View source for M-Tel Masters

{{Short description|Chess tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria (2005–09)}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Topalov-ponomariov-mtelmasters2005.JPG|right|300px|thumb|Veselin Topalov playing Ruslan Ponomariov at M-Tel Masters 2005]] -->
'''Mtel Masters''' was an annual [[Grandmaster (chess)|super-GM]] [[chess]] tournament held between 2005 and 2009 in [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]], sponsored and organized by the Bulgarian mobile network operator, [[M-Tel]]. The tournament was held as a double round-robin at the [[Star (classification)|five-star]] [[Grand Hotel Sofia]].

==Tournament winners==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ M-Tel Masters Sofia
! № !! Date !! [[Chess_tournament#Tournament_categories|Category]] !! Average [[FIDE world rankings|FIDE Rating]] !! Winner !! Score !! [[Glossary of chess#performance rating|TPR]]
|-
| 1 || 11–22 May 2005 || XX || 2747 || {{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|Bulgaria}} || 6½ / 10 || 2850
|-
| 2 || 10–21 May 2006 || XX || 2745 || {{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|Bulgaria}} || 6½ / 10 || 2842
|-
| 3 || 9–20 May 2007 || XIX || 2725 || {{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|Bulgaria}} || 5½ / 10 || 2751
|-
| 4 || 8–18 May 2008 || XX || 2738 || {{flagathlete|[[Vasyl Ivanchuk]]|Ukraine}} || 8 / 10 || 2977
|-
| 5 || 12–23 May 2009 || XXI || 2755 || {{flagathlete|[[Alexei Shirov]]|Spain}} || 6½ / 10 || 2867
|}

==Editions==
===2005===
The first edition of the tournament took place between 11 and 22 May 2005 as part of M-Tel's tenth anniversary celebrations and with the participation of top chess players such as [[Viswanathan Anand]], [[Veselin Topalov]], [[Vladimir Kramnik]], [[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]], [[Judit Polgár]] and [[Ruslan Ponomariov]]. M-Tel Masters 2005 was classified in [[Fédération Internationale des Échecs|FIDE's]] Category 20 and was named the strongest tournament of 2005 according to the average [[Elo rating system|Elo rating]] of the participants of 2744. The winner of the tournament was the Bulgarian Veselin Topalov, with the award being conferred by President [[Georgi Parvanov]].

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+1st M-Tel Masters, 12–22 May 2005, [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Chess_tournament#Tournament_categories|Category XX (2747)]]<ref>{{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic550.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 550|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 23 May 2005}}</ref>
! !! Player !! [[FIDE world rankings|Rating]] !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! [[Glossary of chess#performance rating|TPR]]
|-
|-style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 1 || align=left | '''{{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|Bulgaria}} '''|| 2778 ||  || ½ 1 || ½ ½ || 0 1 || ½ 1 || ½ 1 || '''6½''' || 2850
|-
| 2 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Viswanathan Anand]]|India}} || 2785 || ½ 0 || {{CNone}} || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || ½ 1 || ½ 1 || '''5½''' || 2775
|-
| 3 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Judit Polgár]]|Hungary}} || 2732 || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || {{CNone}} || ½ ½ || 0 ½ || ½ 1 || '''5''' || 2749
|-
| 4 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Ruslan Ponomariov]]|Ukraine}} || 2695 || 1 0 || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || {{CNone}} || 0 1 || ½ ½ || '''5''' || 2757
|-
| 5 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Vladimir Kramnik]]|Russia}} || 2753 || ½ 0 || ½ 0 || 1 ½ || 1 0 || {{CNone}} || 0 ½ || '''4''' || 2673
|-
| 6 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]]|England}} || 2737 || ½ 0 || ½ 0 || ½ 0 || ½ ½ || 1 ½ || {{CNone}} || '''4''' || 2676
|}

===2006===
The 2006 tournament took place between 10 May and 21 May and was attended by Veselin Topalov, Viswanathan Anand, Ruslan Ponomariov, [[Peter Svidler]], [[Étienne Bacrot]] and [[Gata Kamsky]]. [[Brazil]]ian writer [[Paulo Coelho]] played the token initial move of the 2006 tournament, which was officially opened by the [[President of Bulgaria]], Georgi Parvanov.

