New York Times
September 23, 2006
Chess to Unify Championship, in Elista. Where? In Elista.
By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN
A schism in the chess world that opened in 1993 in London will be healed by next month in a poor and barren Russian republic on the Caspian Sea.
Thirteen years ago, Garry Kasparov, the undisputed world chess champion, broke with the World Chess Federation, the governing body of the game, over how the federation was organizing a match for the title. Mr. Kasparov and his challenger, Nigel Short, an English grandmaster, staged their own match in London, which Mr. Kasparov won.
In retaliation, the federation declared that Mr. Kasparov was no longer champion and organized a match between Anatoly Karpov, Mr. Kasparov’s predecessor, and Jan Timman, a Dutch grandmaster. Mr. Karpov won and the federation proclaimed him champion.
Since then, there have been rival claims to the title of world champion. But now, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the president of the World Chess Federation — who is also president of Kalmykia, a region in southern Russia next to Kazakhstan — has brokered a deal and arranged a match to settle the issue. It will be in Elista, the republic’s capital, beginning today and will continue into October.
Veselin Topalov, 31, a Bulgarian grandmaster who is the top-ranked player in the world, will play a 12-game match against Vladimir Kramnik, a Russian grandmaster who is also 31 and is ranked No. 4.
The players will divide $1 million, but the winner will go away with something arguably as valuable: He will be the true world champion.
Mr. Topalov is the federation’s champion by virtue of having won a world championship tournament in Argentina last year. He plays aggressively and uncompromisingly, much like Mr. Kasparov did before he retired last year. Mr. Kramnik bases his claim to the title on having beaten Mr. Kasparov in a match in 2000. His style of play has been described as minimalist, much like Mr. Karpov in his prime.
The rest can be read here.
New York Times
September 24, 2006
Chess World Championship
Kramnik Wins as Topalov, Instead of Settling for a Draw, Stumbles
By DYLAN LOEB McCLAIN
The first game of a match to resolve rival claims to the world chess championship ended in victory for Vladimir Kramnik of Russia after his opponent, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria, pressed too hard for a win in a position in which he was at least certain of a draw.
It was a dramatic start to a match between players of starkly different styles.
The match, which could last for 12 games, is being played in Elista, the capital of Kalmykia, a region in Russia on the Caspian Sea. The prize is $1 million, which will be split equally, but the first player to score 6.5 will be the undisputed world champion.
Mr. Topalov is the world champion according to the World Chess Federation, the governing body of chess, which is organizing the match. Mr. Kramnik bases his claim to the title on having won a match in 2000 against Garry Kasparov, the former No. 1 player in the world who broke away from the federation in 1993. Mr. Kasparov retired last year.
Mr. Kramnik and Mr. Topalov are not only rivals; they offer a contrast a styles. Mr. Kramnik is unflappable and tries to steer games into positions with clear-cut strategic themes. He has more match experience — playing a series of games against one opponent — than Mr. Topalov, even though they are both 31.
Mr. Topalov is aggressive and uncompromising, striving for unbalanced positions. He has the style and the mentality of a gambler, and it has brought him a lot of success in the last two years as he has ascended to the No. 1 ranking in the world.
Mr. Topalov’s style is particularly suited for tournament play, where each round brings a new opponent and a fresh set of problems. Matches, however, are wars of attrition. Often it is better to be cautious, because a misstep can cost a player a game, putting him in a hole that it can be difficult to recover from.
The rest can be read here.
Washington Post
CHESS Lubomir Kavalek
By Lubomir Kavalek
Monday, September 25, 2006; C11
Vladimir Kramnik of Russia began the world championship match against Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria with two stunning victories in the first two games. The 12-game reunification match in Elista, Russia, scheduled to finish on Oct. 12, will establish the ultimate world champion. Topalov is already in a big hole and despite his ability to win several games in a row in tournaments, overcoming such a large deficit in a short match will be difficult.
Objectively, Topalov created enough chances with his aggressive, imaginative play to lead 1 1/2 to 1/2 . Still, Kramnik was somehow able to deflect everything Topalov threw at him, from little pawns to heavy queens. In the first game, Topalov sacrificed a pawn, tied up Kramnik’s pieces and was in command in the endgame before blundering and losing in 75 moves. Yesterday, in one of the most dramatic games in the history of world championships, Topalov tackled Kramnik’s Slav defense by launching a promising attack against the black king. Kramnik tried to stand tall, but was quickly outnumbered by the white forces. He was kept in the game by Topalov’s slips. First, the Bulgarian missed a few wins and later did not manage to hold draws. Kramnik won in 63 moves.
The rest can be read here.
I don’t recall any of the recent FIDE KO tournaments, or even the 8-player double RR in San Luis, generating this kind of media interest. We can only hope that the FIDE bureaucrats take notice, and take it into account as they plan future championship cycles.
Those who want to see more long matches need to hope that there will be 10 more games of fighting chess between Topalov and Kramnik. If THIS much excitement has been generated after just two games, imagine what it would be if the two players keep fighting it out, and the outcome is in doubt up to the very end.
I would like to see a match between the Polgar sisters. That would draw the media.