On his chances as one of the oldest players in Mexico: I don’t want to put myself under pressure by thinking of such things. Mexico is for me a good chance to win the title, and I am looking forward to the world championship. Age doesn’t play an important role. [At 37 Anand is the second oldest player, after Boris Gelfand, who is 39].
On Kramnik, who is moving towards number two in the world rankings: In a tournament as strong as Mexico you cannot concentrate on one opponent. Nobody will dominate. Kramnik is I think the slight favourite.
On Topalov, Toiletgate and suspicion that the Bulgarian may have cheated with computers: It is difficult to place firm evidence on the table. In principle I am in favour of all measures, like delaying the Internet transmission of live games, which make cheating more difficult. But I trust a majority of my colleagues.
You can read more at http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=4052 and the full interview in German can be read here http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=start&art=3142&id=sport-artikel&cHash=b1287667a6
“I trust a majority of my colleagues”. Wow, that is an astonishing statement from Anand!
Anand, the gentle giant.
I hope Anand will win Mexico City.
Also from that article:
Whether these rules are not unfair to the other participants [Kramnik gets another chance if he does not win Mexico, if he does Topalov gets to play him]: Of course it is unfair. But I have stopped fretting over the world chess federation FIDE. They always do the same. It would be so nice if they did not keep discarding their own rules. At some stage you become sick of all this and decide to just play chess. That is exactly what has happened to me now.
Whether the way Silvio Danailov applies pressure to gain advantages for his client Topalov are irritating: I have learnt to accept the fact that FIDE will keep changing it rules and breaking them. So Kramnik will get his match, and then Topalov his. I just look forward to Mexico. It is pointless fighting against the impossible. The world chess federation will do anything it likes.
“Whether the way Silvio Danailov applies pressure to gain advantages for his client Topalov are irritating: I have learnt to accept the fact that FIDE will keep changing it rules and breaking them. So Kramnik will get his match, and then Topalov his. I just look forward to Mexico. It is pointless fighting against the impossible. The world chess federation will do anything it likes.”
FIDE grossly mismanaged the World Championship cycle. Help of Global Chess looks like a disaster too. But I disagree with Anand that it is pointless to point out those failures. Players need to voice their concerns openly, and fight for their rights.
Interestingly, it is really the anti-FIDE voice that forced FIDE to give special privileges to Kramnik. Since, they gave special privileges to Kramnik, they were forced to reciprocate the same privileges to Topalov too. So, Anan’s statement is really anti-anti-FIDE. After 2008, hopefully the ghost of PCA will at last die.
>>But I trust a majority of my colleagues.>>
Apparently not all of them. I don’t trust Topalov, Danailov and Kirsan and FIDE. I wonder who Anand does not trust.