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One of my oldest games on record, played in the Bulgarian beach city of Varna at age 12. Probably the most helpful factor in my teaching is my clear recollection of the times when I was rated 1700-1800. Game1 describes in detail what is both a great and terrible game. Two Knights Defense, the 4.Ng5 line.

Here is Game2, my first win against an Expert. Actually, this game is a few months older than the previous one. Having read up on this line, I got more advantage out of the opening than I could blow in the middlegame. Every time I played Sicilian it was a risk, because if I didn't win I was going to get yelled at by my coach, for not playing 1.e4 e5!

To maintain the "symmetry", here is my first win against a Master. That's usually a chessplayer's most memorable game, and not surprisingly I still remember every move of it. Played over 10 years ago in a small Bulgarian village (Originally they had planned very LARGE prizes: a cow for 1st, a horse for 2nd, a sheep for 3rd, chickens for 4th, etc. Now that's playing for blood... and meat!). Enjoy Game3.

I am not sure which was my first win against an International Master, you never know if you're facing an IM or SM, but this is surely my first draw against an IM and a very testing game for me. The 1991 Pavlikeni Open was also the last tournament at which Topalov and I shared a hotel room; some of his valuable insights on the game are mentioned in the sublines. A 65 move battle in the positional waters of Caro-Kann, me defending the Black side in all phases of the game - we even go from a pawn endgame onto a queen ending. Game4 contains 9 diagrams (!) so it might load up a little slow.

My first victory against a Grandmaster was an embarrassing win on time in a busted Dragon, so the following will have to do! My first draw against a GM (actually a female one), three times National Champion M. Voiska. Once again I have the Black pieces, this time in a Nimzo-Indian Defense. This is Game5, one of my last games played in Bulgaria, 1993.

You must turn up your stereo to stay awake through this one! A very boring game, except from some sidelines which didn't take place. Game6 is from the 1995 World Open against GM Fedorowicz, Torre Attack (never understood why they call it "attack").

In Game7 IM Emory Tate and I go heads up in an unpredictable tactical battle. I had the White side of a very intriguing line of the Benko Gambit. I can't complain but I think next time I'll play something friendlier, like English or King's Indian Attack! You'll see what I mean...

Second round of the 1997 World Open. After nearly 70 moves of torture I finally manage to bring this endgame to a draw. Grandmaster Epishin went on to tie for 3rd place (or something) despite the slow start. Game8 is a Queen's Indian, main line.

After 50 moves and over 5 hours of desperate defending from the Black side of a Paulsen Sicilian, I was devastated to blunder in a drawn position against my strongest opponent yet. Imagine this: There are about 900 players in the 1998 New York Open, but only two Bulgarian fellows. GM Kiril Georgiev, estimated at exactly 2700 FIDE (2675 registered rating at the time) and previously ranked #9 in the World, gets the honor of playing me in round 1, ha! Of all the moves I find the only loser, in the wrong game and in the wrong round. In 1995 I won the NY Open U2200 overall (tied with my good friend Glenn Umstead); in 1997 the NYO was good to me again - 1st U2400. In '98 I get my confidence smashed in round 1. I couldn't forgive myself, ended up withdrawing from the tournament 2 games later. Take a look at the biggest miss of my career yet, Game9.