Bilbao blindfold: Topalov vs Polgar 1½:½

by ChessBase
12/8/2006 – The six game blindfold rapid chess match between former FIDE world champion Veselin Topalov and the world's top female player Judit Polgar. The games are played at a speed of 25' + 10", with the rounds starting at 5:30 p.m. local time. The location is the Guggenheim Museum in the Spanish city of Bilbao. First round report.

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Blindfold match Topalov vs Polgar

This match is being held from December 7–9, 2006 in the world famous Gugenheim Museum in the Basque city of Bilbao. It is between former FIDE world champions Veselin Topalov and the strongest female player in the history of the game, Judit Polgar.

The match consists of six rapid games, two played on each of the three days. Time controls are 25 minutes for each player + 10 sec. per move. The rounds start at 17:30h local time. You can watch the game in a live Java broadcast provided by the official site, or in the broadcast room of Playchess.com.

On the first day Veselin Topalov won the first game in 27 moves with the white pieces in a Keres Attack of the Sicilian Scheveningen. The second game ended after 55 moves in a draw.

GM Topalov,Veselin [BUL] (2813) - GM Polgar,Judit [HUN] (2710) [B81]
Duelo Mundial de Ajedrez a Ciega blind Bilbao ESP (1), 07.12.2006
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Be3 Be7 7.g4 h5 8.gxh5 Rxh5 9.h4 Nc6 10.Be2 Re5 11.Nf3 Ra5 12.a3 d5 13.b4 Nxb4 14.axb4 Bxb4 15.Bd2 dxe4 16.Nb5 Rxa1 17.Qxa1 Bc5 18.Ng5 a6 19.Qe5 axb5 20.Qxc5 Ra1+ 21.Bd1 b6 22.Qxb5+ Bd7 23.Qb2 Qa8 24.0-0 b5 25.Bb4 Ra2 26.Qe5 Qc6 27.h5 1-0.

GM Polgar,Judit (2710) - GM Topalov,Veselin (2813) [B33]
Bilbao Blindfold match (2), 07.12.2006
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Ndb5 d6 7.Bg5 a6 8.Na3 b5 9.Nd5 Be7 10.Bxf6 Bxf6 11.c3 Bg5 12.Nc2 0-0 13.h4 Bh6 14.g3 Rb8 15.Bh3 Bxh3 16.Rxh3 a5 17.Nce3 Bxe3 18.Nxe3 Ne7 19.h5 f5 20.exf5 Nxf5 21.Qd5+ Kh8 22.Nxf5 Rxf5 23.h6 Qf6 24.hxg7+ Kxg7 25.0-0-0 Rxf2 26.Qxd6 Qg5+ 27.Kb1 Qg6+ 28.Qxg6+ hxg6 29.Rd7+ Kf6 30.Rhh7 Re2 31.Rd6+ Kf5 32.a3 g5 33.Ra6 b4 34.axb4 axb4 35.Rf7+ Kg4 36.Ra4 Kxg3 37.Rxb4 Rxb4 38.cxb4 Re4 39.b5 Rb4 40.Rb7 e4 41.b6 g4 42.Kc2 e3 43.Kd3 Rb3+ 44.Ke2 Kh2 45.Rh7+ Kg2 46.b7 g3 47.Rg7 Kh2 48.Rh7+ Kg1 49.Rg7 g2 50.Rh7 Rxb2+ 51.Kxe3 Rb6 52.Kd4 Kf2 53.Rf7+ Ke2 54.Rg7 Rxb7 55.Rxg2+ 1/2-1/2.

Click to replay and download games

Standings
 Player
Rating
1
2
3
4
5
6
 Tot. 
Veselin Topalov
2813
1
½
       
1.5
Judit Polgar
2710
0
½
       
0.5

Pictures from round one

By Nadja Woisin


The Guggenheim Museum, venue of the blindfold match Topalov-Polgar


The theater in the Guggenheim, before the start of the match


The players Veselin Topalov and Judit Polgar try some blindfold moves


The setup: each player has a keyboard to input moves, and sees an empty board


Judit Polgar discusses the technology and rules


Just before the match a dry run with blindfolds


Veselin blindfolded


and Judit with a red scarf


And then the real thing. For the match no blindfolds are used.


Naturally the players cannot see the board projections, only the audience can.

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