In the last list of the top Chess players we published, we went over the best Danish Chess players. Now in this article, we’re ranking the best Bulgarian Chess players from Bulgaria, starting with the number ten spot in FIDE.
10. Vladimir Petkov
Full name: Vladimir Petkov
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 1971
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 9444
Rapid: 2470
Blitz: 2487
Classical (std): 2470
Petkov earned his international title in 2004 and the title of grandmaster in 2007. He garnered wins in the 2004 Aschach an der Donau, and in 2005, he played in the Zadar, the Veliko Tarnovo. Also, he managed to get 4th position at the chess championship in Bulgaria. The year 2010 was when he secured victory in the international tournament for chess held in Cesenateon. He was also the winner in the 2014 Gabicce mare. Vladimir played in the Chess Olympiad in Bulgaria in 2006, and he played for the chess team for Europe in 2013.
9. Krasimir Rusev
Full name: Krasimir Rusev
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 1983
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 778
Rapid: 2445
Blitz: 2531
Classical: 2490
Rusev secured the title of grandmaster in 2006 and his international title in 2008. He took the 2nd place position in the Bulgarian championship for chess in 2006. Wins he managed to secure include the 29th championship open in Bulgaria (2007) and several chess tournaments in Spain. As part of the European team player at the championships he played, his team took position 33 in Gothenbug (2005), and they also played in Plovdiv (2003). He took the third position in the Bulgarian championship, where he tied with Nikolov, who took position 4.
8. Aleksander Delchev
Full name: Aleksander Delchev
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 1971
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 757
Rapid: 2493
Blitz: 2502
Classical: 2492
Delchev got his grandmaster title in 1997 from FIDE. He was able to gather wins in the chess championship for Bulgaria in 3 years, that is, in 2001, 1996, and 2004. Aleksander played in the Chess Olympiads as part of the national team for Bulgaria in the years 2008,2006,2004,2002 and 1994. He garnered some wins at the junior championship for Europe from 1991 to 1912, the Regio Emilia tournament for chess (47th edition) from 2004 to 2005, and the 6th chess festival, which was international in 2007. 2011 was when he shared 2nd position with players such as Pablo, Maxim, Mihail, and Ivan in the villa de Benasque opening (31st edition).
7. Momchil Petkov
Full name: Momchil Petkov
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 2005
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 736
Rapid: 1909
Blitz: 2026
Classical: 2494
Petkov managed to get the candidate master in 2016, the title of fide master in 2018, and the international master title in 2021. He has played in the individual championship in Europe in 2022 against players like Foreest, D Wagner, Meshkovs, and Bonelli. Momchil has had 65 clean wins, 70 draws, and only 32 losses in the games he has participated in. He has also participated in the Sicilian defense opening, the Sicilian najdorf opening, and the advance variation open in France.
6. Radoslav Dimitrov
Full name: Radoslav Dimitrov
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 1993
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 711
Rapid: 2420
Blitz: 2500
Classical: 2498
Dimitrov got his grandmaster title in 1993 and the international master title in 1988. He managed to secure a bronze medal in the Bulgarian chess championship for individuals in 2006. 2001 was when he got first place in the international tournament held in Vukovar. He has had joint first place records that is the one in Mondariz in 1994, Paris opening in 2000, Marin in 2001, Borovets in 2002, and Orlguera in 2007. He also participated in the Chess Olympiad in Moscow (1994) and Yerevan (1996). He played team games for Europe in 1989 and 1992 and took part in the chess balkaniads for men in Bulgaria.
5. Vasil Spasov
Full name: Vasil Spasov
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 1971
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 648
Rapid: 2463
Blitz: 2530
Classical (std): 2506
Spasov is a Bulgarian FIDE grandmaster title holder and has represented his country in Chess Olympiads eight times, with those years being; 1990, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004, and 2006. He also played for his country in 1992, 2001, 2003, and 2005 in the European Team Chess tournaments. In 1989, he was victorious in the world chess championships. Spasov trounced the Bulgarian tournament in five occasions (1990, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2008). Also, in 2001, he secured the Balkan individual tournament.
