Anand/Topalov Trivia
Viswanathan (Vishy) Anand was born on December 11, 1969 in Chennai, India.
Veselin Topalov was born on March 15, 1975 in Rousse (Ruse), Bulgaria.
Anand is now 40.
Topalov just turned 35.
Topalov’s father taught him to play chess at the age of 8.
Anand’s mother taught him to play chess at the age of 6.
In 1987, Anand won the World Junior Chess Championship.
In 1989, Topalov won the World Under-14 Chess Championship.
In 1990, Topalov took 2nd in the World Under-16 Chess Championship.
In 1984, Anand became the youngest Indian to be awarded the International Master title at the age of 15.
In 1989, Topalov was awarded the International Master title at age 14.
Anand has won the championship of India three times.
Topalov has never won the Bulgarian championship.
Anand was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1988 at the age of 18.
Topalov was awarded the Grandmaster title in 1992 at the age of 17.
Anand was the first Indian Grandmaster and the youngest Grandmaster in the world at that time.
Topalov was Bulgaria's 16th Grandmaster.
Anand and Topalov first played each other in 1993 at Las Palmas. Anand won in 40 moves (the game was a Ruy Lopez, Marshall Attack).
In 2003, Anand won the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship.
Anand was world chess champion in 2000-2001 and has been world champion since 2007 (winning in 2007 and 2008). He was the 15th FIDE World Chess Champion.
Topalov was world chess champion in 2005-2006.
Anand won the Chess Oscar in 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004, 2007, and 2008.
Topalov won the Chess Oscar in 2005.
Topalov played in 5 FIDE World Championship Knockout tournaments.
Anand played in 3 FIDE World Championship Knockout tournaments.
Anand has played in 7 chess Olympiads, winnng 1 silver medal.
Topalov has played in 5 chess Olympiads, winning 1 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medals.
Anand was the 15th FIDE World Champion
Topalov was the 19th FIDE World Champion
Topalov’s peak rating – 2813 (Oct 2006, July 2009)
Anand’s peak rating – 2803 (April 2006, April 2008)
Topalov is currently rated 2805 (#2 in the world).
Anand is currently rated 2787 (#4 in the world).
Topalov was the last person to play (and beat) Kasparov in a classical tournament.
In July, 2005, both Anand and Topalov had the same Elo rating – 2788.
Topalov is currently the second highest rated player in the world, after Magnus Carlsen. He was ranked #1 in the world from April 2006 to January 2007, and from October 2008 to January 2010. He has the second highest Elo rating of all time (2813), behind Kasparov. He achieved that rating twice – in October 2006 and July 2009.
In 1998, Anand’s Elo rating was 2795, second in the world to Kasparov (2800). Anand was ranked #1 in the world in 2007 with a 2802 Elo rating.
Topalov has been ranked #1 in the world for 27 months, longer than anyone else except for Kasparov, Karpov, and Fischer. Anand was ranked #1 for 15 months, from April 2007 to July 2008.
Anand is the only player to have won the World Chess Championship in three different formats: Knockout, Tournament, and Match.
In April 2007, at the age of 37, Anand became the oldest person to become world number one for the first time.
Anand has a degree in commerce fron Loyola College in Chennai, India.
Anand lives in Collado Mediano, Spain with his wife Aruna.
Topalov lives in Salamanca, Spain and has never been married.
They live about 90 miles away from each other in Spain.
Before the 2010 world championship match, Anand and Topalov have not played each other in a classic games since 2008. The last time they played, Topalov won in 25 moves (Bilbao 2008).
Before the world championship match, Anand and Topalov have played each other 87 times (including rapid and blindfold games), with 23 wins for Anand, 14 wins for Topalov, and 50 draws. In games with classic games control, they have played 44 times, with 10 wins for Anand, 11 wins for Topalov, and 23 draws. In 31 rapid games, Anand was on 10 times, Topalov has won once, with 20 draws. They have drawn each other once in a blitz game. In 11 blindfold games, Anand has won 3 times, Topalov has won twice, with 6 draws.
Stats on all their games are here
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AiF9ULO9hJY3dEZ1bGZSdjlvdVdnRnQzb3FKaVQ0YkE&hl=en
Anand has played in 3 world championship matches
Topalov has played in 1 world championship match.
The 2010 World Chess Championship is the first men’s world championship without a Russian or Soviet player since 1921 (Lasker-Capablanca).
Topalov's manager is International Master Silvio Danailov.
Anand's manager is his wife, Aruna.
The prize fund is two million euros (about $3 million U.S. dollars). The prize fund will be divided with 60% going to the winner and 40% going to the loser. The winner gets 1.2 million euros ($1.58 million dollars), while the loser gets 800,000 euros. Bulgaria offered more than twice as much as any other bidder. The only other bids came from Turkey and Singapore.
In game 3, Topalov invoked the 'Sofia rule' where if you need a draw, you have to go to the chief arbiter and not offer it to your opponent. There was no handshake at the end of the game. The draw can only be offered in a threefold repetition (which this was), a perpetual check, or a theoretically drawn position.
2010 World Championship Match Predictions:
GM Simen Agdestein – Anand will win the match in blitz tie-breaker
GM Vinay Bhat – 6.5-5.5, Anand
GM Fabiano Caruana – can’t predict. Too close.
GM Panchanathan Magesh Chandran - 7-5 in favor of Anand
GM Ben Finegold - +1 for Anand
GM Boris Gulko – 6-6 tie
GM Robert Hess – Anand will win 6.5-5.5
IM Dean Ippolito – Anand 6.5-5.5
GM Kramnik - Anand will win
GM Elshan Moradiabadi of Iran – Anand and no tie-break
GM Alex Onischuk – chances are equal
GM Judit Polgar - I don't know who will win, but the score will be 7-5
IM Sofia Polgar – Topalov 7-5
GM Ray Robson – Anand by one point
Bill Wall - Anand 6.5-5.5
IM Anna Zatonskih – Topalov probably has better chances, 6.5-5.5
Year Topalov’s rating Anand’s rating
2000 2707 2774
2001 2733 2797
2002 2745 2757
2003 2743 2774
2004 2757 2782
2005 2788 2788
2006 2813 2803
2007 2783 2801
2008 2791 2803
2009 2813 2791
2010 2805 2787
Game 1 – Topalov won in 30 moves (Gruenfeld)
Game 2 – Anand won in 43 moves (Catalan)
Game 3 – drawn in 46 moves (QGD, Slav)
Game 4 - Anand won in 32 moves (Catalan)
Game 5 - drawn in 44 moves (QGD, Slav)
Game 6 - drawn in 58 moves (Catalan)
Game 7 - drawn in 58 moves (Queen Pawn Game)
Game 8 - Topalov won in 56 moves (QGD, Slav)
Game 9 - drawn in 83 moves (Nimzo-Indian)
Game 10 - drawn in 60 moves (Gruenfeld)
Game 11 - drawn in 65 moves (English Opening)
Game 12 - Anand won in 56 moves (QGD)
