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Veselin Topalov Master Class
Gibraltar 2015
Jan. 30, 2015
Stuart Conquest with Veselin Topalov.
Duration: 1 hr 4 min.
Veselin is going to explain the thinking behind one of this favorite games, and then answer questions from the audience.
http://www.chessdom.com/tradewise-gi...selin-topalov/
This is his first Open since 1992! After four days, his impression is that it is very strong. In his Round Two game, he might have been in trouble at one point. At the end he says that one Open a year is enough.
The showcase game
21st Linares 2004
Round 10, Feb. 29
Topalov, Veselin – Shirov, Alexey
C96 Ruy Lopez, Closed (10…c5)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.d5 Nc4 13.b3 Nb6 14.a4 Bd7 15.a5 Nc8 16.c4 g6 17.Nc3 Nh5 18.Ne2 Re8 19.Ra2 Bf8 20.g4 Ng7 21.Ng3 f6 22.Nh2 Re7 23.h4 Rf7 24.f4 exf4 25.Bxf4 Qd8 26.Rf1 Qe7 27.h5 Ne8 28.Bd3 Bg7 29.Kg2 Qf8 30.Qc1 bxc4 31.bxc4 Rb8 32.Raf2 Rb3 33.Rf3 Ne7 34.Bd2 Bc8 35.Qc2 Rb8 36.Kh1 gxh5 37.Nxh5 Ng6 38.e5 dxe5 39.Bxg6 hxg6 40.Qxg6 e4 41.Rh3 Rfb7 42.Nf4 Rb1 43.Qh7+ Kf7 44.Qh5+ Kg8 45.Ng6 1-0
The result is not important – there are no concrete lines – it’s about plans. I played 12.d5. I am trying to restrict the QN. Through the game Black has big knight trouble. White is gradually improving without any tough moves to make. Black is passive. It is strange to be able to beat such a strong player and it is difficult to say Black is losing but it is just passive, one-sided.
I finished off in the middle of that tournament.
Question: Do you want to become World Champion?
Topalov: No, not really. There are several stages; you have to qualify, to become a Candidate and then win. Magnus has advantage over everyone now – he is beating everyone and he is younger. It is logical to realize that for me to win is theoretically possible but actually…. Magnus has a very good mentality. He has many advantages and not many weaknesses compared to many others. All the other top human players now have more weaknesses. Maybe I have five good years left.
Que: Is twelve games enough for a WC match?
Topalov: Yes. Before there were many draws with 14 or 24 games. But with Sofia Rules the match is full-blooded. Also, 24 games with a big repetition of the same opening, like Slavs or Grunfelds, is very boring.
Que: They say that Magnus fights all the time but in 2005 you were fighting all the time, even in games that were normally drawn.
Topalov: I was inspired by Fischer, not to think about the result but just about the next move. Don’t think about offering a draw, just play. That’s why I believe that Fischer was fearless. Magnus has something like that. Kamsky was something like that when he was young.
I studied Nimzowitsch but he didn’t attract me. My first coach was a big fan of Fischer and I learned from his games – KID and the Sicilian Najdorf. I like the attacks of Alekhine and Kasparov.
Que: You had a game with Kasparov when with black your king ended up on d1.
Topalov: I saw it coming, he sacrificed his rook and was amazed to go up the board with the king, I couldn’t resist.
(The game is:
Hoogovens A, Wijk aan Zee
Jan. 20, 1999
Kasparov, Garry – Topalov, Veselin
BO6 Pirc-Robatsch
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Qd2 c6 6.f3 b5 7.Nge2 Nbd7 8.Bh6 Bxh6 9.Qxh6 Bb7 10.a3 e5 11.O-O-O Qe7 12.Kb1 a6 13.Nc1 O-O-O 14.Nb3 exd4 15.Rxd4 c5 16.Rd1 Nb6 17.g3 Kb8 18.Na5 Ba8 19.Bh3 d5 20.Qf4+ Ka7 21.Rhe1 d4 22.Nd5 Nbxd5 23.exd5 Qd6 24.Rxd4 cxd4 25.Re7+ Kb6 26.Qxd4+ Kxa5 27.b4+ Ka4 28.Qc3 Qxd5 29.Ra7 Bb7 30.Rxb7 Qc4 31.Qxf6 Kxa3 32.Qxa6+ Kxb4 33.c3+ Kxc3 34.Qa1+ Kd2 35.Qb2+ Kd1 36.Bf1 Rd2 37.Rd7 Rxd7 38.Bxc4 bxc4 39.Qxh8 Rd3 40.Qa8 c3 41.Qa4+ Ke1 42.f4 f5 43.Kc1 Rd2 44.Qa7 1-0)
Veselin talked a bit about motivation, about the retirements of Kasparov and Judit Polgar. He actually beat Kasparov in his last game before retirement at Linares in 2005.
