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World News: Chess In the Media: Chess Stories Across the USA and Around the World
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Chess Around the WorldTopalov Comes Back Again to Win MTel MastersVeselin Topalov won each of his final four games, staging a dramatic comeback on his way to winning the MTel Masters tournament in Sofia. Topalov, who finished with a score of 6.5/10, finished just a half-point ahead of American GM Gata Kamsky, who had led for most of the tournament. The turning point came in the ninth round. Kamsky had the white pieces against Topalov, who was a full-point behind in a tie for second with Vishwanathan Anand. Kamsky needed only to draw his final two games to clinch at least a tie for first, while Topalov needed a win to retain his title hopes. Topalov made surprisingly quick work of his opponent, and gained a winning position less than 20 moves into the game. Kamsky resigned on the 29th move, leaving the two players tied for first heading into the final round. In the final round, Kamsky played a relatively quiet draw with Peter Svidler, leaving the door open for Topalov. The FIDE Champion took advantage, beating Etienne Bacrot to take sole possession of first place. The complete final standings of the tournament were as follows: Topalov, Veselin (6.5/10)
With the win, Topalov should be able to retain his #1 ranking in the next FIDE ratings list, barring a major change in the upcoming Olympiad. Here is Topalov's crucial win over Kamsky: White: Kamsky, G (2671) Russia, Armenia Top Olympiad FieldMonths ago, the world's greatest athletes competed in Turino, Italy during the Winter Olympics. Now, the world's top chessplayers are taking center stage in the same city for the 2006 Chess Olympiad. After five rounds, Russia and Armenia share the lead with 15.5 game points, with the Netherlands just a half-point behind in third. The United States is currently tied for 5th with six other nations, 1.5 points behind the leaders. In each round, nations are paired against other teams with similar scores - similar to the pairing structure used in any swiss system tournament. However, the standings at the Olympiad are not calculated using match wins, but rather the scores from every game a team has played. Thus, every game is important, and a 4-0 win is much more desireable than a 2.5-1.5 victory. In round seven, the Neterlands will be taking on Russia, while Armenia will face Uzbekistan (14.5, 4th). Meanwhile, the United States will battle China (13.5, 12th). In the Women's Olympiad, Russia currently holds first place with 12.5 points, a half-point ahead of Ukraine. The United States is tied for fourth with 11 points. The women's competition features only three boards in each round, as opposed to the men's four boards, which accounts for the lower scores. In the sixth round, the United States will compete against Mongolia, also on 11 points. The Olympiad, which is a 13 round tournament in total, will end on June 4th. We'll be providing complete coverage of the tournament in the coming weeks. For now, here is a win by Hikaru Nakamura from the fourth round. White: Macieja, B (2584) |
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