FIDE World Champion 2005-2006. World Championship Challenger 2010, World #1 for 27 months 2006-2007, 2008-2009. Chess Oscar 2005.
World U14 Champion 1989.
Competed in the World Championship Knockout Tournaments of 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 & 2004. Won the World Championship Tournament in San Luis in 2005.
Lost the Reunification Match with Kramnik in 2006.
Won the Challenger Match 2009 (vs Kamsky) that qualified him to contest the World Championship against incumbent Anand in 2010.
Lost the World Championship match 2010.
Played in the World Cup 2015.
Candidate in 2002 (Dortmund - PCA), 2011, 2014 & 2016. Winner of the Grand Prix Series 2012-2013.
Board one for Bulgaria in the Olympiads of 1994 (winning individual gold), 1996, 1998 (individual silver), 2000 (individual silver), 2008 (individual bronze), 2010, 2012 & 2014 (individual gold).
Board one for Bulgaria in the European Team Championships in 1999, 2007, 2009, 2011 & 2013 winning individual gold in 1999 and 2013.
Best tournament results include winning Amsterdam 1996, Vienna 1996, Novgorod 1996, Madrid 1996, Dos Hermanos 1996, Antwerp 1997, Madrid 1997, Monaco 2001, Dortmund 2001 (joint first), Cannes 2002 (joint first), Benidorm 2003, MTel Masters 2005, 2006 & 2007, Corus 2006 (joint first), Liga de Campeones 2007, Bilbao Masters 2008, Pearl Springs 2008, Linares 2010, Grand Prix Tournament in Zug 2013, Norway 2015.
Also placed equal first (lower on tiebreak) at Linares 2005, Corus 2007, London Grand Prix Tournament 2012, Kings' Tournament 2012