Que: What is a normal training day for you at home?
Topalov: We study the games of our opponents for a closed tournament. We prepare some new openings. In an Open, you cannot do this. You also practice with blitz, rapid games or studies. It is always good to have new ideas. Sometimes it is even better to do sports and exercise to keep yourself fresh.
I don’t see how I can be at 2800 with the very little preparation I have been doing in the last year; I don’t understand it.
Que: What changes would you like to see in the chess world?
Topalov: Personally I believe that the fairest system is knockout. But it has to be every year. There is some luck in it. There are no friendly draws – knockout is the rule and everyone knows it.
The perfect system doesn’t exist.
Que: Most memorable games?
Topalov: The one I mentioned above when Kasparov beat me, of course. Against Aronian in a Queen’s Indian in 2006 and against Anand in a Queen’s Indian in 2005 in Sofia. These are two of my favorites.
My first time in Linares in 94, Karpov beat me, played strongly and quickly and he was 43.
I don’t teach students. I have not written a book, nor will I. I have no motivation.
Que: High points in your career?
Topalov: Winning in San Luis, 1995 was the highlight. In 1996, sharing the tournament in Amsterdam with Kasparov. In 2008, the first Grand Slam Final when I won with 1.5 points margin.
Que: When will Magnus lose his world title?
Topalov: Maybe in 10 years. He could lose to someone younger, like Caruana. It could be someone from China. I am not following everyone now.
Que: What will you do if you retire from chess in your fifties?
Topalov: Perhaps help someone young. I don’t get the same pleasure from a game of chess as I did when I was twenty. But now with computers it is very mechanical and not fun. I believe I have shown my best already.
He mentions a non-FIDE package of three tournaments he may play in, in St. Louis, Norway and London. A Grand Prix but independent of FIDE.
Gibraltar 2015
Jan. 30, 2015
Stuart Conquest with Veselin Topalov.
Duration: 1 hr 4 min.
Veselin is going to explain the thinking behind one of this favorite games, and then answer questions from the audience.
http://www.chessdom.com/tradewise-gi...selin-topalov/
This is his first Open since 1992! After four days, his impression is that it is very strong. In his Round Two game, he might have been in trouble at one point. At the end he says that one Open a year is enough.
The showcase game
21st Linares 2004
Round 10, Feb. 29
Topalov, Veselin – Shirov, Alexey
C96 Ruy Lopez, Closed (10…c5)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 d6 8.c3 O-O 9.h3 Na5 10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.d5 Nc4 13.b3 Nb6 14.a4 Bd7 15.a5 Nc8 16.c4 g6 17.Nc3 Nh5 18.Ne2 Re8 19.Ra2 Bf8 20.g4 Ng7 21.Ng3 f6 22.Nh2 Re7 23.h4 Rf7 24.f4 exf4 25.Bxf4 Qd8 26.Rf1 Qe7 27.h5 Ne8 28.Bd3 Bg7 29.Kg2 Qf8 30.Qc1 bxc4 31.bxc4 Rb8 32.Raf2 Rb3 33.Rf3 Ne7 34.Bd2 Bc8 35.Qc2 Rb8 36.Kh1 gxh5 37.Nxh5 Ng6 38.e5 dxe5 39.Bxg6 hxg6 40.Qxg6 e4 41.Rh3 Rfb7 42.Nf4 Rb1 43.Qh7+ Kf7 44.Qh5+ Kg8 45.Ng6 1-0
The result is not important – there are no concrete lines – it’s about plans. I played 12.d5. I am trying to restrict the QN. Through the game Black has big knight trouble. White is gradually improving without any tough moves to make. Black is passive. It is strange to be able to beat such a strong player and it is difficult to say Black is losing but it is just passive, one-sided.
I finished off in the middle of that tournament.
Question: Do you want to become World Champion?
Topalov: No, not really. There are several stages; you have to qualify, to become a Candidate and then win. Magnus has advantage over everyone now – he is beating everyone and he is younger. It is logical to realize that for me to win is theoretically possible but actually…. Magnus has a very good mentality. He has many advantages and not many weaknesses compared to many others. All the other top human players now have more weaknesses. Maybe I have five good years left.
