Topalov again . . .

While this blog is certainly not intended to denigrate Veselin Topalov, there have been a number of disturbing, recent stories in which he is perhaps the unfortunate protagonist. This one comes from news.bg, an on-line Bulgarian news source who, in turn, quoted The Guardian. Because of the author's association with Kramnik's manager, the accusation would have little weight had not the tournament referee taken it seriously enough to stand between Topalov and Danailov during the Karjakin game.

News.bg: Jan 29 – New Cheating Allegation against Topalov — Author: Dimitar Tabakov, The Guardian

A new cheating allegation against Veselin Topalov was made at the weekend just as the world No1-ranked grandmaster started his grudge game against the world champion, Vladimir Kramnik, in the elite Corus tournament in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.

An article in a German newspaper claimed that the Bulgarian's manager, Silvio Danailov, made suspicious hand and facial movements while in eye contact with his player during Topalov's second-round game a week earlier against the Dutch champion, Loek van Wely.

Each time Van Wely moved, Danailov would leave the hall, make a mobile phone call and then return. While Topalov considered his next move his manager would scratch himself several times behind his ear or tap his glasses with his finger.

It later emerged that the writer of the article, the international master Martin Breutigam, is an associate of Kramnik's manager, Carsten Hensel, the Guardian writes today.

Last week a Topalov aide published a book titled Toilet War, repeating and extending the allegations that Kramnik had himself used a computer aid during their 2006 world title series in Elista in Russia, which the Muscovite won by a narrow margin.

Both Van Wely, who attributed his 35-move defeat to being outplayed, and the chief arbiter voiced no suspicions. However, in the next day's third round when Topalov had a dubious position against the Ukrainian prodigy Sergey Karjakin and Danailov again tried to establish eye contact, the referee blocked his view.

There was no handshake when Topalov and Kramnik sat down for Saturday's penultimate round. After four hours' play they reached a dead level ending with king and knight for the Bulgarian against king and pawn. The above article was published in news.bg, an on-line Bulgarian news service. It appears to have been first published in The Guardian.

To read the rest of the article go to http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_1039137717.