Veselin Topalov

Born on 15 March 1975 in Ruse, Bulgaria, a port city on the Danube.

Learned chess at age six or seven from his grandfather, and would pester his father to play every day. He later recalled: "I was 6 years old, I didn't even know how to write properly, but I was already in love with this ancient game."

Considered a wunderkind early on, but his childhood was difficult. At age 12, his life changed when he met Silvio Danailov, a strong master and organizer who became his manager, coach, and surrogate family.

Kevin Spraggett described the moment Danailov took Topalov in: "Danailov brought Topalov to his home and told him: 'Now you live here, and this will be your new home. I am not only your coach, I am also your father and your mother at the same time. I am your cook. I am the one who will wash your clothes. I am the one who will pay your expenses at tournaments. All I want from you: think only about chess!'"

His formal education was limited by his intense focus on chess from a young age.

Since there were few strong tournaments in Bulgaria, at age 12 he moved to Spain to compete regularly in open tournaments, which he called the "harsh school of opens" that forged him into a tough, uncompromising fighter.

FIDE World Chess Champion in 2005, winning the FIDE World Championship tournament in San Luis, Argentina.

Won the World Under-14 Championship in 1989 and silver at the Under-16 in 1990. Became a Grandmaster at 16 and led the Bulgarian national team by 17.

At the 1994 Chess Olympiad, Bulgaria scored a sensational victory over Russia, and Topalov beautifully defeated Garry Kasparov.

Won super-tournaments in Amsterdam, Vienna, Dos Hermanas, and Novgorod in 1996. Reached the final of the classical Candidates Tournament in 2002.

Lost the FIDE title unification match to Vladimir Kramnik in 2006 (6–6, decided on tiebreak).

Known for his aggressive, uncompromising, and combative style. His rivalry with Kramnik was one of the most bitter in modern chess.

The "Toiletgate" scandal: During the 2006 World Championship match against Kramnik, Topalov's team accused Kramnik of using the bathroom too frequently, insinuating he was receiving computer assistance. The controversy overshadowed the match.

Topalov was a dominant force in the 2000s, holding the world No. 1 rating for extended periods. His peak rating was 2813 in 2006.

He was known for his intense work ethic and his willingness to play sharp, theoretical lines deep into the opening.

"I am definitely very aggressive."

"I used to play chess for pleasure and I still enjoy the game. Results are not always favourable..."

Topalov has not authored a major instructional book himself, but several collections of his games exist.

Veselin Topalov: Selected Games of the Ex-World Chess Champion — approved by Topalov with a foreword by him.