Today Veselin Topalov dedicated his day to the people in Elista. It is typical for him to pay a lot of attention to media and common people as well. That is what he did in Morelia, that is what he did in Leon, Sofia, and all the cities he visited this year.
The last few days he spent in his villa or walking with friends around the steppe. He did not want to get involved in the political games that were taking place around City Chess.
Today he finally went around the city. As usual he did not refuse an autograph to anybody, he talked with common people, and payed attention to the International children chess tournament taking place in the city.
This is a report from Topalov’s fan website.
His fans also pointed out the following on the website:
Q: Is it possible that Kramnik’s going to the bathroom is provoked by his health problems?
A: Danailov states that Kramnik did not go to the bathroom for 5 hours. These are five intensive hours, plane travel and walking around Elista. It does not seem logical. And even if it does A.S Nikitin, in an interview for www.chesspro.ru, shares that Kramnik should have warned the officials beforehand. In such case no base for scandal would be present.
James Kilner on Yahoo states that the arthritis Kramnik has should provoke an opposite reaction. “Sitting on the toilet in his condition is painful,” Mr. Kilner says.
Here is the website.
Topalov has no fans.
And what the hell is he still making those toilet insinuations? Even today he is repeating the lie! Topalov = scumbag.
Very good points. Something to think about.
Topa is a nice guy, he got involved in this. I hope he keeps up his cheerful spirit
By repeating that irrelevant and nonsensical question, you give it a tiny shred of dignity which it does not remotely deserve.
You also imply Kramnik should describe what he does in the toilet.
If you really believe Kramnik’s privacy should be violated in this way for the whole world to see, please make sure you are not being hypocritical, and provide first that information about yourself on your blog, to mirror the actions you think he has to take yourself. (If you like, I could give you a questionnaire you have to answer.)
Otherwise, should I conclude you are hiding something Susan – just as a few blind Bulgarians have decided about Kramnik?
I’m a little concerned, considering the previous remarks made about ‘taking sides’, that this the decision was made to post this particular piece of propaganda on your site.I’ve long defended your right to post your opinion–still do, but this piece, in particular the comments emphasised appear very slanted and not in line with your insistance of not “taking sides”.
Troubling in it’s inconsistency and lack of real rebuttle.
Billy Jack
I’d like to say that the letter from GM Lautier makes sense.
Also GM Polgar did a an excellent job covering the event so far and also in her open letter.
Kramnik indeed deserves support given the unfair conditions.
Topalov revealed a side we didn’t know .
Also during this championship,
GM Susan Polgar blog is becoming a reference, a very popular and instructive web-site with analysis,comments,up-to-date coverage.
This is by far a better place to read and write than
Mig’s blog ( for the record, Mig’s rating is around 1800)
Susan Polgar brings a super GM understanding, a world champion experience, and U.S point of view of chess affairs.
It’s not just about taking sides, as each game is annotated ( for free) by a top GM ( Susan Polgar)
Keep up the good work !
I want also to express support for Susan’s blog. It is great!
But Susan, you never mentioned that the whole political machine of Kremlin is behind Kramnik. They want again to be kings of chess, they do not like veselin and use every event to attack him. Pick Zhukov for example….
I will be happy to hear something on the issue from you Susan.
Btw Susan, this might come as a shock to you – and it also indicates that James Kilner has something odd about him – but:
Mostly men stand at the toilet, not sit.
I’ve got an idea!
Let’s concentrate on chess from now on and stop making excuses…oh wait, you already said somthing to that effect 24 hours ago.
What happened ?
Here is my question…
How did Topalov and team ever even think to ask for the videos of Kramnik in his restroom? What cause would they even have to think of such a thing? If one wants to talk “suspicious behavior”, this seems pretty “suspicious” to me.
Susan yes, you did follow up with a mention of Kramnik’s site, but when you posted the Topalov fan site you felt it necessary to post :
“Q: Is it possible that Kramnik’s going to the bathroom is provoked by his health problems?
