The 2001-2002 German Bundesliga (BL) season starts on the 6th October 2001 with 16 teams battling it out in the strongest chess league in the world. Good luck to all teams taking part.

All the teams and players have been announced with 100 GMs including 2 WGMs registered. The top players with their July FIDE world ranking and ELO are:

4 Morozevich (RUS - Solingen) 2749
5 Adams (ENG - Luebeck) 2744
8 Bareev (RUS - Luebeck) 2719
10 Shirov (ESP - Luebeck) 2706
11 Kasimdzhanov (UZB - Solingen) 2704
14 Khalifman (RUS - Porz) 2700
15= Georgiev (BUL - Castrop Rauxel) 2695
15= Van Wely (NED - Porz) 2695

One interesting point this year is that there are more women players registered than before; including WGM Skripchenko-Lautier (MDA - Heiligenhaus), WGM Kachiani-Gersinska (GER - Tegernsee) and WIM Paehtz (GER -Erfurt).

As with last season there are three very strong teams, who finished clear of the other clubs:

• Luebeck
• Porz
• Solingen

it is more than likely that the champion will emerge from this triumvirate.

The Champions, Luebeck, have dispensed with their German players and, in fact, have a totally foreign squad which must be a first for the BL. They have also increased their English flavour by bringing Conquest to the club who now joins: Adams, Speelman, Hodgson and Nunn from England. Another useful addition to the squad is the young rising Spanish player Vallejo Pons.

Porz have brought in the young Bacrot (FRA) and retain their solid team with the highest average ELO ratings. Solingen have also built on the French Connection with Lautier and Fressinet joining and Hubner (GER) leaving. There is also a distinctly British flavour to the team: Sadler (ENG), Emms (ENG), Chandler (ENG) and Rowson (SCO) sitting on the lower boards.

The second group comprises of teams who should avoid relegation and may pick up a minor place:

• Castrop Rauxel
• Godesberg
• Hamburg
• Neukoelln
• Koenig Plauen
• Stuttgart
• Tegernsee
• Bremen

Stuttgart were promoted last year and have managed to recruit a few German players to bolster their chances significantly: Hickl, Gabriel, Bunzmann, Buhmann and Schmittdiel should enable them to remain in the top class. Castrop Rauxel have swapped their long standing top boards, Van der Sterren (NED), Rogers (AUS) and King (ENG), for Georgiev (BUL), De Vreugt (NED) and Doettling (GER).

Hamburg have added the up and coming Swedish player Berg and look pretty solid with the former German Champion Wahls on Board 7 look pretty strong.Tegernsee have swapped one Frenchman for two others (what is it with all these French players this year?) with A Sokolov and Nataf replacing Bauer.

Neukoelln have lost Atalik (BIH) and Bunzmann (GER) and gained Kallai (HUN) and may well struggle with the players they have. Koenig Plauen have added Markowski (POL) to their team and have seven GMs but no IMs the team falls away quite quickly which could cause them problems.

Godesberg and Bremen have no significant changes from last year.

Finally, come the teams who will be fighting to avoid relegation:

• Erfurt
• Heiligenhaus
• Koenigsspringer
• Magdeburg
• Wattensheid

The lower group comprises of three of the promoted teams: Erfurt, Heiligenhaus and Koenigsspringer plus Magdeburg and Wattensheid.

Erfurt have managed to attract five GMs but apart from Luther (GER) they are all quite low rated. Heiligenhaus have four Dutchman in the team but unfortunately none of which are particularly strong and will struggle to stay up. Koenigsspringer have quite a weak squad and will be lucky to pick up any points at all.

Magdeburg have lost their top two boards, Nisipeanu (ROM) and Onischuk (UKR), and despite having four GMs in total the team drops off dramatically after that. Wattensheid have had no major changes since last year but are fairly solid.