Veselin Topalov was defeated on his return to the board for the first time since losing to Vladimir Kramnik in the World Championship. Topalov was outplayed by last year’s World Junior Champion Shakriyaz Mamedyarov ranked 12 at the Essent tournament in Holland.

The event is a four player double round all play all. In the other game the world’s leading female player Judit Polgar turned round an awful position against Ivan Sokolov after the latter misplaced both his minor pieces while trying to exploit his advantage.

Round 1 Games in PGN including the game below annotated

Mamedyarov,Shakhryar (2728) - Topalov,Veselin (2813) [D47]
Hoogeveen (1), 22.10.2006
[IM Malcolm Pein]

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Nf3 Nbd7 6.Bd3 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.e4 [9.0-0 Be7 10.e4 b4 11.e5 bxc3 12.exf6 Bxf6 13.bxc3 c5 14.dxc5 Nxc5!? Kramnik - Topalov G4 Rapid Playoff World Ch. Elista 2006.] 9...b4 10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd5 12.Nxc5 Nxc5 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.0-0 h6 [14...0-0 15.Bxh7+ Kxh7 16.Ng5+ Kg8 17.Qh5 Re8 18.Qxf7+ Kh8 19.Qh5+ Kg8 20.Qh7+ Kf8 21.Qh8+ Ke7 22.Qxg7#] 15.Nd2! All theory and intending Ne4 and Qg4, 15.Bb5+ Kf8 is also well known but Black's loss of castling rights is compensated for by the misplaced bishop. 15...0-0 [15...Nc3 16.Qc2 Qd5 17.Nf3 Rd8 18.Ne1 is an old line which favours White.] 16.Ne4 Bd4 [16...Be7 17.Qg4 Kh8 18.Qh3! idea Bxh6.] 17.Nd6 Bc6 18.Bh7+ Kxh7 19.Qxd4 f6 20.Bd2 Qd7N A new move, previously Black had taken on e5 and accepted an isolated pawn on e6. This defends c6 and e6 and indirectly b4. [20...fxe5 21.Qxe5 (21.Qe4+ Kg8 22.Qxe5 Qd7 23.Rfe1 Rad8 24.Ne4 Rf5 25.Qg3 Nf6 26.Nxf6+ Rxf6 27.Bxb4 Kh7 28.Qc3 Rg6 1/2-1/2 Tukmakov,V (2565)-Dreev,A (2570)/Odessa 1989) 21...Qd7 22.Rfe1 Rad8 23.Ne4 Rf5 24.Qd4 Nf4 25.Qxd7 Rxd7 26.Bxf4 Rxf4 27.f3 Bxe4 28.Rxe4 Rxe4 29.fxe4 Kg6 30.Rf1 Rd2 31.Rf2 Rd1+ 32.Rf1 Rxf1+ 33.Kxf1 Kg5 34.g3 Kg4 35.Kg2 h5 36.a3 bxa3 37.bxa3 h4 38.h3+ Kg5 39.a4 a5 40.Kf3 hxg3 41.Kxg3 e5 42.h4+ Kh5 43.Kh3 g6 0-1 Lesiege,A (2531)-Akopian,V (2689)/Bled SLO 2002/The Week in Chess 417] 21.Rac1! [21.Bxb4 fxe5!] 21...a5 22.Qd3+ f5 23.Rc5! Preparing to reinforce a file Black cannot contest. 23...Ne7 24.Rfc1 Ra7 25.Be3 Rfa8 26.Qe2 [26.Rxc6 Nxc6 27.Bxa7 Nxe5 28.Qd4 Nc6 29.Rxc6 Qxc6 30.Bc5 Ra7! coming to c7 looks good for Black.] 26...Ra6 27.h4 Black is very passive with the bishop on c6 and the c7 square both tactical weaknesses. White turns his attention to the kingside with ideas of Qh5-f7 or Qh5 and Bxh6. 27...Qd8 28.Bg5!? [28.Qh5 Bd5 (28...Be8 staves off the threats for the moment but after 29.Qf3 R6a7 30.R5c4 Ra6 31.Qb7 Black seems to have no moves.) 29.Bxh6 gxh6 30.Qf7+ Kh8 31.Qf6+ Kg8 32.Rc8 Qf8 33.Qxe7 wins.] 28...hxg5 29.Qh5+ Kg8 30.Qf7+ Kh7 31.Qh5+ Kg8 32.Qf7+ Kh7 33.hxg5 Ng6 [33...Be8 34.Qxe6 Bd7 (34...Qd7) 35.Qf7 Be8 36.g6+ Nxg6 (36...Kh6 37.Qxe7 Qxe7 38.Nxf5+) 37.Qxf5 Qd7] 34.Rxc6 Qxg5 35.Rc8

35... Nf4? [35...Rxc8 36.Rxc8 Nxe5 37.Qxe6 Nf3+ 38.Kf1 Nh2+ and if White wants to play for a win he must continue 39.Ke1 Rxd6 40.Qxd6 Qxg2 which looks risky.] 36.g3 Rxc8 [36...Ne2+ 37.Kf1 Nxc1 38.Qg8+ Kg6 39.Qxe6+ Kh7 40.Rc4! Rxd6 41.Qxd6 with Rh4+ followed by Qd5+ winning to come.] 37.Rxc8 Qg4 [37...Ng6 38.Qg8+ Kh6 39.Nf7+] 38.Qg8+ Kg6 39.Qe8+ Kh7 40.Qh8+ Kg6 41.Rc7 Qd1+ [41...Nh5 42.Ne8 Qd1+ 43.Kh2] 42.Kh2 Qh5+ 43.Qxh5+ Nxh5 44.Re7 Winning a pawn and the game on account of the Nh5. 44...Rc6 45.Rxe6+ Kh7 46.Nf7! An elegant solution. 46...Rxe6 [46...Rc2 47.Ng5+ Kg8 48.Re8#] 47.Ng5+ 47... Kg6 48.Nxe6 Kf7 49.Nf4 reaches a trivially won king and pawn endgame. 1-0