PAVEL TREGUBOV – A Professional’s Guide to Support Professionals
INTERVIEW
By Anna Matnadze
1) Hello Mr. Tregubov, welcome to Barcelona. Could you please, describe to us your preparation process for the Magistral Casino Tournament? What chess analyzing program do you use?
Hello Anna, thank you for inviting me! Unfortunately, I had not time for any special preparation as I was very busy coaching last month.
2) Whom are you expecting to be the most difficult opponent?
🙂
3) Have you been to Barcelona before? What are your impressions? Do you plan to do any sightseeing this time? If yes, what are you planning to visit?
This is my first time in Barcelona. Wonderful city! Every evening after a game I go out and have an approx 2 hours walk which allows me to relax and see plenty of beautiful places.
4) You seem to manage to divide your time between the ACP activities and chess. You are nowadays the ACP Board Director. Tell us how do you do that?
The ACP takes a lot of time indeed… But we believe that what we do is important… This feeling helps…
5) Tell us more about the ACP. What are you main goals, activities, obtained results?
Our goals are stated in the ACP Statutes: protection of professional chess players’ rights, practice and promotion of chess worldwide…
We are constantly in dialog with FIDE and ECU on different aspects of professional life. Besides, we are developing our own projects; the ACP Tour and the Women Series are the most important of them. Our latest achievment – the First Women Series final takes place in Konya, Turkey from November 30th to December 4th.
6) How has the FIDE been responding so far? Are you fine with the working course?
FIDE’s attitude to our activity varies from negative to constructive. I want to believe that we are now on the positive wave.
7) Is chess/ACP your only main occupation, or do you have any other profession as well? If you weren’t a chess player what would you be?
Soccer player, tennis player… 🙂 I like sports but I am also interested in many other fields of life.
8) You are a former European Champion. Is this your most beloved title ever? If not, what title are you most proud of?
The European Champion title is certainly the most important and memorable one.
9) Please, introduce to us your family. Do they play chess as well? Where do you live?
We live in Paris. My wife works in a bank, she does not play chess but has worked in organization of chess events a couple of times. My son, who is 6 years old, played recently his first chess tournament. He finished second and was disappointed… Next tournament is coming soon 🙂
10) Being a chess player is tough. We are constantly traveling. What is your secret to deal with jet lag?
To be in a good physical shape… and play always on the same continent J
11) And your secret as to how to recover from a bitter loss?
To switch off (disconnect) your mind by any means… Sport is always a good choice for me.
12) What do you think would be necessary to do in order to make chess as popular a sport as, for example, football or tennis… ? What would be your strategy or ideas to attract more Sponsors?
To find an attractive format to introduce a chess game for TV. But this is a difficult task.
13) What do you think about the “short draws phenomenon”? What would be the mechanism to avoid them?
I think that this problem is essential for high level tournaments only. Draw offer may be forbidden; totally or on the early stages of a game. But I would not apply this rule for open tournaments.
14) What is your opinion about cheating? It is becoming a very serious problem.
The ACP conducted recently a poll among top players which showed their concern on this subject. I think that we will soon come up with our proposals.
15) What does Pavel Tregubov think about World Championship cycle and matches?
I like the current system. But it should be stable, most importantly; it should never be modified during a cycle!
16) There are emerging younger and younger chess geniuses every day. What do you think about this?
It is natural; life is getting more intensive, young players learn chess quicker with powerful computers. I am happy for them!
17) Which of these young players have the potential, in your opinion, to become a World Champion, if any?
Carlsen, Karjakin…
18) About the time controls Mr. Tregubov thinks that…
We should have one for classical chess: (100’/40 + 50’/20 + 15’) + 30’’ and one for rapids: 20’ + 5’’. None intermediate control is needed.
19) What would be your advice to young people who are just starting to play chess and take it seriously?
To enjoy chess! If it is just job and you don’t have fun, look for another activity.
20) What are your plans for the future?
The last two months were very intense for me, I need a break. The New Year will bring new tournaments; I hope to meet them in a good shape.
Thank you very much, Mr. Tregubov, for an extremely interesting interview.
Thank you and further success to the Casino Barcelona tournament!
How’s the tournament?