“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.
Danailov: “Chess should either change, or die”
In a short but fascinating interview, Silvio Danailov, Veselin Topalov’s manager and the President of the European Chess Union, shed light on the fate of a number of tournaments, his protégé’s form, and new and controversial plans for the future of chess.
Gashimov: “I’ve got a will to win”
Vugar Gashimov’s interview for Chess-News after his victory in Reggio Emilia was a vivid reminder of the importance of the human element in chess. He talks about motivation, how not all novelties are found by computers, and how Sofia Rules can lead to less interesting chess.
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.
Topalov on Kramnik and the Russians
Topalov gave a long and often interesting interview to the Bulgarian “Capital” newspaper, but one remarkable section stands out. The interviewer’s mention of Kramnik was like waving a red rag at a bull.
Karjakin on Nakamura (Crestbook interview)
Karjakin’s Q&A session at Crestbook was fairly unremarkable apart from his outspoken description of Nakamura’s behaviour at the ICC.
