Veselin Topalov

Veselin Topalov
Veselin Topalov Sofia Airport 24.10.2005.pic-01.jpg
Full name Veselin Topalov
(Веселин Топалов)
Country  Bulgaria
Born 15 March 1975 (1975-03-15) (age 35)
Rousse, Bulgaria
Title Grandmaster
World Champion 2005–2006 (FIDE)
FIDE rating 2803
(No. 2 in the September 2010 FIDE World Rankings)
Peak rating 2813 (October 2006, July 2009)
This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Veselin Topalov (pronounced [vɛsɛˈlin toˈpɑlof]; Bulgarian: Веселин Топалов; born 15 March 1975), is a Bulgarian chess grandmaster. He currently has the second highest rating in the world,[1] and was the challenger facing world champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2010, losing the match 6½-5½.

Topalov became the FIDE World Chess Champion by winning the FIDE World Chess Championship 2005. He lost his title in the World Chess Championship 2006 match against Vladimir Kramnik.

Topalov won the 2005 Chess Oscar.[2] He was ranked #1 in the world from April 2006 to January 2007, during which his Elo rating of 2813 had been surpassed only by Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen in chess history. He regained the world #1 ranking again in October 2008, and officially remained #1 until January 2010, when he fell to #2 behind Magnus Carlsen.[3]

He has been ranked number one a total of 27 months in his career, fourth all-time since the inception of the FIDE ranking lists in 1971 behind only Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, and Bobby Fischer.

Contents

Early career (1989-2005)

Topalov was born in Rousse, Bulgaria. His father taught him to play chess at the age of eight. Topalov had a difficult childhood, but he quickly established himself as a chess prodigy. At age 12, Topalov began working with Silvio Danailov, in a training/mentoring relationship that continues today. Danailov himself was a master who nurtured ambitions as a player. Once he saw Topalov, however, he sacrificed his own career.[4] Canadian Grandmaster Kevin Spraggett wrote: "Danailov took Topalov to his apartment and told him ‘From now on, you live here and this will become your new home. I am not just your trainer, but I am also your mother and your father. I am your cook. I am the one who will wash your clothes. I am the one who will pay your bills and expenses to tournaments. All I want from you is to think only about chess!"[5]

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 Topalov won a number of tournaments, and ascended the world chess rankings. He played in Linares 1994 (6½/13), Linares 1995 (8/13), Amsterdam 1995. In 1996, he won Amsterdam (1st equal with Kasparov), Vienna (ahead of Karpov), Novgorod and Dos Hermanas (1st-2nd with Kramnik, ahead of Anand, Kasparov, Illescas, Kamsky, Gelfand, Ivanchuk, Shirov and J. Polgar). As early as 1996, he was being invited to "supergrandmaster" events for the world's élite such as Las Palmas (5/10), the first category 21 tournament, played in December 1996, with Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik and Karpov participating.

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."[6]

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 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.[7] 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 Polgár. The average rating of the participants was 2744, making this super-GM, double round-robin tournament the strongest in 2005.

FIDE World Chess Champion 2005

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 6½/7 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 1½ points to become FIDE World Chess Champion. The average rating of the field in the championship was 2739, and Topalov's performance rating was 2890.[8]

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.

Kramnik-Topalov match controversy

On 28 September 2006, Topalov's manager Silvio 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 fifty times per game (a number that FIDE officials later claimed to be exaggerated[9]) and made the most significant decisions in the game in the bathroom.

They also demanded that the organizers of the tournament allow journalists access to 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.[10] 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.[11] 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,[12] former US Champions Lev Alburt and Yasser Seirawan, and others.[13][14]

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".[15] However the next day the crisis escalated, with Topalov's manager strongly implying that Kramnik was receiving computer assistance.[16]

On 14 December 2006, Topalov directly accused Kramnik of using computer assistance in their World Championship match.[17] 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.[18] On 29 July 2007, following a complaint by Kramnik's manager Carsten Hensel, 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".[19]

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 2½ points from 6 games and a 2645 performance. He lost both games against Judit Polgár and one against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov.

In May 2006, Topalov defended his M-Tel Masters title, coming first with 6½/10, a half point ahead of Gata Kamsky (who he beat 2-0). Topalov started the tournament somewhat hesitantly to later record four consecutive wins and decisively claim the title.

