M-Tel Masters

{{Short description|Chess tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria (2005–09)}}

Mtel Masters was an annual super-GM chess tournament held between 2005 and 2009 in Sofia, Bulgaria, sponsored and organized by the Bulgarian mobile network operator, M-Tel. The tournament was held as a double round-robin at the five-star Grand Hotel Sofia.

Tournament winners

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|+ M-Tel Masters Sofia

! № !! Date !! Category !! Average FIDE Rating !! Winner !! Score !! TPR

111–22 May 2005XX2747{{flagathlete|Veselin Topalov|Bulgaria}}6½ / 102850
210–21 May 2006XX2745{{flagathlete|Veselin Topalov|Bulgaria}}6½ / 102842
39–20 May 2007XIX2725{{flagathlete|Veselin Topalov|Bulgaria}}5½ / 102751
48–18 May 2008XX2738{{flagathlete|Vasyl Ivanchuk|Ukraine}}8 / 102977
512–23 May 2009XXI2755{{flagathlete|Alexei Shirov|Spain}}6½ / 102867

Editions

=2005=

The first edition of the tournament took place between 11 and 22 May 2005 as part of M-Tel's tenth anniversary celebrations and with the participation of top chess players such as Viswanathan Anand, Veselin Topalov, Vladimir Kramnik, Michael Adams, Judit Polgár and Ruslan Ponomariov. M-Tel Masters 2005 was classified in FIDE's Category 20 and was named the strongest tournament of 2005 according to the average Elo rating of the participants of 2744. The winner of the tournament was the Bulgarian Veselin Topalov, with the award being conferred by President Georgi Parvanov.

:

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|+1st M-Tel Masters, 12–22 May 2005, Sofia, Bulgaria, Category XX (2747){{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic550.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 550|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 23 May 2005}}

! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! TPR

style="background:#ccffcc;"

| 1

align=left | {{flagathlete|Veselin Topalov|Bulgaria}} 2778½ 1½ ½0 1½ 1½ 12850
2align=left | {{flagathlete|Viswanathan Anand|India}}2785½ 0{{CNone}}½ ½½ ½½ 1½ 12775
3align=left | {{flagathlete|Judit Polgár|Hungary}}2732½ ½½ ½{{CNone}}½ ½0 ½½ 152749
4align=left | {{flagathlete|Ruslan Ponomariov|Ukraine}}26951 0½ ½½ ½{{CNone}}0 1½ ½52757
5align=left | {{flagathlete|Vladimir Kramnik|Russia}}2753½ 0½ 01 ½1 0{{CNone}}0 ½42673
6align=left | {{flagathlete|Michael Adams|England}}2737½ 0½ 0½ 0½ ½1 ½{{CNone}}42676

=2006=

The 2006 tournament took place between 10 May and 21 May and was attended by Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Ruslan Ponomariov, Peter Svidler, Étienne Bacrot and Gata Kamsky. Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho played the token initial move of the 2006 tournament, which was officially opened by the President of Bulgaria, Georgi Parvanov.

Topalov won the tournament for the second time after a decisive comeback from a somewhat hesitant start. He recorded four consecutive wins in the final rounds to clinch the M-Tel Masters 2006 first place with 6½ points, also defeating his main rival Gata Kamsky in the penultimate round.

:

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|+2nd M-Tel Masters, 11–21 May 2006, Sofia, Bulgaria, Category XX (2745){{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic602.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 602|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 22 May 2006}}

! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! Wins !! TPR

style="background:#ccffcc;"

| 1

align=left | {{flagathlete|Veselin Topalov|Bulgaria}} 28041 10 1½ 0½ 1½ 12842
2align=left | {{flagathlete|Gata Kamsky|United States}}26710 0{{CNone}}1 ½1 ½½ 11 ½62831
3align=left | {{flagathlete|Viswanathan Anand|India}}28031 00 ½{{CNone}}½ ½1 ½1 ½2768
4align=left | {{flagathlete|Peter Svidler|Russia}}2743½ 10 ½½ ½{{CNone}}1 0½ ½52744
5align=left | {{flagathlete|Ruslan Ponomariov|Ukraine}}2738½ 0½ 00 ½0 1{{CNone}}½ ½12635
6align=left | {{flagathlete|Étienne Bacrot|France}}2708½ 00 ½0 ½½ ½½ ½{{CNone}}02641

=2007=

M-Tel Masters' 2007 edition was held between 9 May and 20 May and featured Veselin Topalov, Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Gata Kamsky, Michael Adams and Krishnan Sasikiran. Topalov won the tournament for a third consecutive time in a dramatic fashion, defeating the then-current leader Sasikiran in the final round.

