“One of those things that distinguish us from the Neanderthals”
This is how Grandmaster Michal Krasenkow describes chess in his wide-ranging responses to reader questions at the Crestbook website. Other topics include phoney titles, the “theorisation” of chess and Krasenkow’s thoughts on emigrating from Russia to live in Poland.
Making a drama out of a crisis
Worries over the state of preparations for the World Chess Olympiad in Khanty-Mansiysk have recently made the headlines, but surely the strangest report appeared on the local Ugra Inform website. Their decision to transcribe the conversation during FIDE Vice President Israel Gelfer’s inspection quite literally made a drama out of a crisis.
The Polish Chess Federation responds
Tomasz Sielicki, the President of the Polish Chess Federation, gave an interview responding to criticism from the leading Polish player, Radosław Wojtaszek. Sielicki also outlines the achievements of his year in charge and discusses preparations for the upcoming Olympiad.
“The Russian player we played a match against in 2006 in Elista doesn’t exist for us!”
Yury Vasiliev of Sport Express broke the news yesterday that Veselin Topalov would, after all, be willing to play Candidates Matches in Russia. Today, in the full version of the interview, Silvio Danailov goes into much greater detail on his feelings towards Kramnik, his disapproval of FIDE’s conduct during the match in Sofia, and the upcoming matches and Olympiad.
Wojtaszek on being Anand’s second
Radosław Wojtaszek, one of Anand’s seconds in Sofia, gave an interview to the Polish chess magazine “Mat”. Topics included the help provided by Kramnik & co., the enigma of Topalov’s “weak” play but stellar rating, and the effect of the volcano on Anand’s plans.
Candidates Matches once more in turmoil
In a bolt from the blue, the Kommersant newspaper reports that the Russian Chess Federation is lobbying to have the 2011 Candidates Matches switched from Baku, in Azerbaijan, to Kazan, in Russia. Veselin Topalov has joined the fray by refusing to play in Russia.
Ilyumzhinov: Chuck Norris owes me a bottle of whisky
While perhaps no surprise to the jaded observer, interviews with the President of the Internation Chess Federation are often extraordinary. Where else, in the middle of a heated election campaign, can you find a candidate talking openly about aliens, astrology, clairvoyants and meetings with such assorted characters as Saddam Hussein, Colonel Gaddafi, Bobby Fischer and Chuck Norris.
Karpov and the stolen manuscript
Former World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov is engaged in a fierce battle for the FIDE Presidency, but in a recent interview he told Alexander Kochetkov of “Novye Izvestia” of a tribulation that befell him in the somewhat less cut-throat world of stamp collecting.
Kramnik on competing with Carlsen
In something of a media blitz around his 35th birthday, Vladimir Kramnik gave another interview, this time to Evgeny Gik of the Moscow-based “Moskovsky Komsomolets”. He talks about Magnus Carlsen’s threat to his chances of reclaiming the title, chess politics and how age has affected his chess.
Kramnik: “Kasparov took that sporting defeat as a declaration of war”
For his 35th birthday (see Alexandra Kosteniuk’s birthday wishes), Vladimir Kramnik was interviewed by the popular Russian weekly newspaper, Argumenty i Fakty. He talks about whether friendship is possible in chess, and his troubled relationship with Gary Kasparov.
