Notable Games
Veselin Topalov
14 celebrated games · 774 in the full archive
◈The games that made the legend
Topalov – Kasparov · 1994 · 1–0
Moscow Olympiad 1994: nineteen-year-old Topalov's breakout scalp of reigning World Champion Kasparov, a Sicilian Keres Attack that erupts with 18.e5 and hunts the king down to 29.Nc6+.
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Topalov – Kasparov · 1996 · 1–0
Amsterdam Euwe Memorial 1996: a razor-sharp Najdorf in which Topalov's piece sacrifice (17.Nd8!) breaks through against Kasparov — long listed among his finest games.
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Kharlov – Topalov · 2004 · 0–1
FIDE World Championship knockout, Tripoli 2004: a model Topalov exchange sacrifice with Black — 29...Rxe4 returns the material for a rolling e-d-c pawn phalanx and a mating attack.
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Kramnik – Topalov · 2005 · 0–1
Corus (Wijk aan Zee) 2005: a twenty-move demolition of Kramnik with Black in a sharp Sicilian English Attack, striking with 14...Nxf3 and 15...Nxe4.
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Topalov – Anand · 2005 · 1–0
The opening round of the inaugural M-Tel Masters, Sofia 2005: Topalov sacrifices a knight with 14.Nxf7! against Anand's Queen's Indian and drives the king into a decisive attack.
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Topalov – Ponomariov · 2005 · 1–0
Topalov's celebrated M-Tel Masters brilliancy over former FIDE champion Ponomariov: the knight sacrifice 18.Ng5 and a follow-up rook offer tear open the king and force mate in 30.
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Polgar – Topalov · 2005 · 0–1
San Luis World Championship 2005: a patient Berlin-endgame win with Black over Judit Polgár, part of Topalov's record 6½/7 start on the way to the FIDE world title.
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Topalov – Aronian · 2006 · 1–0
Corus 2006, often called Topalov's masterpiece: he offers two exchanges (18.Rxe4, 36.Rxe4) and his bishop pair and passed pawns overpower Aronian's two rooks.
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Van Wely – Topalov · 2006 · 0–1
Corus 2006: trademark Topalov — a whole exchange down after Van Wely's 11.Nxb5/12.Rxa8, Black's pieces take over the board and mate with 43...Qf1#.
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Topalov – Kamsky · 2006 · 1–0
M-Tel Masters 2006: an exchange sacrifice against Kamsky — 26.e6 and 27.Rxe6! shatter the defences and force resignation at 42.Rxe7+.
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Topalov – Carlsen · 2007 · 1–0
Corus 2007: Topalov gives up the exchange early against sixteen-year-old Magnus Carlsen, then his two minor pieces outgun the rook with flawless technique; the future World Champion resigns on move 26.
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Topalov – Kramnik · 2008 · 1–0
Corus 2008, their first classical game after the 2006 title match: the wild Anti-Moscow Gambit, Topalov crashing through with 12.Nxf7! and 18.Qg6! amid enormous complications.
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Topalov – Svidler · 2008 · 1–0
Nanjing 2008: a textbook Topalov exchange sacrifice against Svidler in the Grünfeld — 19.Rb5 trades the exchange for a passed pawn and a target on c5, converted in 29 moves.
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Topalov – Anand · 2010 · 1–0
Game 1 of the 2010 World Championship match: Topalov shreds Anand's Grünfeld with a direct kingside assault (24.Nxf6!, 26.Rh6+), a thirty-move win over the reigning champion.
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