Is chess your profession, or do you also earn money on the side?

Malakhov: I graduated in nuclear physics from Moscow University (MGU). I live in Dubna, which houses the famous Institute of Nuclear Physics. I work with them, but only a little. I support my family (my wife and 5-year-old daughter) primarily by playing chess.

How many tournaments do you have to play a year to make a living?

From six to eight, though on occasion I’ve played in as many as ten. However I don’t just play for money, but mainly because chess is a magical sport.

The other reports in Polish mention that in the first round Shirov drew with Luiza Tomaszewska, a 14-year-old girl with a rating of 1887… but add that Shirov skidded while driving from Riga to Warsaw and had to turn into a ditch to avoid a head-on collision. The car was a write-off but Shirov was unhurt and got to the tournament by taxi (napping for an hour before the first round).