The organizers of the Grand Slam Masters Final have submitted an official request to FIDE to reconsider the dates for the Candidates Tournament.

The letter, addressed to FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, is backed by both Magnus Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik, chessvibes.com reported.

The FIDE Candidates Tournament, a qualifier for the 2013 World Championship Match, is scheduled for October 23 – November 13, 2012, while the Grand Slam Masters Final will be held September 24-October 13, 2012. The Bilbao organizers are not happy with FIDE's choice of dates. The Candidates Tournament will start just ten days after the Masters Final finishes, making it virtually impossible for players to participate in both events.