Veselin Topalov

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Veselin Topalov
Full name	Veselin Topalov (Веселин Топалов)
Country	Bulgaria
Born	March 15, 1975 (1975-03-15) (age 33) Rousse, Bulgaria
Title	Grandmaster
World Champion	2005-2006 (FIDE)
FIDE rating	2767 (No. 4 on the April 2008 FIDE ratings list)
Peak rating	2813 (October 2006)

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Veselin Topalov (IPA: [vɛ.sɛ'lin to'pɑ.lof]; Bulgarian: Веселин Топалов) (born 15 March 1975) is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster and former FIDE world champion. In the April 2008 FIDE rating list, he is ranked fourth in the world with an Elo rating of 2767.^[1] His current trainer and manager is International Master Silvio Danailov.

Topalov became the FIDE World Chess Champion by winning the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005. Topalov was awarded the 2005 Chess Oscar.^[2] In October 2006, Topalov had the second highest Elo rating of all time (2813).

Topalov played Classical World Champion Vladimir Kramnik in a twelve-game title unification match. The match was drawn at 6-6, but Topalov lost the tie-break 2.5-1.5.

[edit] Early career

Topalov was born in Rousse, Bulgaria. His father taught him to play chess at the age of eight. In 1989 he won the World Under-14 Championship in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, and in 1990 won the silver medal at the World Under-16 Championship in Singapore. He became a Grandmaster in 1992.

Topalov has been the leader of the Bulgarian national team since 1994. At the 1994 Chess Olympiad in Moscow he led the Bulgarians to a fourth-place finish.

Over the next ten years he won a number of tournaments, and ascended the world chess rankings. As early as 1996, he was being invited to "supergrandmaster" events for the world's élite. Topalov's loss to reigning Classical World Champion Garry Kasparov at the 1999 Corus chess tournament is generally hailed as one of the greatest games ever played. Kasparov later said, "[During the game] He looked up. Perhaps there was a sign from above that Topalov would play a great game today. It takes two, you know, to do that."^[3] In the knockout tournaments for the FIDE World Chess Championship, he reached the last 16 in 1999, the quarter-finals in 2000, the final 16 in 2001, and the semi-finals in the 2004 tournament. In 2002, he lost the final of the Dortmund Candidates Tournament (for the right to challenge for the rival Classical World Chess Championship) to Péter Lékó.

Topalov scored his first "super-tournament" success at Linares 2005, tying for the first place with Garry Kasparov (though losing on tiebreak rules), and defeating Kasparov in the last round, in what was to be Kasparov's last tournament game before his retirement.^[4] He followed this up with a one point victory (+4 =5 −1) at the M-Tel Masters 2005 tournament, ahead of Viswanathan Anand, Vladimir Kramnik, Ruslan Ponomariov, Michael Adams, and Judit Polgar. The average rating of the participants was 2744, making this super-GM, double round-robin tournament the strongest in 2005.

[edit] World Champion

On the strength of his rating, Topalov was invited to the eight-player, double round-robin FIDE World Chess Championship in San Luis, Argentina, in September-October 2005. Scoring 6.5/7 in the first cycle, Topalov had virtually clinched the tournament at the halfway mark, before drawing every game in the second cycle to win by 1.5 points and become FIDE World Chess Champion. The average rating of the field in the championship was 2739, and Topalov's performance rating was 2890.^[5]

The unification of the FIDE World Title (held by Topalov) and the Classical Chess World Title (held by Vladimir Kramnik) was fervently encouraged by the chess community. On 16 April 2006, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov announced that a reunification match between Kramnik and Topalov would be held in September-October 2006. Kramnik defeated Topalov to become the first undisputed champion in thirteen years.

In May 2006, Topalov defended his M-Tel Masters title in the 2006 edition of the tournament, coming first with 6.5, a half point ahead of Gata Kamsky (whom he beat 2-0). Topalov started the tournament somewhat hesitantly to later record four consecutive wins and clinch the title.

[edit] Kramnik-Topalov match controversy

Main article: FIDE World Chess Championship 2006

On 28 September 2006, Danailov published a press release, casting suspicion on Kramnik's behaviour during the games. The Bulgarian team made a public statement that Kramnik visited his private bathroom (the only place without any audio or video surveillance) unreasonably often, about 50 times per game (a number that FIDE officials later claimed to be exaggerated^[6]) and made the most significant decisions in the game in the bathroom.

