A traditional competition which takes place in Leon, Spain this year is held in three-day match between Veselin Topalov and Francisco Vallejo. They are playing two games in a day. It will be a six games encounter, with blitz games and Armageddon if needed. The time control is 45 mins + 15 sec per move semi rapid.
As the journalist Leonchio Garcia has noted in his press release published before the start of the match, the personal result between these two players, who have met at the board a lot of times, is approximately equal, but in rapid it is absolutely equal. Vallejo was helping Topalov at important competitions including the World Championship match 2006. That cooperation lasted until 2009. Before the match has started the opponents noted that they maintain a good personal relationship, but they agreed that their former partnership won't prevent a full-fledged fight in the match.
In the first day Vallejo playing white had nothing against Topalov's Dragon and the game ended in a draw. The second game was won by the Spanish GM who went into a sharp McCutcheon variation counterplay of French defence.
\[Event "XXV Torneo Magistral Leon"] [Site "Leon ESP"] [Date "2012.06.08"] [Round "2"] [White "Topalov, Veselin"] [Black "Vallejo Pons, Francisco"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C12"] [WhiteElo "2752"] [BlackElo "2697"] [PlyCount "84"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bc1 Ne4 7. Qg4 g6 8. Nge2 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Ba5 10. Ba3 Nd7 11. h4 Nb6 12. Bb4 Bxb4 13. cxb4 Qe7 14. a3 a5 15. b5 Nc4 16. Qf3 Bd7 17. a4 Qb4+ 18. Nc3 Na3 19. Qd3 Rc8 20. Be2 c5 21. O-O cxd4 22. Nxd5 exd5 23. Rxa3 Bf5 24. Qg3 Rxc2 25. Rb3 Qxa4 26. Bd1 Rc1 27. e6 O-O 28. exf7+ Rxf7 29. h5 g5 30. Rb1 Qc4 31. Rxc1 Qxc1 32. Bb3 Qc5 33. Qe5 Be4 34. f3 d3+ 35. Kh2 d2 36. Rd1 Bxf3 37. Rxd2 Be4 38. Bxd5 Bxd5 39. Rxd5 Qe7 40. Qb8+ Rf8 41. Qg3 Rf4 42. Qd3 Rh4+ 0-1 [Event "XXV Torneo Magistral Leon"] [Site "Leon ESP"] [Date "2012.06.08"] [Round "1"] [White "Vallejo Pons, Francisco"] [Black "Topalov, Veselin"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "B77"] [WhiteElo "2697"] [BlackElo "2752"] [Annotator "Robot 3"] [PlyCount "86"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Nf3 g6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Bc4 O-O 8. Bb3 d6 9. f3 Bd7 10. Qd2 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 b5 12. a4 bxa4 13. Bxa4 a5 14. O-O Rb8 15. Bxd7 Qxd7 16. b3 Qc7 17. Rf2 e6 18. Qd3 d5 19. exd5 Rfd8 20. Qe3 Nxd5 21. Nxd5 Bxd4 22. Qxd4 Rxd5 23. Qe3 Re5 24. Qc1 Rd8 25. g3 Qc3 26. Rb1 h5 27. Qb2 Re1+ 28. Kg2 Qe3 29. Rxe1 Qxe1 30. c4 Rd3 31. c5 Qc3 32. Qb1 Rd5 33. Rc2 Rd2+ 34. Rxd2 Qxd2+ 35. Kh3 Qc3 36. Qg1 Qxf3 37. Qc1 Qc6 38. Qc3 Kh7 39. Qf6 Kg8 40. Qd8+ Kh7 41. Qf6 Qxc5 42. Qxf7+ Kh6 43. Qxe6 Qc3 1/2-1/2