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.[20]

In September 2008, Topalov won the Bilbao 2008 tournament. He advanced to first in the world in the unofficial live ratings and in the official October 2008 ratings list.

2008-2010 World Championship cycle

By losing the 2006 reunification match, Topalov lost his chance to compete in the 2007 world championship tournament. Danailov expressed a desire for a rematch between Topalov and Kramnik, proposing a match in March 2007,[21] though no such match took place.

The issue was settled in June 2007 when Topalov (as well as Kramnik) was granted special privileges in the 2008-09 championship cycle.[22] Topalov was given direct entry to a "Challenger Match" against the winner of the Chess World Cup 2007.

The 2007 Chess World Cup was won by Gata Kamsky. The Challenger Match between Topalov and Kamsky took place in February 2009 in Hall 6 of NDK Sofia. Topalov won the match 4½-2½ and played against the current world champion Viswanathan Anand for the World Chess Champion title. Topalov lost the match 6½-5½.

2010

Topalov won the 2010 Linares chess tournament held from February 13 to 24 in Andalusia, Spain, defeating 2009 Chess World Cup champion Boris Gelfand in his final game.[23][24][25]

As the runner-up in the World Chess Championship 2010, Topalov has automatically qualified for the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship 2012, where he will be the top seed. He is scheduled to face American Gata Kamsky in his first Candidates Tournament match.

Notable tournament victories

World championship matches and qualifiers

Sample game

Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8 {{{square}}} black rook {{{square}}} black knight {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black queen {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 8
7 {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king 7
6 {{{square}}} black bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn 6
5 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 5
4 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn 4
3 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} white rook {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white knight {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king 3
2 {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white queen {{{square}}} white bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white pawn {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king 2
1 {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white bishop {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} black king {{{square}}} white rook 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
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+.

References

  1. ↑ Veselin Topalov Ratings progress, FIDE
  2. ↑ "Chess Oscar 2005 for Veselin Topalov". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3072.  ChessBase
  3. ↑ Veselin Topalov Ratings progress, FIDE
  4. ↑ Undurti, Jaideep (Fri May 14, 2010). "The advantage of being Viswanathan Anand". http://www.indianexpress.com/news/the-advantage-of-being-viswanathan-anand/618766/0. 
  5. ↑ "Topalov vs Kramnik - Page 7". http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=44280&currentpage=7. 
  6. ↑ "Art on the Board". http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:DTyisYETXm0J:chessunderground.org/essaysfictionetc/Art%2520on%2520the%2520Board.doc+kasparov+topalov+%22it+takes+two%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5. 
  7. ↑ "Linares R14: Topalov beats Kasparov, shares first". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2257.  ChessBase
  8. ↑ "San Luis R14: Topalov wins, Anand second". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=2683.  ChessBase
  9. ↑ "Makropoulos on the World Championship Crisis". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3407.  ChessBase
  10. ↑ "Topalov threatens to abandon the World Championship Match". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3370.  ChessBase
  11. ↑ "World Chess Championship Match Press Release - Game 6". Archived from the original on 2007-09-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20070904060130/http://www.fide.com/news.asp?id=1136.  FIDE
  12. ↑ "Anand on Topalov-Kramnik". Archived from the original on 2006-11-12. http://web.archive.org/web/20061112133253/http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/2006/10/anand_on_topalovkramnik.htm. 
  13. ↑ "GMs support Vladimir Kramnik". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3397.  ChessBase
  14. ↑ "ACP Statement on Topalov-Kramnik Unification Match crisis". http://www.chess-players.org/eng/news/viewarticle.html?id=565. 
  15. ↑ ""Elista 2006: the latest before game seven"". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3399. 
  16. ↑ ""Silvio Danailov accuses Kramnik of using Fritz 9"". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3401. 
  17. ↑ ""Topalov: the Kremlin will not admit that Kramnik cheated..."". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3553. 
  18. ↑ "Article + photos". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3670. 
  19. ↑ Case N.4/06: JUDGEMENT rendered by the FIDE Ethics Commission (PDF)
  20. ↑ "Topalov Wins Dos Hermanas Rapid". ChessBase News. 21 April 2008. http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4580. Retrieved 2008-04-21 
  21. ↑ ""Topalov back in Bulgaria, seeks rematch"". http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3428. 
  22. ↑ Veselin Topalov and the new FIDE world championship cycle, Chessbase, June 24, 2007
  23. ↑ http://www.chess.com/news/topalov-wins-linares-7207
  24. ↑ http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=6151
  25. ↑ http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/topalov-beats-gelfand-wins-linares-outright/