They also demanded that the organizers of the tournament make available to journalists the surveillance video from Kramnik's room for games 1 through 4. The organizers made parts of the video available, explaining that other parts of it were missing due to technical issues. Danailov demanded to stop the use of private restrooms and bathrooms, and threatened to reconsider Topalov's participation in the match.^[7] The Appeals Committee that governed the match agreed, and ruled that the players' private restrooms should be closed and replaced with a shared one.

Kramnik refused to play game 5 and was forfeited. On 1 October, the restroom issue was resolved in Kramnik's favour and the Appeals Committee resigned and were replaced. The FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov decided that the current score of 3-2 should be preserved. He also indicated that this was not a compromise decision but his own.^[8] The match resumed on 2 October 2006.

On 1 October, the Association of Chess Professionals released a statement denouncing Danailov for publicly accusing his opponent without evidence, and calling for him to be investigated by the FIDE Ethics Committee. Topalov has also been similarly denounced by numerous top players, including former World Champions Anatoly Karpov, Boris Spassky, and Viswanathan Anand, grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi,^[9] former US Champions Lev Alburt and Yasser Seirawan, and others.^[10][11]

On 3 October, Topalov said in a press conference, "I believe that his Kramnik's play is fair, and my decision to continue the match proves it".^[12] However the next day the crisis escalated, with Topalov's manager strongly implying that Kramnik was receiving computer assistance.^[13]

In a post-match interview, Danailov expressed a desire for a rematch between Topalov and Kramnik, saying, “FIDE regulations allow every world champion that has lost the title to challenge the title holder. The total prize fund is 1.5 million dollars. We will find this money and will request the game to take place in Sofia. We will offer an exact date, 3rd of March 2007.”^[14] However this will be impossible, because according to FIDE's regulations such a match must be held and finished six months before the next world championship, which will begin in September 2007 in Mexico.

On 14 December 2006, Topalov directly accused Kramnik of using computer assistance in their World Championship match.^[15] On 14 February 2007, Topalov's manager released pictures, purporting to show cables in the ceiling of a toilet used by Kramnik during the World Championship match in Elista. They were supposedly reported to the authorities, who Danailov claims suppressed the information. The Topalov team claims they were pressured by officials to keep their allegations quiet.^[16] On 29 July 2007, following a complaint by Kramnik's manager Carsten Hansel, the FIDE Ethics Commission sanctioned Topalov with "a severe reprimand" because of the accusations made in the interview of 14 December. According to the Ethics Commission, "these statements were clearly defamatory and damaged the honour of Mr. Vladimir Kramnik, harming his personal and professional reputation".^[17]

[edit] Cheating allegations against Topalov

Topalov has himself been accused of cheating, both at the San Luis tournament in 2005^[18] and at the 2007 Corus Tournament.^[19][20]

[edit] Career after the 2006 match

Soon after losing the world title, Topalov participated in the Essent Chess Tournament. He finished third of four players with only 2.5 points of 6 games and a 2645 performance. He lost two games against Judit Polgár and one against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.

In January 2007, Topalov finished in joint first place (ahead of Kramnik, who finished 4th) at the Category 19 Corus Chess Tournament along with Levon Aronian and Teimour Radjabov.

Topalov won the 14th Ciudad Dos Hermanas rapid, 17–21 April 2008, defeating GM Francisco Vallejo Pons (Spain) 2½–1½ in the final match by winning the first game and drawing the rest. The first round matches of the four-player knockout tournament were won by Topalov over GM Judit Polgár (Hungary) 2½–1½ and Vallejo over GM Alexei Shirov (Spain) 3–1.^[21]

[edit] 2008-2009 World Championship cycle

In the 2006 reunification match, Topalov lost his chance to compete in the 2007 world championship tournament. In compensation for this, Topalov (as well as Kramnik) was granted special privileges in the 2008-09 championship cycle.

Kramnik, who lost the title when Viswanathan Anand won the 2007 tournament, will meet Anand in a title match in 2008. Meanwhile, Topalov will play a match against Gata Kamsky, winner of the Chess World Cup 2007. The winner of this match will qualify for the 2009 world championship match against the 2008 world champion.

