When I was 14, that was in 1989, I had my first major achievement in a national youth chess tournament, and only days after returning home I ran into a poster of myself, in the middle of town... looking through the window of the City Library. It made me feel so proud! Today there are other kids conquering the same tournaments, but similar esthetic rewards have disappeared. If you guessed that the reason for it is because paper and photography is too expensive -- you are right. Since '89 the country has gone through a number of political changes and economy crises, as a result of which interest towards the ancient game and other sports activities has substantially declined. The once powerful small nation (well, at chess!) has far more serious problems to deal with, and understandably so when a medical doctor's weekly salary peaks at $20. By donating a percentage of the annual software profits (although we're just starting this year actually, but that's the plan anyway), Dorobanov International hopes to keep at least some of the chessplayers in business!

The II Annual Chess Festival "DOROBANOV INTERNATIONAL" took place for its 2nd year between 09/09/99 and 09/12/99 in Rousse -- the home town of Bulgaria's best, GM Veselin Topalov, and was pronounced to be the strongest Rousse tournament in the last 10 years! DI-II attracted close to twice as many rated players than DI-I did in September of 1997. The 71 participants, from different parts of the country, had been guaranteed the $500 prize fund. They were gladly surprised with a 30% increase, generously donated by Peter Dove -- a keen chessplayer and software developer from England (The Push-Up System, Kortex Limited). Prizes were handed by chess club superintendent Alexander Topalov (GM Topalov's father) and Nikola Dorobanov (special guest of the tournament and also my dad!). All profits from entry-fees were donated to the Dunav Rousse Chess Club for the support of "young hopes" under 14 in national competitions. Special thanks to Club President Plamen Mitev, vice-president Svetlozar Mitev (coincident with the last names... Bulgaria is no longer a Monarchy!), Tournament Director Emil M. Tedesky, with whom I cherish unforgettable chess memories, and everybody who participated in the organization of this tournament.

International TD Emil Tedesky

Six International Masters, three FIDE masters, a number of national masters, as well as many youngsters, crossed swords behind the chessboards! IM Krasimir Stefanov from Silistra (coincidentally the first IM I drew!) took the 1st place by himself ($120) with a score 6.0-1.0, but not without difficulty -- six (!) worthy combatants killed each other off towards the later rounds, and all finished with 5.5-1.5, placing in the following order as a result of tiebreakers: NM Rosen Rusev, IM Sasho Nikolov, FM Milen Vasilev, IM Aleksi Iovchev, IM Marian Petrov, FM Todor Galunov. Congratulations to national master Rusev for not only surprising the big boys but also getting the best of the tiebreakers in this 6-way tie for 2nd place! Six more players (of which 2 masters from Rousse) finished in the money of the main event, all with 5.0-2.0. There were also several special winners: best boy and girl under 10, 14, and 18 years of age; best player over 60 years of age; and best home player.

Rusev,R (2275) - Stefanov,K (2395) [A37]                                           Annual DI, Rousse /Bulgaria/ 1999

1.c4 c5 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 e6 6.0-0 Nge7 7.d3 0-0 8.Rb1 d5 9.Bg5 h6 10.Bxe7. The bishop can also be retreated -- 10.Bd2 intending Qc1 later and/or a3+b4 as usual. The capture at e7 is fairly popular though: White intends to also capture at d5 (and by the way 10.cxd5 is OK before Bxe7 -- played as a zwischenzug -- as well as after it, and the idea is to give Black an isolated pawn in the center by advancing with d3-d4: 10...Nxe7 11.cxd5 exd5 12.d4 c4 13.b3. Undermining Black's strong pawn and attempting to open the b-file. 13...cxb3!? Theoretical Novelty, according to my records, the only other game available being Cvitan-Sandler, Geneve 1992 which continued 13...Qa5 14.Rc1 b5 15.Ne5 with unclear position. By taking on b3 Black stimulates White's rooks but also obtains counterplay on the c-file. 14.Rxb3 b6 15.Ne5 Be6 16.Rb2 Rc8 17.Qd2 Nf5 18.Nb5 Qe7 19.e3 a6 20.Nc3 Qd6 21.Nd3 Rc4 22.Rfb1 b5 23.Nc5 Rc8. Now threatening 24...R8xc3! and picking up the second knight also. 24.Rb3 White protects his knight...

24...Nxd4! A very original shot, but Rusev defends well and shortly after the tactical complications he manages to bring the game to a draw. 25.exd4 Bxd4 26.Nxe6 Bxc3 27.Qxd5 Qxe6 28.Qxe6 fxe6 29.Bb7 R8c5 30.Bxa6 Bd4 31.Bxb5 Rc2 32.Rf3 Rf5 33.Rxf5 gxf5 1/2-1/2