The World Chess Federation has decided that the World Championship match in November will be held in Chennai, India, the hometown of the titleholder, Viswanathan Anand, and that the prizes will total $2.55 million.

Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian who will challenge Anand in the match, immediately protested, and not because of the location alone. Organizers in Paris had also offered to play host to the match and put up $3.5 million in prize money. But the federation said there would be no open bidding this time.

Chennai had been the favorite for the last world championship, in 2012, but a better offer from Moscow trumped it. After Chennai lost, the federation promised organizers there that they would have no competition in landing the next championship.

“The lack of transparency, predictability and fairness is unfortunate for chess as a sport and for chess players,” Carlsen said in a statement.