FAMOUS CHESS PLAYERS
Updated : Nov 2008
VESELIN TOPALOV SPECIAL PAGE
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Veselin
Topalov is a bulgarian chess grandmaster currently ranked first in
the FIDE rating list, and former FIDE world champion. He won the
FIDE World Chess Championship 2005 in San Luis, taking swiftly an
overwhelming advantage on his opponents. Between 1993 and 2006 the
chess world title was split and the World Chess Championship 2006
has been a title reunification match between Topalov and the
"Classical" champion 2000-2007 Kramnik who defeated Kasparov (who
had been world champion for the previous 15 years) in 2000. Kramnik
won this match and became the first undisputed champion in 13 years.
By losing this match, Topalov lost the right to compete in the 2007 World
Championship tournament in Mexico City whereas he was ranked second in the
world and Kramnik took his place. This WCC 2007 has been won by Anand.
Because of these special circumstances and due to his title FIDE
2005, Topalov has been given as a compensation a direct entry to a
challenger match in 2008 against the winner of the Chess World Cup
2007 (who occurs to be Kamsky). The winner of this match will
challenge in 2009 the winner of the WCC 2008 opposing the current
world chess champion Anand and the former champion Kramnik in Bonn,
Germany (this match has been won by Anand the 29 October 2008).
~ "GM Veselin Topalov" ~
Corus_2008 chess
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(cf.
"GM Veselin Topalov"
Corus_2008 chess
Picasa Web Albums
steenslag's Public Gallery)
In
2008 Topalov won the final chess master tournament in Bilbao and
gets the highest current rating 2791, he is in fact 22 points below
his peak rating 2813, reached in October 2006, the second highest
Elo rating of all time behind Kasparov's record (2851, July 1999).
Meanwhile, Anand and Kramnik have fallen to 5th and 6th places in
the rating list, their modest results in recent tournaments is
probably connected with their preparation to their confrontation.
The semifinal candidates match Topalov-Kamsky will take place in
Lviv, Ukraine in late November 2008. The winner of this match will
challenge Anand, the world Champion 2007 and 2008, in the 2009 World
Chess Championship which will determine a single world chess champion.
~ "Veselin Topalov (October 2007)" ~
Author karpidis from Piraeus, Greece
Click on the Thumbnail to see Large Image -
Image copyright ©2008 karpidis from Piraeus, Greece
- Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
* Click here for reaching the same
picture in HIGH DEFINITION (HD) *
«HIGH DEFINITION (HD) = Image 02 (1500 x 2000 pixels)»
(cf.
"Veselin Topalov (October 2007)"
Author karpidis from Piraeus, Greece )
«Veselin Topalov grandmaster
©-Wikipedia: l'encyclopédie libre»
We choose, as an illustration of the Topalov's style, a game of the
reunification match, where Veselin Topalov wins with Black, in a
Semi-Slav Defense, Meran Variation, where he played an interesting
theoretical novelty: 15...Qa5.
FIDE World Chess Championship 2006
Kramnik, Vladimir (2750) - Topalov, Veselin (2813)
- (D47) Semi-Slav Defense, Meran Variation, 0-1,
Game No8, Elista, Kalmikia (RUS), 2006 -
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1.d4
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d5
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2.c4
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c6
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3.Nf3
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Nf6
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4.Nc3
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e6
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5.e3
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Nbd7
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6.Bd3
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...
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The classical alternative is here: 6.Qc2; for example: 6.Qc2 Bd6
7.g4 dxc4 8.Bxc4 b6 9.e4 e5 10.g5 Nh5 11.Be2! g6 12.Be3 0-0
13.0-0-0 and White has some good perspectives to attack on the
Kingside (Milanovic, Danilo (2480) - Kalezic, Blazo (2448) 1-0
(D45) SCG-chT1 Vrnjacka Banja, 2005).
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6...
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dxc4
Main line
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7.Bxc4
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b5
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8.Be2
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(8.Bd3)
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Bb7
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9.0-0
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b4
(a6)
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10.Na4
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Only move
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c5!?
(Be7)
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At the usual 10...Be7, may effectively be substituted 10...c5!?
which was introduced by Flohr in the game: Malich, Burkhard - Flohr,
Salo ½-½ (D47) Chigorin mem, 1965. But the corresponding position
usually leads either to draws or to White wins. This is why this
Black move seems today rather forsaken.
DIAG 1
:
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11.dxc5
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Nxc5
(Bxc5)
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12.Bb5+
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Initiative
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Ncd7
Only move
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13.Ne5!?
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Active
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Qc7
(a6?)
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14.Qd4
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Initiative
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Rd8!
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15.Bd2
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...
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DIAG 2
:
An interesting novelty. Had been tested before: 15...a6 16.Rfc1
Qa5 17.Bc6 Bxc6 18.Nxc6 Qxa4 19.Nxd8 Kxd8 20.a3= Cvetkovic, Srdjan -
Bajirov, Vladimir ½-½ (D47) Vrnjacka Banka, 1974. We may also notice
the short game: 13...a6? 14.Bxd7+ Nxd7 15.Nxd7 Qc7?? (Qxd7 +/-)
16.Nxf8 1-0, Alonso, Rene (2395) - Hilarius, Sander (1892) 1-0
(D47) Seville op 30th, 2005.
«Veselin Topalov World Chess Champion 2005
Image Copyright ©- 2005 WCC Press»
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16.Bc6
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Only move
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Be7!