External links

Awards
Preceded by
Rustam Kasimdzhanov		 FIDE World Chess Champion
2005–2006		 Succeeded by
Vladimir Kramnik
World Chess Champion
Achievements
Preceded by
Garry Kasparov
Viswanathan Anand		 World No. 1
April 1, 2006 - March 31, 2007
October 1, 2008 - December 31, 2009		 Succeeded by
Viswanathan Anand
Magnus Carlsen
World Chess Championships
pre-FIDE
1886, 1889, 1891, 1892 (Steinitz) · 1894, 1897, 1907, 1908, 1910 (Jan-Feb), 1910 (Nov-Dec) (Lasker) · 1921 (Capablanca) · 1927, 1929, 1934 (Alekhine) · 1935 (Euwe) · 1937 (Alekhine)
FIDE
1948, 1951, 1954 (Botvinnik) · 1957 (Smyslov) · 1958 (Botvinnik) · 1960 (Tal) · 1961 (Botvinnik)  · 1963, 1966 (Petrosian) · 1969 (Spassky) · 1972 (Fischer) · 1975, 1978, 1981, 1984 (Karpov) · 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990 (Kasparov)
Split title
Classical
1993, 1995 (Kasparov) · 2000, 2004 (Kramnik)
FIDE
1993, 1996, 1998 (Karpov) · 1999 (Khalifman) · 2000 (Anand) · 2002 (Ponomariov) · 2004 (Kasimdzhanov) · 2005 (Topalov)
FIDE
2006 (Kramnik) · 2007, 2008, 2010 (Anand) · Future: 2012
Bulgarian Sportsperson of the Year

 1958: Vanya Voynova  •  1959: Lyutvi Ahmedov  •  1960: Dimitar Dobrev  •  1961: Dimitar Khlebarov  •  1962: Enyo Valchev  •  1963: Prodan Gardzhev  •  1964: Boyan Radev  •  1965: Georgi Asparuhov  •  1966: Prodan Gardzhev  •  1967: Boyan Radev  •  1968: Boyan Radev  •  1969: Mihail Zhelev  •  1970: Petar Kirov  •  1971: Petar Kirov  •  1972: Yordan Bikov  •  1973: Nedelcho Kolev  •  1974: Lilyana Tomova  •  1975: Valentin Hristov  •  1976: Ivanka Hristova  •  1977: Totka Petrova  •  1978: Zdravka Yordanova and Svetla Otsetova  •  1979: Alexander Tomov  •  1980: Lyubomir Lyubenov  •  1981: Yanko Rusev  •  1982: Blagoy Blagoev  •  1983: Vasil Etropolski  •  1984: Lyudmila Andonova  •  1985: Stefka Kostadinova  •  1986: Yordanka Donkova and Asen Zlatev  •  1987: Stefka Kostadinova and Hristo Markov  •  1988: Tanya Bogomilova and Hristo Markov  •  1989: Vesela Lecheva and Valentin Yordanov  •  1990: Stefan Botev  •  1991: Serafim Todorov  •  1992: Nikolay Bukhalov  •  1993: Serafim Todorov  •  1994: Hristo Stoichkov  •  1995: Stefka Kostadinova  •  1996: Stefka Kostadinova  •  1997: Yoto Yotov  •  1998: Ekaterina Dafovska  •  1999: Galabin Boevski  •  2000: Tereza Marinova  •  2001: Yordan Yovchev  •  2002: Rumyana Neykova  •  2003: Yordan Yovchev  •  2004: Mariya Grozdeva  •  2005: Veselin Topalov  •  2006: Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski  •  2007: Stanka Zlateva  •  2008: Rumyana Neykova  •  2009: Detelin Dalakliev