The top 50 men are exempt until the second round, so Bulgaria’s Ivan Cheparinov, world number 77, who is the top ranked player starting the competition in round one tomorrow (July 30), will also play with white in his opening match against Yousef Ilhassadi of Libya.

The colours used alternate for each pairing in the draw.

In the women’s FIDE World Cup, world champion Ju Wenjun of China will make the second move in her first match with black pieces.

She will only learn her opponent after the first round is complete and is among the top 25 women who are to enter the tournament at round two.

Organisers have announced 17-year-old International Master Eline Roebers from the Netherlands, ranked 40, and the leading player to start in the first round, will begin with white against Yamama Al-Fayyadh of Iraq.

In sequence, the other pairings will alternate in the use of colours in similar fashion to the men's draw.

The playing order had been determined by India’s five-time world champion Vishwanathan Anand, now a FIDE vice-president and Azerbaijan’s Grand Master Aynur Sofiyeva spinning a wheel to determine colours under the scrutiny of FIDE World Cup chief Arbiter Laurent Freyd.

It had brought to an end an Opening Ceremony which was described as "A Welcome to the Land of Fire".

This is the second time in eight years that the FIDE World Cup has been hosted by Azerbaijan.

It coincides with national commemoration of 100 years since the birth of Heydar Aliyev, a former President who died in 2003 but was a devotee of chess.

"We are busy celebrating his centenary, development of the game of chess in Azerbaijan is interlinked with his name," Azerbaijan Youth and Sports Minister Farid Gayibov said.

In a dramatic start to the Ceremony, a giant head was projected onto the screen as the notation of thousands of chess moves cascaded down the screen into the brain.

Outsize chess pieces descended onto the stage and were then replaced by dancers.

"The colourful main figures will appear before the viewer both in reality with all its forms and colours and in the virtual world," organisers explained.

It was as if the famous scene in "Alice in Wonderland" had come to life once again.

There was a further balletic performance of "The Soul of the Red Queen".

This starred state ballet soloists Gunay Imanova as the Red Queen and Nigar Shahmuraov as the soul in a short sequence choreographed by Tarana Muradova.

Then came a music performance by accordion player Enver Sagidov and pianist Emil Afrasiyab, both acclaimed artists in Azerbaijan.

The first round of matches begins tomorrow (July 30).

Each are two game contests. 

A further day has been set aside for tiebreaks before the top seeds enter the competition in round two.

"For the players it is going to be tough, for the spectators it is going to be fun," FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich insisted.

"I really hope that this World Cup will be another driver for chess around the world."

The tournament is set to last until August 24.