Topalov won the tournament for the second time after a decisive comeback from a somewhat hesitant start. He recorded four consecutive wins in the final rounds to clinch the M-Tel Masters 2006 first place with 6½ points, also defeating his main rival Gata Kamsky in the penultimate round.

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+2nd M-Tel Masters, 11–21 May 2006, [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Chess_tournament#Tournament_categories|Category XX (2745)]]<ref>{{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic602.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 602|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 22 May 2006}}</ref>

! !! Player !! [[FIDE world rankings|Rating]] !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! Wins !! [[Glossary of chess#performance rating|TPR]]
|-
|-style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 1 || align=left | '''{{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|Bulgaria}} '''|| 2804 ||  || 1 1 || 0 1 || ½ 0 || ½ 1 || ½ 1 || '''6½''' || || 2842
|-
| 2 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Gata Kamsky]]|United States}} || 2671 || 0 0 || {{CNone}} || 1 ½ || 1 ½ || ½ 1 || 1 ½ || '''6''' || || 2831
|-
| 3 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Viswanathan Anand]]|India}} || 2803 || 1 0 || 0 ½ || {{CNone}} || ½ ½ || 1 ½ || 1 ½ || '''5½''' || || 2768
|-
| 4 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Peter Svidler]]|Russia}} || 2743 || ½ 1 || 0 ½ || ½ ½ || {{CNone}} || 1 0 || ½ ½ || '''5''' || || 2744
|-
| 5 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Ruslan Ponomariov]]|Ukraine}} || 2738 || ½ 0 || ½ 0 || 0 ½ || 0 1 || {{CNone}} || ½ ½ || '''3½''' || 1 || 2635
|-
| 6 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Étienne Bacrot]]|France}} || 2708 || ½ 0 || 0 ½ || 0 ½ || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || {{CNone}} || '''3½''' || 0 || 2641
|}

===2007===
M-Tel Masters' 2007 edition was held between 9 May and 20 May and featured Veselin Topalov, [[Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu]], [[Shakhriyar Mamedyarov]], Gata Kamsky, [[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]] and [[Krishnan Sasikiran]]. Topalov won the tournament for a third consecutive time in a dramatic fashion, defeating the then-current leader Sasikiran in the final round.

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+3rd M-Tel Masters, 10–20 May 2007, [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Chess_tournament#Tournament_categories|Category XIX (2725)]]<ref>{{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic654.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 654|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 21 May 2007}}</ref>
! !! Player !! [[FIDE world rankings|Rating]] !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! Wins !! {{abbr|H2H|Direct encounter}} !! [[Sonneborn–Berger score|SB]] !! {{abbr|Moves|The number of moves made in all games}} !! [[Glossary of chess#performance rating|TPR]]
|-
|-style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 1 || align=left | '''{{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|Bulgaria}} '''|| 2772 ||  || 1 1 || 0 ½ || ½ ½ || 0 1 || ½ ½ || '''5½''' || || || || || 2751
|-
| 2 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Krishnan Sasikiran]]|India}} || 2690 || 0 0 || {{CNone}} || ½ 1 || 1 0 || ½ ½ || ½ 1 || '''5''' || 3 || || || || 2732
|-
| 3 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Shakhriyar Mamedyarov]]|Azerbaijan}} || 2757 || 1 ½ || ½ 0 || {{CNone}} || 1 0 || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || '''5''' || 2 || 2 || 25.25 || || 2718
|-
| 4 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Gata Kamsky]]|United States}} || 2705 || ½ ½ || 0 1 || 0 1 || {{CNone}} || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || '''5''' || 2 || 2 || 25.00 || {{abbr|547|38+46+46+94+43+44+47+60+51+78}} || 2729
|-
| 5 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu]]|Romania}} || 2693 || 1 0 || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || {{CNone}} || 0 1 || '''5''' || 2 || 2 || 25.00 || {{abbr|419|47+46+39+22+27+54+47+53+42+42}} || 2731
|-
| 6 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Michael Adams (chess player)|Michael Adams]]|England}} || 2734 || ½ ½ || ½ 0 || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || 1 0 || {{CNone}} || '''4½''' || || || || || 2687
|}

===2008===
The 2008 M-Tel Masters was held 8–18 May. [[Vasyl Ivanchuk]] won by a wide margin. Ivanchuk won his first five games, lost no games, and had a positive score against every other player. [[Veselin Topalov]], who had won the tournament the three previous years, was second.

