Svidler: “The circus is travelling to Khanty”
After Peter Svidler won the 2011 Russian Championship he gave a long interview to Vladimir Barsky for the Russian Chess Federation website. Barsky had been with Svidler at the World Team Championship in Ningbo, China, so had witnessed the dramatic change of fortune between the two events first-hand.
Morozevich and Grischuk demonstrate their wins
All games were decisive in round 4 of the Russian Championship Superfinal, and afterwards Alexander Morozevich and Alexander Grischuk demonstrated their wins for the local audience and those watching the video broadcast. Vladimir Barsky transcribed their comments for the official website, and I’ve translated them below.
Evgeny Bareev: “A lot of people live in China”
The World Team Championship in Ningbo, China is shaping up to be a fantastic event. Russia is again the team to beat, though with Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Armenia and hosts China breathing down their necks, it won’t be easy. It might, however, be easier than the team’s journey, which was described by Bareev.
It’s the end of classical chess as we know it (and I feel fine)
Alexander Grischuk was the focus of controversy over the recent Candidates Matches. His route to the final, winning no classical games and sometimes agreeing to short draws with White, seemed to highlight the format’s problems. Grischuk himself, however, welcomed the difficult times for 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!
Grischuk: I was worried I’d forgotten how to play chess
Just before the closing ceremony of the Candidates Matches in Kazan, Alexander Grischuk gave a fascinating interview to Yury Vasiliev of ChessPro, where he talked about tactics, his fear he’d forgotten how to play chess, Gelfand’s play in the final, and the “burial of classical chess” due to draws.
Gelfand and Grischuk’s final press conference
Much of the final press conference of the Candidates Matches in Kazan needed no interpretation. Grischuk’s sportsmanship in defeat was there for all to see, and the rough course of the game was conveyed in the players’ English comments. There was again, however, much more in Russian…
God created man, but the Queen’s Gambit made them equal
That was Alexander Grischuk’s view after the third game of the Candidates Final ended in a 14-move draw. In a press conference that mirrored the game – it was short but packed with memorable incident – Gelfand also explained how his first encounter with grandmasters ended in failure.
Gata Kamsky: I can’t play like Grischuk and Kramnik
As the press conference after the semifinals was only attended by the winners we didn’t get to hear from Gata Kamsky, but he later talked to a local newspaper. As well as discussing the games he described his approach to chess, the previous match he played against Topalov, and when he intends to retire.