Que: Is twelve games enough for a WC match?
Topalov: Yes. Before there were many draws with 14 or 24 games. But with Sofia Rules the match is full-blooded. Also, 24 games with a big repetition of the same opening, like Slavs or Grunfelds, is very boring.
Que: They say that Magnus fights all the time but in 2005 you were fighting all the time, even in games that were normally drawn.
Topalov: I was inspired by Fischer, not to think about the result but just about the next move. Don’t think about offering a draw, just play. That’s why I believe that Fischer was fearless. Magnus has something like that. Kamsky was something like that when he was young.
I studied Nimzowitsch but he didn’t attract me. My first coach was a big fan of Fischer and I learned from his games – KID and the Sicilian Najdorf. I like the attacks of Alekhine and Kasparov.
Que: You had a game with Kasparov when with black your king ended up on d1.
Topalov: I saw it coming, he sacrificed his rook and was amazed to go up the board with the king, I couldn’t resist.
(The game is:
Hoogovens A, Wijk aan Zee
Jan. 20, 1999
Kasparov, Garry – Topalov, Veselin
BO6 Pirc-Robatsch
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 Bg7 5.Qd2 c6 6.f3 b5 7.Nge2 Nbd7 8.Bh6 Bxh6 9.Qxh6 Bb7 10.a3 e5 11.O-O-O Qe7 12.Kb1 a6 13.Nc1 O-O-O 14.Nb3 exd4 15.Rxd4 c5 16.Rd1 Nb6 17.g3 Kb8 18.Na5 Ba8 19.Bh3 d5 20.Qf4+ Ka7 21.Rhe1 d4 22.Nd5 Nbxd5 23.exd5 Qd6 24.Rxd4 cxd4 25.Re7+ Kb6 26.Qxd4+ Kxa5 27.b4+ Ka4 28.Qc3 Qxd5 29.Ra7 Bb7 30.Rxb7 Qc4 31.Qxf6 Kxa3 32.Qxa6+ Kxb4 33.c3+ Kxc3 34.Qa1+ Kd2 35.Qb2+ Kd1 36.Bf1 Rd2 37.Rd7 Rxd7 38.Bxc4 bxc4 39.Qxh8 Rd3 40.Qa8 c3 41.Qa4+ Ke1 42.f4 f5 43.Kc1 Rd2 44.Qa7 1-0)
Veselin talked a bit about motivation, about the retirements of Kasparov and Judit Polgar. He actually beat Kasparov in his last game before retirement at Linares in 2005.
Que: What is a normal training day for you at home?
Topalov: We study the games of our opponents for a closed tournament. We prepare some new openings. In an Open, you cannot do this. You also practice with blitz, rapid games or studies. It is always good to have new ideas. Sometimes it is even better to do sports and exercise to keep yourself fresh.
I don’t see how I can be at 2800 with the very little preparation I have been doing in the last year; I don’t understand it.
Que: What changes would you like to see in the chess world?
Topalov: Personally I believe that the fairest system is knockout. But it has to be every year. There is some luck in it. There are no friendly draws – knockout is the rule and everyone knows it.
The perfect system doesn’t exist.
Que: Most memorable games?
Topalov: The one I mentioned above when Kasparov beat me, of course. Against Aronian in a Queen’s Indian in 2006 and against Anand in a Queen’s Indian in 2005 in Sofia. These are two of my favorites.
My first time in Linares in 94, Karpov beat me, played strongly and quickly and he was 43.
I don’t teach students. I have not written a book, nor will I. I have no motivation.
Que: High points in your career?
Topalov: Winning in San Luis, 1995 was the highlight. In 1996, sharing the tournament in Amsterdam with Kasparov. In 2008, the first Grand Slam Final when I won with 1.5 points margin.
Que: When will Magnus lose his world title?
Topalov: Maybe in 10 years. He could lose to someone younger, like Caruana. It could be someone from China. I am not following everyone now.
Que: What will you do if you retire from chess in your fifties?
Topalov: Perhaps help someone young. I don’t get the same pleasure from a game of chess as I did when I was twenty. But now with computers it is very mechanical and not fun. I believe I have shown my best already.
He mentions a non-FIDE package of three tournaments he may play in, in St. Louis, Norway and London. A Grand Prix but independent of FIDE.