Kramnik - Topalov Unification Match : Week 1
Friday September 29, 2006
The 12 game World Chess Championship unification match between GM Vladimir Kramnik and GM Veselin Topalov began in Elista, Kalmykia, on 23 September at 1300 local time. Kramnik's 1.d4 was answered with 1...Nf6.
The contest to determine the first undisputed World Chess Champion in 13 years soon settled into a Catalan Opening. Although the Queens were swapped on the 16th move, the struggle stayed sharp. Kramnik won a Pawn on the 35th move, but Topalov's counterattack was good compensation. Playing to win, the Bulgarian spurned several draws by triple repetition, continued aggressively, then blundered on his 57th move. He resigned 18 moves later.
The next day the players started 1.d4 d5 and the game settled into a Slav Defense. On move 20 Topalov started to pry open the Black position with a maneuver best described as a can opener. A few moves later he sacrificed two Pawns, then left his Queen en prise, then added a Rook. Kramnik accepted the Rook, giving up a Bishop to win the exchange. There followed a rare double blunder; after Kramnik missed the only move to stay in the game, Topalov missed the move to force an immediate win.
When the dust settled a few moves later, Topalov was still down the exchange, although with some compensation. The game simplified into a position of Knight & Pawn vs. Rook & Pawn, easy enough for computers to analyze using tablebases and known as a win for the strong side. Kramnik misplayed, allowing a draw, then Topalov misplayed, and it was all over.
Kramnik 2.0 - Topalov 0.0 (+2-0=0)
The match resumed following a rest day. After losing the first two games of a 12 game match, most players would go for a draw to calm their nerves. Topalov has never been classed with 'most players', and never will be. The third game may not have had the same tension as the first two, but both players took a few good swings at the opponent, Kramnik keeping a slight edge because of Black's doubled a-Pawns. In the end, the forward a-Pawn became a menace and Kramnik sacrificed a Rook to achieve perpetual check after 38 moves.
The fourth game was another tough battle. Topalov, playing White, appeared to have an advantage coming out of the opening. In a tense maneuvering game, Kramnik countered all of White's threats, and found the right moment to simplify. The game was drawn on the 54th move.
Kramnik 3.0 - Topalov 1.0 (+2-0=2)
The mud hit the fan the next day, a rest day. Like Bobby Fischer's forfeit to Boris Spassky during the second game of their 1972 match, the events in Elista will go down in chess history as a day to remember.
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Following are excerpts from the public documents.
28 September 2006, Elista • Press Release • To the Appeals Committee: Mr. Makropoulos, Mr. Azmaiparashvili, Mr. Vega; To all mass media • The careful study of the video recordings from the rest rooms done by the technical experts of the Bulgarian team revealed the following facts which we would herewith like to bring to your attention: After each move Mr. Kramnik immediately heads to the rest room and from it directly to the bathroom. During every game he visited the relaxation room 25 times at the average and the bathroom more than 50 times – the bathroom is the only place without video surveillance. • Should this extremely serious problem remain unsolved by 10.00 o’clock tomorrow, we would seriously reconsider the participation of the World Champion Veselin Topalov in this match. • Sincerely: Silvio Danailov, Manager of the Bulgarian team
28 September 2006, Elista • Decision of the Appeals Committee to the appeal of Mr. Danailov • In order that the World Championship can continue running smoothly, the Appeals Committee has decided: (a) To close both the toilets in the players' rest rooms and to open another toilet that will be available only to the two players. (b) Not to accept the request of Mr. Danailov, to stop the use of the rest rooms by the players. (c) The Appeals Committee believes that the publication of the videotapes to the mass media is not within our authority and we consider such action to be against the privacy of the players. • Signed: Georgio Makropoulos, Jorge Vega, Zurab Azmaiparashvili
28 September 2006, Elista • To the Appeals Committee, To all mass media • After we got acquainted with the ruling of the Appeals Committee of the Topalov vs. Kramnik world championship match we deem it necessary to point out the following: [five points omitted from this excerpt]. The World Champion Veselin Topalov is outraged by the suspicious behavior of his opponent Mr. Vladimir Kramnik who in actual fact takes his most significant decisions in the bathroom. Despite the above, in the name of the chess game and out of respect to FIDE, to Kalmikia and the millions of chess lovers, Veselin Topalov is willing to continue his participation in the match provided that measures to guarantee fair play are taken • Sincerely: Silvio Danailov, Manager of the Bulgarian team
29 September 2006, Elista • Open Letter To FIDE President H.E. Kirsan Iljumshinov • Dear Mr. President, The Appeals Committee of the World Championship Match between Veselin Topalov and Vladimir Kramnik made the following decision on the protest of the Topalov Team: “to close both the toilets in the players rest rooms and to open another toilet that will be available only to the two players”. With such a decision the WCC Committee is clearly violating both the rules and regulations of the WCC match and the rights of Mr. Kramnik. • The decision taken by the Appeals Committee can only be seen as another attempt to disturb Mr. Kramniks concentration since it is difficult to understand what kind of improvement it shall be to have one toilet instead of two. Our team does not trust the objectivity of the Appeals Committee anymore. Therefore it makes no sense for us to bring a protest to this table and Mr. Kramnik strongly insists once again that the members of the Appeals Committee will be changed immediately and that the heads of the Organizing Committee are taking their responsibilities. In the meanwhile Mr. Kramnik will stop playing this match as long as FIDE is not ready to respect Mr. Kramnik’s rights, in this case to use the toilet of his own restroom whenever he wishes to do so. • On behalf of Vladimir Kramnik; Yours sincerely, Carsten Hensel (Manager to Vladimir Kramnik, Classical World Chess Champion)
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Kramnik did not appear at the chess board for the start of game five. The game started 15 minutes late and he was forfeited after one hour. A week that started with so much promise for the future of chess ended in complete failure. What will the second week bring?
For more about the Unification Match, see our ChessChrono on the