M-Tel Masters

The M- Tel Masters was a chess tournament, which was played from 2005 to 2009 every year in May in Sofia. It was sponsored by the Bulgarian mobile operator Mobile and organized by Silvio Danailov. In addition to the tournaments in Dortmund, Linares and Wijk aan Zee, it was one of the best occupied chess events of the year. 2010, it was canceled due in May will take place also in Sofia World Chess Championship and has not held back.

Tournament mode

It played six invited Grandmaster in a double round tournament with classical time control (2 hours for 40 moves, 1 hour for the next 20 moves and 30 minutes for the rest of the game ).

A special feature of this tournament was that the players draw offers were forbidden to the opponent. A draw, therefore, was only possible at three times repetition of position, perpetual check, or if a theoretical drawn position existed. The decision whether to draw the complaint of a player is entitled, in each hit a referee.

2005

The premiere of the tournament from 11 to 22 May 2005 Topalov won with a full point ahead of Anand.

2006

The second edition of the tournament was held to 21 May 2006 of 10. Topalov won by victories in the last four games still the tournament, having previously had to suffer defeats against Anand and Svidler.

2007

The third M- Tel Masters took place from 10 to 20, 2007. Topalov won the third edition of the tournament by defeating the erstwhile leader Sasikiran in the last round.

2008

The fourth edition of the M- Tel Masters took place from 7 to 18 May. The tournament was dominated by the Ukrainian Vasyl Ivanchuk, who won all five games in the first round and after four draws in a row, finished the tournament with a win against Ivan Tscheparinow. A special feature of the tournament was that the participants played in a soundproof glass booth, what the audience allowed to talk during the game.

2009

The 5th M- Tel Masters, which took place from May 23 to 12 in Sofia, was a surprise win by Alexei Shirov. Last year's winner Vasyl Ivanchuk landed this time on the last place.