4. Grigor Grigorov
Full name: Grigor Grigorov
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 1987
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 610
Rapid: 2521
Blitz: 2510
Classical (std): 2511
Grigor is a Bulgarian grandmaster and was awarded the title in 2011 by FIDE. Before that, FIDE gave Grigor the International Master title in 2006. For the 300 games he has played, including 117 wins, 125 draws, and 58 losses, he achieved a score of 59%. Notable tournaments Grigorov played include; the TCh-SWE Superettan tournament 2017, Riga Tech Open A 2019 tournament, TCH-SWE Elitserien championship 2019, and Riga Tech Open A championship 2021.
3. Martin Petrov
Full name: Martin Petrov
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 2000
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 408
Rapid: 2440
Blitz: 2343
Classical: 2545
Petrov earned the International Master title in 2016 and a grandmaster title in 2022 from FIDE. In 2019, FIDE authorized him to be a FIDE trainer. From 2012 to 2022, the Bulgarian has played a total of 195 games, hitting a score of 57.69% with 75 wins, 75 draws, and 45 losses. Among the tournaments he has participated in include; Accedia Masters Classic (2021), 38th Cappelle Open (2022), Clinchy 92 IM (2022), and 2nd Easter Bassano Open A (2022).
2. Ivan Cheparinov
Full name: Ivan Cheparinov
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 1986
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 56
Rapid: 2652
Blitz: 2622
Classical (std): 2682
Profiles
Cheparinov became a grandmaster in 2004 and was granted the FIDE Arbiter the same year. He is four times Bulgaria’s titleholder, achieved in 2004, 2005, 2012, and 2018. He has also contested the FIDE World Cup five times. He triumphed in the Ruy Lopez Masters tournament in 2010, which was its last edition. Ivan won the Politiken Cup in Copenhagen in 2012 and the Gilbraltar Chess Festival in 2014. In both games, he won them in a tie-break playoff.
1. Veselin Topalov
Full name: Veselin Topalov
Title: Grandmaster
Born: 1975
Federation: Bulgaria
Ratings
World ranking: 20
Rapid: 2627
Blitz: 2667
Classical: 2730
Profiles
Topalov was awarded the Fide Grandmaster title in 2004. He achieved a peak rating of 2816 in 2015, and in 2006 he came first in peak ranking. In 2005, he won the FIDE World chess championship and lost it to Vladimir Kramnik. Topalov is also a nine times competitor at the chess Olympiad, attaining the best overall results in 1994 and a winner of board one gold medal in 2014. He won several other tournaments; Pearl Spring, Linares, Stavanger, Dortmund, and Corus championship.
That concludes the list of the best Bulgarian Chess players. If you like list posts like this, you may also be interested in seeing the ten best Indian Chess players or the best Canadian Chess players.
Sources
1. ” http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3072″. 30 April 2006. ChessBase
2. ” http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=3370 “. 28 September 2006. ChessBase
3. Vasil Spasov team chess record at Olimpbase.org
4. Crowther, Mark (2001-11-26). ” http://theweekinchess.com/html/twic368.html#9 “. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Week_in_Chess. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
5. ” http://guardian.touch-line.com/?Lang=0&mTEID=340&mCPID=11&Season=2008%20-%202009&CTID=7&CPID=11&TEID=340&RFID=&PLID=205146&MAID=402789&ListType=8&pStr=Match_Details&t=2 “. guardian.co.uk. 9 March 2009.
6. ” https://uk.soccerway.com/players/radoslav-dimitrov/89198/ “. Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
7. ” http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=8406″. ChessBase.com. 2012-08-14. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
8. ” http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4397 . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chessbase. 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
9. ” http://tournaments.chessdom.com/news-2011/benasque-open “. Chessdom. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
10. http://www.olimpbase.org/players/zbjvhf1i.html. OlimpBase.