A: Danailov states that Kramnik did not go to the bathroom for 5 hours. These are five intensive hours, plane travel and walking around Elista. It does not seem logical. And even if it does A.S Nikitin, in an interview for http://www.chesspro.ru, shares that Kramnik should have warned the officials beforehand. In such case no base for scandal would be present.
James Kilner on Yahoo states that the arthritis Kramnik has should provoke an opposite reaction. “Sitting on the toilet in his condition is painful,” Mr. Kilner says.”
Of the many words contained at that site THAT is what you chose to emphasize.
You can take the high road here and state those are not your thoughts–they may very well not be, but in all honesty the comment you chose to post simply appears…slanted!
You ARE entitled to do so, in fact, I encourage your opinion but personally, I no longer believe you’re not taking sides in this.
I’m not attacking you nor your blog–as some posters seem to suggest– I agree with other posters that it’s a great thing, I’m simply of the opinion that , well, you have an opinion and I think it shows in your choices.
I won’t push the issue in any event, I reserve my right to be wrong 🙂
Billy Jack
Billy Jack,
That is a sensible and logical argument that I like. The reason why I posted that one part is because that came from a Russian site. That shows that not all Russians agree. Perhaps most Russians would root for Kramnik but it does not mean that they blindly think he approached the situation correctly.
This problem is a lot deeper than most readers here realize. That is also why I chose not to take sides unless there is a specific inexcusable action such as Danailov’s letter. I spoke up about that many times.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
http://www.SusanPolgar.com
http://www.chessbg.com/graphics/karikatura-kramnik-topalov.jpg
Topalov as a person is way more open to the public and the fans around the world than Kramnik. Kramnik avoida media attention, keeps to himself and has an arrogant attitude. He is not a true ambassador of chess, and just cause he weasel out of the mess he created by playing his cards right, that doesnt make him dignified as his hordes of brainwashed fans are trying to imply. Rant as much as you want, Topa carries himself in a lot more approachable manner, he brings chess down to people and he earns respect.
I would like to point out that it is perfectly possible for anyone, for example for Susan, to like Topalov’s playing style but not his out of the board style. This might confuse somebody but is perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of.
Susan could have preferred Topalov i.e. his playing style, before this mess and it’s completely different thing from doing it now. As a matter of fact only Susan can say whether she even did that before the mess.
We have to accept and respect Susan when she says that at this point she tries to be unbiased.
AM
Topalov was involved in the mess, but did not want to participate. All he said during these days is that he wants to play chess.
And Kramnik showed his arrogant side.. sorry, but talking to journalists in Russian and deciding not to speak in English is arrogant….
and I would like to point out that it’s perfectly normal for someone, for example myself, to like Topalov’s playing style as well as his off-the-board style, simply because you dont know cr*p about the details of the farce in Elista, and because portraying Kramnik as an innocent victim and a chess saint is just ridiculously funny, and last but not least because with all his actions so far Topalov has been way closer to the people and the fans than other GM’s who act like the inapproachable KingPins of Chess, Topalov is just a nicer guy and dont try to explain Susan’s position for her dude.
Well Susan:)
You have a chatroom here now:) But some users are right. Topa is a nice guy. Seems we have a campaign against him. Old style communism propaganda…..
Markopolus claimed that Kramnik went 18 times to the bathroom… for an hour! The rest of the records are missing
I wonder why nobody asks himself where the records are?
The demonization of Topalov over the past week is ludicrous. So many chessplayer, including ones with titles, are responding to this affair with far more emotion than intelligence. Topalov isn’t getting a fair shake from the chess community in my opinion.
If it is so outrageous for Kramnik to be suspected of cheating then surely the same would be true of Topalov, right? Then why are so many bringing up rumors about Topalov’s alleged cheating?
Garry Kasparov himself in the pages of yesterday’s Wall Street Journal:
Adding irony to the tragedy is the fact that for the past year and a half Mr. Topalov himself has been the subject of rumors and even public accusations that he has cheated with computer assistance. Hard evidence is lacking, with some pointing to odd behavior by his assistants and other critics saying there is simply no other explanation for Mr. Topalov’s sudden ascent to the top of the rating list after my retirement.
