My Magical Years with Topalov

In the second half of 2010, my manager Silvio Danailov informed me that he had received an email from a young French GM offering his cooperation. We asked him to send us a sample of how it worked, an analysis of any opening variants. Romain sent us a file with an improvement on the Najdorf that I liked. In my experience, regardless of the strength of the game, a young player willing to work is more valuable than one renowned but unmotivated. Then I met Romain personally during the Chess Olympiad held in Khanty-Mansiysk and we agreed on a training session in Salamanca.

Looking back, I'd say our first few sessions were the most fruitful. That's logical because in 2010, it was easier for humans to find good ideas faster than search engines than in 2014. The same way it is in 2018 with respect to the coming years.

Of all our findings, the one I'm most proud of is the 14.Ba4! move against Nakamura during the Melody Amber speed and blitz tournaments in Monaco, a very profound idea that was well developed by Romain. Many lines full of beauty remain to be revealed. There's also the strong novelty 12.Ne5! from the last round of the same tournament against Aronian that left me with a big advantage even though I ended up losing.

The quality of the work of the coaches or seconds often has nothing to do with the final result. I don't think they are responsible for what happens during the tight time in a blind match or in the fifth hour of a tense and prolonged fight.

It was also very significant that we had the good fortune to anticipate the new move 9.c5!? made by Morozevich in Zug, 2013, whose knowledge allowed me to make an important point. What otherwise should have been a fresh and original idea ended up being a fiasco for my rival. Another excellent discovery in Lanzarote was 9.Be5!, played against Kramnik. This surprise allowed me to achieve a huge advantage a few moves later, something almost impossible in an opening as well analyzed as the Checkers Gambit.

There have been many other improvements and some of them have not yet seen the light.

Our last serious training was in the winter of 2014 when I was preparing for the Khanty-Mansiysk Candidates Tournament. I think I prepared well, but the problem was that the results came much later than they should have. However, as I have already said, I do not think, for example, that Romain should be blamed for my defeat by Svidler with the black pieces. We came up with a great idea, revived a line with a bad reputation, and I came out of the opening with the lead only to completely screw it up and lose. As a result the Candidates was a disaster for me; but I would say that my subsequent good play in the rest of 2014 and 2015 was due, in large part, to the work done in Lanzarote in the winter of 2014. For example, the new move 7...g5!? , which gave me the victory over Carlsen in St. Louis a year and a half later in 2015, was prepared at that time.

In June 2014 Romain crossed the 2700 barrier. I like to think he did it because he worked with me and not because he stopped doing it.

This book is about how ideas come up during preparation, about what happens behind the curtains. I wasn't aware of his plans until Romain told me he was writing it. I think chess enthusiasts will appreciate the honesty of the stories because nothing was hidden. I hope you enjoy it.

~ Veselin Topalov was born
Salamanca, October of 2018