Topalov leads World Championship Chess Tournament after 4 Rounds

From ChessBase
Dated Sunday October 2


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The World Championship Chess Tournament began Wednesday in San Luis, Argentina. It features some of the strongest active players in the world and the current FIDE-recognized world champion, Rustam Kasimdzhanov of Uzbekistan. The current classical world champion, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, is absent.

The other participants in the tournament are Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, Viswanathan Anand of India, Peter Svidler of Russia, Alexander Morozevich of Russia, Peter Leko of Hungary, Michael Adams of Great Britain and Judit Polgar of Hungary, the world's seventh-ranked player and far and away the strongest woman player in the history of organized chess. Topalov and Anand are the pre-tournament favorites to win.

For a decade and a half, a schism in the chess world has divided the world championship between the traditionally recognized world champion and the winner of a knock-out tournament organized by the governing body of world chess, FIDE. This schism came about as a result of a dispute between FIDE and the then-reigning world champion, Garry Kasparov of Russia, who was clearly the strongest player in the world at the time. In 1993, Kasparov and his FIDE-designated opponent, Nigel Short of Great Britain, organized their own championship match without FIDE's auspices. FIDE stripped Kasparov of his title and refused to recognize the Kasparov-Short match as official. Kasparov went on to crush Short in the match held in London and continued to be recognized by most people as the world champion, FIDE notwithstanding. Kasparov's rival body, the Professional Chess Association (PCA), often had difficulty obtaining funds to organize matches. Kasparov held the PCA version of the title until 2000, when he was defeated by Kramnik in a match held in London sponsored by Braingames, a British corporation.

Meanwhile, the FIDE version of the world championship produced world champions who, while excellent players in their own right, were seldom of the caliber of past world champions, whose exploits are legendary to followers of chess. An example of this kind of world champion is Kasimdzhanov, who is the lowest-ranked player in the San Luis tournament and ranked thirty-fourth overall in the world.

FIDE has made efforts to reunify the world championship title for several years. This was often hindered by disputes between the governing and Kasparov, who retired from chess earlier this year after winning a strong tournament in Linares, Spain.

It is hoped that the winner of this tournament will play a match with Kramnik for a reunified world title.

It would be nice to have them all in one tournament. Kasparov is always fun to watch. Too bad he retired.

Kramnik has slipped the last couple of years. He bearly held on to his title in a match against Leko in Switzerland last year. Once ranked first ahead of Kasparov, he is now fifth (not counting Kasparov).

If Kasparov were still active, he would still be ranked first and would be the player favored to win this tournament were he participating. The Linares tournament which he won easily earlier this year before retiring featured some of the same players as this one.

The hot player this year has been Topalov. I'd put my money on him, even ahead of Anand.

Monday

Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria defeated Russia's Peter Svidler in the fifth round of the FIDE World Championship chess tournament today in San Luis, Argentina to take a commanding 1½-point lead in the scheduled 14-round tournament.

All other games today ended in draws.

Topalov has won four games in the five rounds -- three with Black -- and drawn another to amass 4½ points. Svidler and Viswanathan Anand of India are tied for second with two wins, one loss and two draws for three points apiece.

More details will be up later on ChessBase.com.

Tuesday



Bulgarian grandmaster Veselin Topalov defeated Judit Polgar of Hungary today in the sixth round of the FIDE World Championship Chess Tournament in San Luis, Argentina.

The victory gave Topalov a total of 5½ points in the tournament and a two-point lead over his nearest rivals, Russian Peter Svidler and Viswanathan Anand of India, who played each other to a draw earlier. A full point is awarded for each victory and a half-point for each draw.

Topalov has won five of his six games and drawn the other. He is winning the hard way: four of his five wins have come playing Black.

The tournament is scheduled for fourteen rounds, with each of the eight participants having eight game remaining. Topalov will play White five of his remaining games.

More details will be up later at ChessBase.com. A score of today's gmae can be found shortly at ChessGames.com.

Photo from ChessGames.com.