Sergey Shipov’s review of 2012
2012 in chess was, yet again, the year of Magnus Carlsen. The Norwegian prodigy finally surpassed Garry Kasparov’s highest ever rating, causing Sergey Shipov to remark in his review of 2012 at Crestbook: “He’s Kasparov’s heir – not Kramnik, Topalov or Anand”.
Anand’s WhyChess interview
After last year’s Tal Memorial, where Viswanathan Anand drew all nine games, he gave a long and fascinating interview to Vlad Tkachiev. Topics included the champion’s current form and the upcoming match against Boris Gelfand. On the eve of that match I’m resposting the interview here as it’s currently unavailable at WhyChess.
Ilyumzhinov on the London Candidates and Grand Prix
In an interview with Sport Express, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has explained the decision to hold the next Candidates Tournament later this year in London. He also talks about plans for a new Men’s Grand Prix and the sale of the rights to the World Championship and other major events.
Magnus Carlsen: Not a child of the computer era
After the Tal Memorial in Moscow Magnus Carlsen gave a long interview that provided a remarkable insight into what makes the Norwegian stand out in world chess. He claims to have essentially developed as a player without computers, and to barely work on the game outside of tournaments.
Karjakin reflects on moving up in the world
Sergey Karjakin recently finished joint top with Magnus Carlsen at the Kings Tournament in Bazna, and moved up to fourth on the July 2011 FIDE rating list. In an interview with Yury Vasiliev he talked about his ambitions, his rivalry with Carlsen, the Candidates Matches and the future of classical chess.
“Who plays better, Ivanchuk in good form or Carlsen?”
Boris Gelfand’s view, in an interview with Chess-News after winning the Candidates Matches in Kazan, was that an in-form Ivanchuk is still the best player in the world. As well as the topic of age in chess, he also talked about preparation, computers, Sofia Rules and the World Championship format.
Boris Gelfand: A completely happy man
After Boris Gelfand won the Candidates Matches in Kazan he gave numerous interviews that shed light on a player who, despite having been at the top of world chess for 20 years, is perhaps still something of a mystery to chess fans. It’s time for that to change, as an Anand-Gelfand World Championship match awaits!
Vassily Ivanchuk: “I’m a very ambitious person”
Few would identify emotional outbursts as the quality to borrow from Garry Kasparov, but then Vassily Ivanchuk has always stood out from the crowd. In a long and fascinating interview he again displays the self-awareness and deliberate strategy that often lie behind his apparent eccentricities.
Le Quang Liem and the Soviet School of Chess
Moscow’s Aeroflot Open can be something of a graveyard for foreign chess talent, so for the Vietnamese GM Le Quang Liem to win it twice in a row was an amazing achievement. It’s also thought-provoking: does Le’s success tell us anything about the current balance of power between Russia and Asia?
GM Ruslan Ponomariov answers your questions: Part I
Answering reader questions almost a decade after becoming FIDE World Champion as an 18-year-old, Ruslan Ponomariov provides both a revealing insight into the life of an elite player, and a damning indictment of the chess politics that saw his match against Garry Kasparov collapse.