Others are discussing this rumor as well. So Kramnik can’t be accused but Topalov can? What’s going on here?
Personally, I would have considered Kramnik’s “toilet” behavior deliberate gamesmanship. I’m surprised others don’t seem to agree.
And as for the playing styles of these 2, from Kramnik I learn how to draw and how to sleep. Topalov is far more exciting. I think when cool heads prevail, most chessplayers would agree with that. Kramnik’s defensive power would appeal only to other top players.
I cna’t believe that the Topalov camp is still talking about Kramnik ‘going to the toilet’ and speculating about health issues etc. Kramnik went into the toilet lots of times, that does not mean he went to the toilet lots of times. He could have been doing lots of things – looking in the mirror, washing his face, plucking his eyebrows etc.
I think their carrying on about bodily functions is a deliberate attempt to belittle Kramnik in a most childish way.
Kramnik participates in a sport event and he should stay on stage. If he has problems (except the ones with his behavior) he should stay home.
If he wants to play chess he should be on the scene.
Again, is there anyone who knows what reason Topalov and team would have had to request the tapes of Kramnik’s restroom in the first place? What would make them even contemplate such an action? Is it common to make such a request in a chess tournament?
It is high time to learn what chess players do when they go to the toilet.
I bet a spy video could be sold for a good bundle of $$$,not to mention release all the tension.
I also bet that chess players behave differently in the toilet than, for example, soccer or football players.
Mr. Kramnik, please tell us what exactly you did in there, and what you were thinking of doing, but didn’t do.
Mr. Topalov, please tell us why you exchanged Queens in game six, purposely making an easy draw, to somewhat compensate Kramnik for the point loss.
Oh dear. One Topalov fan, posting many times as anonymous. Almost as transparent as ‘anonymous gm’ from earlier.
P.S.
:}}
P.S. Are there any smileys abvailable here?
Smoking is banned at the chess table, isn’t it? Must be then tough for a smoker like Kramnik. That would explain frequent entries to WC.
Another thing, why on earth are top chess players so suspicious?
When has a World Champion been caught cheating in the history of chess? Chess is so much above other sports in this area, only by words it can be paralleled.
Topalov’s fan?
Please, chess players don’t have real “fans”. How many are out there in Elista, cheering every day? Maybe 1-2, probably 0 for both of them.
Chess players don’t need fans, as fans can’t cheer aloud during the games.
Susan,
You are not making the case of Veselin defensible by pointing again in the direction of the toilets.
If you just read the last interview at Elista, Topalov has retracted itself. He said that VK was fair, and that he (Veselin) had made a mistake.
So I believe that the argument is closed now, the insults of cheating have been retracted. So no need to put oil on the fire.
Read this and all will understand Topalov’s and Kramnik’s, managers included, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/
english/doc/2004-
10/11/content_381389.
htmbehaviour:
Where’s that interview?
Went to see, found this!!
http://www.worldchess2006.com/main.asp?id=877
“What is Topalov’s objective in the match vs Kramnik? The main thing is to maintain high tension constantly making the opponent solve complicated non-trivial tasks.”
Hahaha, very funny sounds now.
I want to express my support for Topalov. Long live the king!
Question: has anyone in here ever been a member of a chess appeal committee?
Now I understand why the quality of the match has been low so far (with blunder moves, like ??, and many GMs saying there were often better moves than the players played) – it must be the rest rooms. How can you concentrate well like that?
Isn’t it better for chess publicity to always say that every move they play is great instead? It would not be a “lie”, because the players think they always play the best move.
Susan
I want to congratulate you for looking at both sides of the issue.
Clearly Danailov’s appeal was emotional and clearly Kramnik had an unsportsman reaction.
I am sure Topa will get back his fans because he is the best thing that has happened to chess in the last years. A true gentleman
“Clearly Danailov’s appeal was emotional and clearly Kramnik had an unsportsman reaction.”
