Topalov objects to Kramnik’s toilet moves

A chess World Championship match between top ranked Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria and Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik was thrown...

A chess World Championship match between top ranked Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria and Grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik was thrown in jeopardy here today for a bizarre reason — the frequent toilet breaks taken by the Russian. The breaks gave rise to suspicion that Kramnik was cheating because the toilet is the only area where there is no video surveillance.

Following the allegation, the resumption of the match, which is a part of a long awaited reunification of the chess world, has been delayed indefinitely.

To protest against the allegation, Kramnik has stationed himself before his bathroom, saying he will not play until he is allowed access to it.

In the 12-game match, four games are already over with Kramnik leading 3-1 and needs just 3.5 points more in the remaining 8 games to be crowned the new World Champion.

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The problem began when Kramnik excessively used the toilet during the games following which Topalov’s manager Silvio Danailov wrote a protest letter to appeals committee of the match demanding that the players use the public toilet and be accompanied by an assistant arbiter.

First published on: 30-09-2006 at 01:32 IST