The match was not favorable for me

Vugar GASHIMOV: “I WAS LIKE SWINGING FROM UP TO DOWN”
Interview presented by the World Cup organizer

One of the favorites of the World Cup Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan is leaving the World Cup after he was defeated in the tie breaks by Ruslan Ponomariov of the Ukraine.

• The match was not favorable for me, – Vugar shared his impressions. – Already in the first game everything could be decided in Ruslan’s favor. I played badly in the second game as well. In general the match went wrong for me from the very beginning. And the real catastrophe happened in the tie breaks. A score 0:2 after first two games and I have almost no chance to go to the next Round. The third game of the tie breaks speaks about my shape: I got a good position but spoilt everything with one blunder: 17… Qd7.

• There is an impression that Ponomariov’s performance is not bright in the World Cup. But he plays effectively.

• I agree that Ruslan was playing much brighter at the World Chess Championship 2000. Now he plays tough chess. That is why there is not brightness which helped him to win brightly before. On the other hand, he is very strong chess player of a very high level. He confirms this level in each game.

• How could you estimate your performance at the World Cup?

• I was like swinging from up to down here. Sometimes I was lucky. Today I am not. It happens. Obviously I am not in a good shape. The paradox is that I could come to the quarter finals of my first World Cup. Of course I would wish to win, but anyway, this year was very successful for me. Nothing bad, a new year brings new tournaments.

• How do you feel being an elite chess player?

http://ugra-chess.ru/eng/interv_34.htm