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+4th M-Tel Masters, 8–18 May 2008, [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Chess_tournament#Tournament_categories|Category XX (2738)]]<ref>{{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic706.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 706|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 19 May 2008}}</ref>

! !! Player !! [[FIDE world rankings|Rating]] !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! [[Glossary of chess#performance rating|TPR]]
|-
|-style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 1 || align=left | '''{{flagathlete|[[Vasyl Ivanchuk]]|Ukraine}} '''|| 2740 ||  || 1 ½ || 1 ½ || 1 1 || 1 ½ || 1 ½ || '''8''' || 2977
|-
| 2 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|Bulgaria}} || 2767 || 0 ½ || {{CNone}} || ½ ½ || 1 1 || 1 0 || 1 1 || '''6½''' || 2841
|-
| 3 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Teimour Radjabov]]|Azerbaijan}} || 2751 || 0 ½ || ½ ½ || {{CNone}} || ½ ½ || ½ 1 || ½ 1 || '''5½''' || 2771
|-
| 4 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Ivan Cheparinov]]|Bulgaria}} || 2695 || 0 0 || 0 0 || ½ ½ || {{CNone}} || 1 1 || ½ ½ || '''4''' || 2674
|-
| 5 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Bu Xiangzhi]]|China}} || 2708 || 0 ½ || 0 1 || ½ 0 || 0 0 || {{CNone}} || ½ ½ || '''3''' || 2594
|-
| 6 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Levon Aronian]]|Armenia}} || 2763 || 0 ½ || 0 0 || ½ 0 || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || {{CNone}} || '''3''' || 2583
|}

===2009===
The 2009 edition of the tournament took place from 12 to 23 May. Besides regular feature Veselin Topalov, the participating grandmasters were [[Magnus Carlsen]], [[Vasyl Ivanchuk]], [[Alexei Shirov]], [[Wang Yue (chess player)|Wang Yue]] and [[Leinier Domínguez]]. 

:{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+5th M-Tel Masters, 13–23 May 2009, [[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Chess_tournament#Tournament_categories|Category XXI (2755)]]<ref>{{cite web|url =http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic759.html#2|title =The Week in Chess 759|author =Mark Crowther|publisher =The Week in Chess|date = 25 May 2009}}</ref>

! !! Player !! [[FIDE world rankings|Rating]] !! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! Points !! Wins !! {{abbr|H2H|Direct encounter}} !! [[Glossary of chess#performance rating|TPR]]
|-
|-style="background:#ccffcc;"
| 1 || align=left | '''{{flagathlete|[[Alexei Shirov]]|Spain}}''' || 2745 ||  || 1 ½ || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || 1 1 || '''6½''' || || || 2867
|-
| 2 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Magnus Carlsen]]|Norway}} || 2770 || 0 ½ || {{CNone}} || 1 ½ || ½ 1 || ½ 1 || ½ ½ || '''6''' || 3 || 1½ || 2824
|-
| 3 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Veselin Topalov]]|Bulgaria}} || 2812 || ½ ½ || 0 ½ || {{CNone}} || 1 ½ || ½ ½ || 1 1 || '''6''' || 3 || ½ || 2816
|-
| 4 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Wang Yue (chess player)|Wang Yue]]|China}} || 2738 || ½ ½ || ½ 0 || 0 ½ || {{CNone}} || ½ ½ || 1 ½ || '''4½''' || || || 2723
|-
| 5 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Leinier Domínguez]]|Cuba}} || 2721 || ½ ½ || ½ 0 || ½ ½ || ½ ½ || {{CNone}} || ½ 0 || '''4''' || || || 2690
|-
| 6 || align=left | {{flagathlete|[[Vasyl Ivanchuk]]|Ukraine}} || 2746 || 0 0 || ½ ½ || 0 0 || 0 ½ || ½ 1 || {{CNone}} || '''3''' || || || 2608
|}

===2010===
The tournament was cancelled because of the [[World Chess Championship 2010]] match in Sofia.

==References==
<references />

{{Grand Slam Chess}}
{{Chess tournaments}}

[[Category:Invitational chess tournaments]]
[[Category:Chess in Bulgaria]]
[[Category:Sports competitions in Sofia]]
[[Category:International sports competitions hosted by Bulgaria|M]]
[[Category:2005 in chess]]
[[Category:Recurring events established in 2005]]