In 2014 Bulgaria remains one of the countries part of the world chess elite. Much of this success is due to grandmaster Veselin Topalov. Sometimes the successes of Bulgarian chess players seem neglected by media but fans of the great game all around the world know the name of the most successful Bulgarian grandmaster, who is again among the contenders for the world chess title.

In 2014 the tournament of the best players in the world takes place in the Russian town of Khanty Mansiysk and includes eight players: Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria), Shahriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan), Levon Aronian (Armenia), Vladimir Kramnik (Russia), Viswanathan Anand (India), Sergey Karjakin (competing for Russia), Peter Svidler (Russia) and Dmitry Andreikin (Russia). Players will face each other two times and the winner of the tournament will play for the world title against current champion Magnus Carlsen. The 2014 Candidates Tournament in Russia will continue until the end of March.

After the third round that ended on March 15, the Bulgarian grandmaster has a total of 1.5 points after three draws. In the first round Topalov ended in a draw with the black pieces against Shahriyar Mammadyarov after 36 moves. Mamedyarov relied on attacking style, but the efficient defense of Topalov secured the draw. The second round offered a clash between the Bulgarian and former world champion Viswanathan Anand of India, that finished with a new draw. On Saturday Topalov played with the white pieces against Armenian grandmaster Aronian, who currently ranks second in the chart of the World Chess Federation /FIDE/. The Bulgarian added half a point after a new draw, but a victory would have been a better gift for Topalov’s 39 th birthday. It seemed Topalov prevailed on the chess board, but Aronian successfully blocked his attacks.

Veselin Topalov was born on March 15, 1975 in Rousse and as a child showed his exceptional chess talent that would later bring glory to Bulgaria. At the age of 12 he was already a master of the sport, and in 1993 joined the top 10 of world chess. Since 1994 Topalov has been the leader of the country's national team in the sport. In 2005 he proved he is the best in the world. In Argentina, he was among the 8 most powerful players on the planet and won the tournament with a point and a half ahead of the second. In 2006, Topalov had personal Elo rating of 2813 and this result puts him among the top 5 players with the highest rating achieved. In 2009, Topalov again reached this rating and showed no intention of coming down from the top position in the sport. In 2010 he once again attacked the world title but lost against then-acting champion Viswanathan Anand.