Bits and Pieces #1
Boris Spassky on his recovery, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov on Carlsen, Veselin Topalov on his fear of Santa Claus, and Darek Świercz makes Wijk-aan-Zee, with a little help from his trainer. Chess stories from Russia (and “Eastern Europe”) in brief.
Interviews from the World Junior Championship
The World U-20 Championship in Poland lent itself to photo reports, but there was little real coverage from the venue. An exception was the regional “Super Nowości” newspaper, which interviewed the winners, Anna Muzychuk and Dmitry Andreikin, as well as the Polish star, Dariusz Świercz.
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.
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.