:

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|+3rd M-Tel Masters, 10–20 May 2007, Sofia, Bulgaria, Category XIX (2725){{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic654.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 654|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 21 May 2007}}

! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! Wins !! {{abbr|H2H|Direct encounter}} !! SB !! {{abbr|Moves|The number of moves made in all games}} !! TPR

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| 1

align=left | {{flagathlete|Veselin Topalov|Bulgaria}} 27721 10 ½½ ½0 1½ ½2751
2align=left | {{flagathlete|Krishnan Sasikiran|India}}26900 0{{CNone}}½ 11 0½ ½½ 1532732
3align=left | {{flagathlete|Shakhriyar Mamedyarov|Azerbaijan}}27571 ½½ 0{{CNone}}1 0½ ½½ ½52225.252718
4align=left | {{flagathlete|Gata Kamsky|United States}}2705½ ½0 10 1{{CNone}}½ ½½ ½52225.00{{abbr|547|38+46+46+94+43+44+47+60+51+78}}2729
5align=left | {{flagathlete|Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu|Romania}}26931 0½ ½½ ½½ ½{{CNone}}0 152225.00{{abbr|419|47+46+39+22+27+54+47+53+42+42}}2731
6align=left | {{flagathlete|Michael Adams|England}}2734½ ½½ 0½ ½½ ½1 0{{CNone}}2687

=2008=

The 2008 M-Tel Masters was held 8–18 May. Vasyl Ivanchuk won by a wide margin. Ivanchuk won his first five games, lost no games, and had a positive score against every other player. Veselin Topalov, who had won the tournament the three previous years, was second.

:

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|+4th M-Tel Masters, 8–18 May 2008, Sofia, Bulgaria, Category XX (2738){{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic706.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 706|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 19 May 2008}}

! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! TPR

style="background:#ccffcc;"

| 1

align=left | {{flagathlete|Vasyl Ivanchuk|Ukraine}} 27401 ½1 ½1 11 ½1 ½82977
2align=left | {{flagathlete|Veselin Topalov|Bulgaria}}27670 ½{{CNone}}½ ½1 11 01 12841
3align=left | {{flagathlete|Teimour Radjabov|Azerbaijan}}27510 ½½ ½{{CNone}}½ ½½ 1½ 12771
4align=left | {{flagathlete|Ivan Cheparinov|Bulgaria}}26950 00 0½ ½{{CNone}}1 1½ ½42674
5align=left | {{flagathlete|Bu Xiangzhi|China}}27080 ½0 1½ 00 0{{CNone}}½ ½32594
6align=left | {{flagathlete|Levon Aronian|Armenia}}27630 ½0 0½ 0½ ½½ ½{{CNone}}32583

=2009=

The 2009 edition of the tournament took place from 12 to 23 May. Besides regular feature Veselin Topalov, the participating grandmasters were Magnus Carlsen, Vasyl Ivanchuk, Alexei Shirov, Wang Yue and Leinier Domínguez.

:

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|+5th M-Tel Masters, 13–23 May 2009, Sofia, Bulgaria, Category XXI (2755){{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic759.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 759|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 25 May 2009}}

! !! Player !! Rating !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! Wins !! {{abbr|H2H|Direct encounter}} !! TPR

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| 1

align=left | {{flagathlete|Alexei Shirov|Spain}}27451 ½½ ½½ ½½ ½1 12867
2align=left | {{flagathlete|Magnus Carlsen|Norway}}27700 ½{{CNone}}1 ½½ 1½ 1½ ½632824
3align=left | {{flagathlete|Veselin Topalov|Bulgaria}}2812½ ½0 ½{{CNone}}1 ½½ ½1 163½2816
4align=left | {{flagathlete|Wang Yue|China}}2738½ ½½ 00 ½{{CNone}}½ ½1 ½2723
5align=left | {{flagathlete|Leinier Domínguez|Cuba}}2721½ ½½ 0½ ½½ ½{{CNone}}½ 042690
6align=left | {{flagathlete|Vasyl Ivanchuk|Ukraine}}27460 0½ ½0 00 ½½ 1{{CNone}}32608

=2010=

The tournament was cancelled because of the World Chess Championship 2010 match in Sofia.

References