[edit] Notable tournament victories

• Madrid 1994, 1996, 1997
• Dos Hermanas 1996
• Amsterdam 1996
• Vienna 1996
• Novgorod 1996
• Antwerp 1997
• Monaco 2001
• Dortmund 2001
• Semi-finalist at the FIDE World Chess Championship 2004 in Tripoli, Libya.
• Shared first place with Kasparov (Kasparov technically won on tiebreaks though Topalov won their individual game) at Linares 2005
• M-Tel Masters 2005 (a point ahead of Anand)
• FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 (a point and a half ahead of Anand and Svidler)
• Corus 2006 (joint first with Anand)
• M-Tel Masters 2006 (half a point ahead of Gata Kamsky)
• Corus 2007 (joint first with Aronian and Radjabov)
• M-Tel Masters 2007 (half a point over four others)
• Champions League 2007 (a point and a half a head of Ponomariov)

[edit] Sample game

In this position after move 17 in the 2005 M-Tel Masters game between Veselin Topalov and Ruslan Ponomariov, Topalov (White) initiates a series of strong tactical blows with a sacrifice of a knight and a rook.

On the way to winning M-Tel Masters in 2005, Topalov defeated former FIDE World Champion Ruslan Ponomariov with the white pieces in a Queen's Indian defense. (Analysis by Rybka 1.2n.)

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.b3 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Be7 7.Nc3 O-O 8.Rc1 c6 9.e4 d5 10.e5 Ne4 11.Bd3 Nxc3 12.Rxc3 c5 13.dxc5 bxc5 14.h4 h6 15.Bb1 f5? Needlessly weakening the position. Better is 15. ... Nd7 16. Bxh6!? f5 (16...gxh6? 17.Qc2 f5 18.exf6 Rxf6 19.Qh7+ Kf8 20.Ng5! mates in 8 moves) 17. Bf4 Qa5, which may have given black good chances for equality. 16.exf6 Bxf6 17.Qc2! d4 17. ... Bxc3? leads to defeat after 18. Qh7+ Kf7 19. Bxc3, with an overwhelming attack: for example, 19...d4 20. Qg6+ Ke7 21. Nxd4!. But Topalov found a way to break black's defenses in Ponomariov's chosen line, too. (See diagram) 18.Ng5!! hxg5 19.hxg5 dxc3 20.Bf4 Kf7 21.Qg6+ Ke7 22.gxf6+ Rxf6 23.Qxg7+ Rf7 24.Bg5+ Kd6 25.Qxf7 Qxg5 26.Rh7 Qe5+ 27.Kf1 Kc6 28.Qe8+ Kb6 29.Qd8+ Kc6 30.Be4+! 1-0 Black resigned, because if black took the white bishop with 30 ... Qxe4, then white mates with 31. Qc7+.

[edit] References

1. ^ Top 100 Players April 2008. FIDE
2. ^ Chess Oscar 2005 for Veselin Topalov. ChessBase
3. ^ Art on the Board.
4. ^ Linares R14: Topalov beats Kasparov, shares first. ChessBase
5. ^ San Luis R14: Topalov wins, Anand second. ChessBase
6. ^ Makropoulos on the World Championship Crisis. ChessBase
7. ^ Topalov threatens to abandon the World Championship Match. ChessBase
8. ^ World Chess Championship Match Press Release - Game 6. FIDE
9. ^ www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/2006/10/anand_on_topalovkramnik.htm.
10. ^ GMs support Vladimir Kramnik. ChessBase
11. ^ www.chess-players.org/eng/news/viewarticle.html?id=565.
12. ^ "Elista 2006: the latest before game seven".
13. ^ "Silvio Danailov accuses Kramnik of using Fritz 9".
14. ^ "Topalov back in Bulgaria, seeks rematch".
15. ^ "Topalov: the Kremlin will not admit that Kramnik cheated...".
16. ^ Article + photos.
17. ^ Case N.4/06: JUDGEMENT rendered by the FIDE Ethics Commission (PDF)
18. ^ Chess Mess, by Garry Kasparov, Wall Street Journal, 2-Oct-2006
19. ^ Danailov accused of signalling Topalov, Chessbase, 27-Jan-2007
20. ^ Cheating allegations video sample, from Youtube
21. ^ “Topalov Wins Dos Hermanas Rapid”, ChessBase News, 21 April 2008, <http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4580>. Retrieved on 21 April 2008 

[edit] External links

• FIDE rating card for Veselin Topalov
• Veselin Topalov at ChessGames.com