, FIDE Honorary President Florencio Campomanes.

The players with the mayor of Bonn, B?ɬ§rbel Dieckmann

The Golden Book of the city of Bonn - there is hardly a more prominent collection of signatures in Germany than the Visitors' Book

The Opening Banquet - can you spot the players?

FIDE Honorary President Florencio Campomanes

The short procedure of the drawing of lots started with two red boxes and two blue cylinders, all contaning small busts of Beethoven. (Note that Ludwig von Beethoven was born in Bonn.)

Two red boxes and two blue cylinders containing small busts of Ludwig von Beethoven

World champion Viswanathan Anand was allowed to pick a red box first, to determine who was allowed to pick his blue cylinder first. But the Indian picked a black bust, and Kramnik had the white one, so the Russian was allowed to pick a blue cylinder first. He kind of "won again", since the blue cylinder he picked also contained a white Beethoven bust!

Vladimir Kramnik picks the white bust; the black one is for Viswanathan Anand

A close-up of the small Beethoven bust

This all means we'll have the following (update: corrected) playing schedule: