Super GM
Tournament
in Sofia
World's top
six players
clash in the M-Tel Masters
May
11 to 22, 2005
in the Grand Hotel Sofia, Bulgaria
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|
The M-Tel Masters Super Tournament will be the strongest tournament of the
year, with a category of 20 with an Elo average of 2744. It is part of the
ten-year anniversary of the Bulgarian mobile phone company Mobiltel,
and is set to take place every year. The time controls are classic (up to seven
hours per game) and the tournament is a double round robin (every player plays
every other player twice).
There is a special rule in place at this Super Tournament: draw
offers are not allowed, i.e. draws by mutual agreement between the players
are forbidden, only technical draws may be given by the arbiter.
Participants
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Viswanathan Anand, India, born 11.12.1969, Elo 2786.
After Kasparov's retirement Anand is now the world's number one. He was
a world championship challenger in 1995, and won the FIDE world championship
in 2000. Four times Chess Oscar winner, four times winner of the Monaco
Amber tournament, four times Wijk aan Zee, plus countless other international
successes. Has one billion fans in his home country of India.
|
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Veselin Topalov, Bulgaria, born 15.3.1975, Elo 2757
(1.1.2005, now unofficially 2780). Number two in the world ranking list;
best Bulgarian chess player of all times. Bronze medalist at the last FIDE
world championship in Tripoli; winner of many international tournaments,
e.g. Madrid 1994, 1996, 1997, Dos Hermanos 1996, Amsterdam 1996, Vienna
1996, Novgorod 1996, Antwerp 1997, Monaco 2001, Dortmund 2001, Linares
2005 (together with Kasparov). |
|
Vladimir Kramnik, Russia, born 25.06.1975, Elo 2754,
number four in the world. Won the world championship in classical chess
in 2000 by defeating Garry Kasparov in London, defended his title against
Leko in 2004. Winner of many international tournaments, e.g. Halkidiki
1992, Madrid 1993, Horgen 1995, Dortmund 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000,
2001, Dos Hermanos 1996, Wijk aan zee 1998, Linares 2000, Monaco (four
times). |
|
Michael Adams, England, born 17.11.1971, Elo 2741,
currently number six in the world, best English chess player in history.
FIDE world champion runner-up in Tripoli 2004, three times semi-finalist
at the FIDE world championships (1997, 1999 and 2000). Winner of the
Dos Hermanos 1999 and Tilburg 1994.
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Judit Polgar, Hungary, born 23.07.1976, Elo 2728,
number eight in the world chess rankings. Judit is the youngest of the
phenomenal Polgar sisters and by far the best female chess player of
all times. She became a grandmaster at 15 years and five months, breaking
the previous record held by Bobby Fischer (15 years six months). Won
the Hungarian male championship in 1991 and many international tournaments,
e.g. Hastings 1992, Madrid 1994, Hoogoven 1998, 2001, 2003, New York
1999.
|
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Ruslan Ponomariov, Ukraine, born 11.10.1983, Elo 2700.
FIDE world champion 2002, the youngest world champion in history (at 18).
Olympic Champion with the Ukrainian team in the Olympiad in Palma de Mallorca
in 2004. Several times junior European and world champion in the different
age groups. Received high decorations for services and special merits rendered
to his home country, presented personally by Ukraine President Leonid Kutchma. |
Schedule
| 10 May 2005 |
Arrival and accommodation of the participants |
| 11 May 2005 |
11:00 press conference, 18:00 official opening, 19:00 cocktail party
|
| 12 May 2005 |
14:30 Start of the first round |
| 13 May 2005 |
14:30 Start of the second round |
| 14 May 2005 |
14:30 Start of the third round |
| 15 May 2005 |
14:30 Start of the fourth round |
| 16 May 2005 |
14:30 Start of the fifth round |
| 17 May 2005 |
Rest day |
| 18 May 2005 |
14:30 Start of the sixth round |
| 19 May 2005 |
14:30 Start of the seventh round |
| 20 May 2005 |
14:30 Start of the eighth round |
| 21 May 2005 |
14:30 Start of the ninth round |
| 22 May 2005 |
13:30 Start of the tenth round, 18:00 Tie-break, 20:00 Official closing
and awarding the prizes to participants, 21:00 Official cocktail party |
| 23 May 2005 |
Departure |
On the rest day Veselin Topalov will give a simultaneous exhibition for chess
fans at the garden in front of the National Theater, on ten marble chess tables
set up by Mobiltel for the garden. This is the second big chess event sponsored
by Mobiltel. In February last year the mobile operator organized a TV
exhibition match between the rapid chess World Champion Viswanathan Anand
and Veselin Topalov.
The event is being staged by “Mobiltel” and “Kaissa Chess
Management”, an agency run by GM Silvio Danailov, manager of Bulgaria's
top GM Veselin Topalov. It will be held in the five-star Grand
Hotel, located in the middle of Sofia, in walking distance of the National
Theatre, Art Gallery, Concert Hall, Opera House and all the famous landmarks
of the capital of Bulgaria.
The Grand Hotel in Sofia
Inside the hotel (the lobby)
The park next to the hotel...
...which contains the National Theater
People love to play chess on the benches of the park
Former Vice-Prime Minister Zhotev (with cap) is also to be found here
Photos provided by Radislav Atanassov, Ass. prof. at the
Chess Sector of the National Sports Academy, Sofia
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