It is difficult to remain a gentleman, once a match had started. And with managers, too. As someone said, chess can be like war. A handshake before and after the game is enough, all else is pure combat.
Or am I wrong (again)?
Topalov’s fan says chess is not like life:
http://www.concordmonitor.com/
apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20061002/REPOSITORY/
610020341
A chess patzer making his views:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/
nyregion/03ink.html?ex=1160452800&en=
fd8914b2ca84b4ee&ei=5099&partner=
TOPIXNEWS
“How did Topalov and team ever even think to ask for the videos of Kramnik in his restroom? What cause would they even have to think of such a thing? If one wants to talk “suspicious behavior”, this seems pretty “suspicious” to me.”
———-
Obviously I can’t say for sure, but I believe I read reports that Team Topalov found out that some people (who?) had access to Topalov’s rest area. That might have raised some concerns that security over those areas (both Topalov’s and Kramnik’s) was not as good as might have been assumed.
I’ve never been in a situation like that, have no first hand knowledge of what’s been happening there, etc., etc. And even if I knew how I would react under such hypothetical situations, that isn’t necessarily a good guide to how Topalov or Kramnik would react.
But, IF that report is accurate about people being able to enter the rest areas without the other player’s knowledge and IF one’s opponent is spending a lot of time in the rest area, in a area not subject to surveillance . . . well, CONCEIVABLY one might be suspicious.
Doesn’t necessarily justify Team Topalov’s actions, but might explain them. *shrug*
Don’t know either, but if I had to choose to go to a public toilet, or try out probably a gold-plated one of the players, and the door was unlocked, and the sign said “mens room”, well…. Also, might find some ebay collectors item leftovers…..
Too much mystery here.
Wouldn’t the player have a key for his rest room? You know, if he decide to leave his wallet there, or something.
And Kramnik showed his arrogant side.. sorry, but talking to journalists in Russian and deciding not to speak in English is arrogant….
Could it possibly be due to the fact that Kramnik is Russian and is playing on Russian territory, rather than with alleged arrogance? You know, English is not a universal language everyone is required to speak at all times, like some choose to believe.
And there are many other non-Russian journalists there to cover the match? I agree that Kramnik is quite arrogant, a real jackass. Now I see it clearly. I now support Topalov.
Thank God for the internet! Given the political machine supporting Kramnik, which all chess professionals must take seriously, Topalov would be helpless against the manipulations — but for the internet!
Now he may get a chance at a fair match. That is, if we can ascertain that Kramnik is not receiving illegal help (by computer or receiving device) in the bathroom he visits so often.
I don’t want to know what Kramnik does in the bathroom! I want to know that he doesn’t break the rules of chess. For this we need attendants and/or cameras. The data can be erased after the 2 hour appeal period is up.
The following two claims are absurd :
1) Kramnik is arrogant because he speaks his mother tongue (which is Russian).
2) Kramnik is arrogant because he speaks Russian to journalists who does not know Russian.
I have spent 8 years in silicon valley (Santa Clara CA). Most of the engineers working there are either of Chinese (Taiwanese) or Indian (not the real inhabitants of the continent). I have never seen any American engineer or executive speaking any other language than English. Were they arrogant ? Definitely not. Would they be able to speak if they wanted to ? Probably not. Americans are not very famous for their language abilities.
But Kramnik speaks fluent English and there are 10+ journalists who are non-Russian. His manager is German. They speak English to each other daily. He’s just being an arrogant prick.
i just want to point out that this interview/analysis/whatever is done a few days AGO, and BEFORE game 6.
so comments like “i can’t belive they _still_ blame kramnik yaddayaddayadda” are totally irrelevant and uninformed.
Tom C,
You are being arrogant by insisting other people to speak English. People are allowed to speak any language of their choice. While you can expect someone working for a u.s. company to speak English, it is not the case for the situation at hand here. Maybe chess journalists and you should think about learning Russian if the translators are not sufficient for you and if you care about this issue so much.