Veselin Topalov

The aggressive Bulgarian whose 2006 unification match against Kramnik descended into the farcical "toilet-gate" scandal. One of the most dynamic attacking players of the modern era.

Toilet-Gate in Elista

Veselin Topalov was born on March 15, 1975, in Ruse, Bulgaria. He became FIDE World Champion in 2005 by winning the San Luis tournament with an extraordinary +6 score. The 2006 match against Kramnik in Elista, Russia, was supposed to unify the FIDE and classical titles. Instead, it became one of the most controversial events in chess history.

Topalov's manager, Silvio Danailov, accused Kramnik of visiting the bathroom too frequently during games, implying that he was receiving computer assistance. The appeals committee responded by closing the bathrooms and placing them under video surveillance. Kramnik refused to play Game 5 in protest and was forfeited. The match eventually resumed after FIDE intervention, and Kramnik won 8.5-7.5 in rapid tiebreaks after the classical games were tied 6-6. The controversy overshadowed what was otherwise compelling chess.

Second Challenge

Topalov challenged Anand in 2010 in Sofia, losing 6.5-5.5 in a close match. His aggressive, dynamic style produced some of the most exciting chess of the 2000s, including his famous game against Kasparov at Wijk aan Zee 1999, where he sacrificed a rook on move 19 and won in a spectacular tactical melee.