Accurate
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On one hand, is not clear: 16...Bxc6 17.Nxc6 Qxa4 18.Nxd8 Kxd8
19.a3 e5 20.Qc4 +/= and on the other one if 17.Bxb7?? then Nxe5!
-+
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17.Rfc1?!
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(17.b3!?)
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Bxc6
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18.Nxc6
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Qxa4
Only move
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19.Nxd8
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Bxd8
Accurate
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20.Qxb4
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(20.a3)
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Qxb4
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21.Bxb4
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Nd5!
Active
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22.Bd6
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Accurate
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f5
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May be envisaged: 20.a3!? 0-0 21.axb4 Qb5 22.Qxa7 Ne4 23.Bc3 Bh4!?
= not clear; anyway this endgame, with two black Knights against a
Rook and a pawn for White, is not at all obvious and one wonders
why Kramnik chose this way.
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23.Rc8
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N5b6!
Accurate
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24.Rc6
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Be7
Accurate
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25.Rd1
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(25.Bxe7?)
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Kf7!
Accurate
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26.Rc7
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(25.Bxe7!?)
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Ra8!?
(Rc8?!)
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After: 26...Rc8?! 27.Rxc8 (27.Rxa7?? Bxd6) Nxc8 28.Bxe7 Kxe7 29.Rc1
Ncb6 30.Rc7 a5 31.b3 a4 32.bxa4 Nxa4= the game may be a draw.
DIAG 3
:
«Veselin Topalov © 2005 ChessBase
Veselin Topalov new world champion
during his post game conference»
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27.Rb7
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Ke8!?
(Bxd6)
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28.Bxe7
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Kxe7
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29.Rc1
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(29.Kf1)
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a5
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30.Rc6
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Nd5!
Active
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It is particularly difficult to judge this position and grandmaster
opinions are here frankly divergent.
DIAG 4
:
A good strategy for Black consists now to increase his territory; but,
obviously such a plan is rather difficult to realise in the present
context!... Anyway, the choice of appropriate pawn moves will be,
for each camp, the key of success!
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31.h4
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h6
Idea: ...g5
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32.a4?!
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Mistake
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g5
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33.hxg5
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hxg5
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34.Kf1
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g4!
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35.Ke2
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Centralis.
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N5f6
Idea: Ne8-d6
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36.b3?!
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Weak
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...
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DIAG 5
:
First of all: 32.a4?! is a positional mistake (Judit Polgar); better
is simply: 32.Kf1 g5 33.hxg5 hxg5 34.Ke2 (Judit Polgar). It is right
that White has now a backward pawn. In the continuation of the
erroneous Kramnik's discernment of this endgame 36.b3?! is a weak
move, allowing Topalov to increase his initiative. It is preferable
to play 36.Rcc7 g3 37.fxg3 Rg8 38.Rc5 Rxg3 39.Rxa5 Rxg2+ 40.Kf1
=/unclear.
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36...
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Ne8
Idea: Nd6
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37.f3?!
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(37.Rc1!?)
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g3!
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38.Rc1
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Nef6
Judicious
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39.f4
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Kd6!
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40.Kf3
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Centralis.
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Nd5
Initiative
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«Veselin Topalov ©- www.Boby-Fischer.net
Veselin Topalov playing chess»
DIAG 6
:
It is not easy for Topalov to win this game, indeed. But, in this
position, following features explain the significant Black
advantage:
Black pieces are well coordinated and centralised.
Black Knights own a significant mobility.
The Black Rook disposes of the 8th rank and threatens
to reach the h-file.
The White Rook b7 is unable to play; furthermore, both White
Rooks are not coordinated.
g3-pawn is untouchable (indirect protection).
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41.Kxg3?
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(41.Rb5)
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Nc5
(-+)
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42.Rg7
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Defensive
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Rb8!
Attack
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«Veselin Topalov ©- The Hindu images
Rapid Chess Championship,
Cap d'Adge, France, 2003
Photo: Arvind Aaron, 2003
Credit: The HINDU»
41.Kxg3? is a decisive mistake. The optimal line is here: 41.Rb5
(only choice!) N7f6 42.Rcc5 Nc7 43.Rxa5 Rb8 44.Rc3 Ne4 45.Rd3+ Nd5
46.Rb5 Rxb5 47.axb5 Kc5 -/+. This time Topalov owns a strong
superiority: White is unable to protect himself simultaneously from
an attack on files b and g.
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43.Ra7
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Rg8+
Initiative
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44.Kf3
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(44.Kh2)
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Ne4!
Threat
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45.Ra6+
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Ke7
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46.Rxa5
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Rg3+
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47.Ke2
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Forced
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Rxe3+
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48.Kf1
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Best choice
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Rxb3
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49.Ra7+
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Kf6
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50.Ra8
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Idea: Rf8+
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Nxf4
Decisive!
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51.Ra1
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Idea: a5
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Rb2!
The stronger
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52.a5
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Rf2+
0-1
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DIAG 7
:
This time, White is mate in 4: 53.Kg1 (53.Ke1 Nd3+ 54.Kd1 Rd2#)
Rxg2+ 54.Kf1 (54.Kh1 Nf2#) Rf2+ 55.Kg1 (55.Ke1 Nd3+ 56.Kd1 Rd2#)
Nh3+ 56.Kh1 Ng3#
External link:
Wikipedia: FIDE World Chess Championship 2006
************
«Veselin Topalov grandmaster
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MAP 
 - Author karpidis from Piraeus, Greece)
"Veselin Topalov (October 2007)" 
«Veselin Topalov grandmaster 
«Veselin Topalov grandmaster