Which first move is better for beginners? е4 or d4?
1.e4. is a bit better, if you play 1.d4 the game is slower, more complicated and more positioned.
Which opening is not played anymore and why?
No opening has disappeared yet, at a lower level you can play more risky, but now there are many options already, for which the end evaluation is known. In the strongest tournaments the King’s Gambit is very rarely used, it is considered that the whites are risking too much.
How many people are there in your team during matches? Describe briefly who is doing what.
My chess assistants for the game against Kamsky in Sofia were three. They analyze the games of the opponent, as well as my games and try to find weaknesses in his game.
During the match against gata Kamsky we saw you swimming at the Kempinski (we swim there, too). Tell us about the physical preparation of a chess player.
Yes, they recommended me to do light exercises in the rest days of the match. Swimming is best because it involves the entire body and there is no risk of injuries. According to my experience it is better for the chess players to practice sports that improve stamina, because our games are sometimes very long and tiring, just like a hard day at an office.
What are the prrofessional pains of a chess player apart from pain in the back?
Many players with a bad memory have a serious problem right now, as the information that must be remembered, gets more and more. Generally I have a good memory, but memory weakens as age advances. That is why young players have an advantage in this aspect.
How many hours of chess do you spend a day?
I don’t have a strict schedule. The brain is not that easy to control. If I have an important game, sometimes I cannot fall to sleep even if I don’t think about the game. But generally I try not to work more that 5 hours a day.
After a match how long do you have a total rest – without even looking at a chess board?
It depends on how heavy the competition was. The organism tells when you’ve had enough rest. But even if I do not train, I follow in the internet the tournaments that are played around the world and this way I get informed about the play of my opponents.
Do you go on a diet during matches? For example to avoid food that can cause stomach disorder.
Strict diet – no. But I try not to eat too much before a game. The most recommended food is fish and sea food in general, fat foods must be avoided.
Are you superstitious? Do you have a tradition to make the first move always with the left hand or for example to push the button on the clock always with the same finger?
No, I prefer to believe that the result depends on me and not on the repetition of some rituals.
What is the level of the best players in front of the National Theater? If they play in tournaments, can they fulfill, for example, master requirements?
I haven’t followed them but I guess they can. I even think that some of them are masters. It is for sure that some of them have taken part in strong competitions.
What is the slang in chess? Are there words like in football that describe things funny?
Yes, weak pleayers are called “meadows”, and the mistake is almost always called “dumb move”. The players in front of the National Theater can be called for example “coffeers”, some time ago chess in Europe was played in the cafes, later he became professional.
The most curious place where somebody stopped you for an autograph?
The most unexpected place where I have been recognized was in Mexico. I gave a simul and a few interviews in the capital city and a few days later we went with Ivan Cheparinov to a small island to do diving. The guy from the rescue service recognized me, but I still cannot understand where and when had he watched TV as there was no electricity on that island.
Did computers kill the charm of chess? Now everything is calculated. During the game with Kamsky, Evgeni Ermenkov had brough a laptop at the National Palace of Culture and in the fan zone you could constantly hear the words “Let’s see what the computer thinks”?
Yes, now everything is much different, more precise and dynamic. But computers are still not perfect and I find pleasure in finding positions where my move turns out better than the the one proposed by the chess software.
Source: http://www.mtelmasters09.com/en/interviews.html
“Candid”? More like boring, I thought.
Interviews like this are why chess continues its “boring” reputation, IMO.
Interview Tkachiev! Or Silman! There’s lots of very interesting, dynamic characters in the game…
Very interesting interview. Nice guy.
Yo topy mr.”leader of the world rankings” hehe – first lets get chess outta the way 1e5! thats what i think about your opinion. You whites can play the K-gambit we got more ideas that you cant even conceive of , oh that transboard action of the knight idea that was on da house. [Slang from da hood} Yall avoided Fischer like the plague on the icc now yall wanna come out and put up a front. yall funny, just call me the little black train that could-hows that. yesa masa topie sir isa very afraids of yousa sir and ya ranting whata is it 2800 wow! haha clown.
“yesa masa topie sir isa very afraids of yousa sir and ya ranting whata is it 2800 wow! haha clown.”
I’m Barak Obama and I aprrove this message.
hahaha ! they know whats up!! hehe