Bulgarian chess master Vasselin Topalov was to request a world champion title re-match, a letter from Topalov's manager Silvio Danailov to World Chess Federation (FIDE) president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov said.

A number of Bulgarian officials decided to support Topalov in his attempt to claim the world title, BGNES Sport agency reported. Among them are President Georgi Purvanov, Interior Minister Roumen Petkov and head of the State Agency for Youth and Sport Vessela Lecheva.

An initiative committee in Bulgaria was already taking the steps needed for a bank guarantee of the tournament, the letter said.

FIDE would agree to re-match only in case the guarantee reached two million dollars. The funds would be used for the award pool and the organisation expenses.

Danailov said that hindrances to the bank guarantee aimed to sabotage the re-match.