You should never play scared

Baadur Jobava: “You should never play scared”
www.ugra-chess.com

In the 4^th round the leader of the Georgian national team Baadur Jobava defeated the world number one Magnus Carlsen. After the match Baadur and his captain Tamaz Georgadze shared their impressions from the Olympiad and answered other questions.

– Tamaz, did you expect that Baadur beats Carlsen?

Tamaz Georgazde: When Baadur is in good shape and mood, he can beat anyone, and I know it. Before the game I suggested to play more accurately – after all, he is playing against Carlsen, and suffered a loss in the previous round. However, you can’t argue with Jobava – even in a drawn position he always looks for an attack! Today he managed to find several excellent moves in approximately even position, and the opponent was unable to find proper countermeasures. After that, Baadur was basically freerolling.

Q: Baadur, did you expect to beat Magnus, who usually loses just one or two games a year?

Baadur Jobava: After I lost to the Mexican player in the previous round, I had very aggressive intentions, although I did my best not to reveal them to my teammates. I played accurately, choosing a safe position where one can always go for a draw. At some point Carlsen overestimated his chances and started playing sharply for a win. Then he missed a couple of important replies and was unable to recover. Generally, I am happy! An opportunity to play the world number one does not come too often, not to mention beating him!

– Were you afraid of Carlsen? Did you know his weaknesses?

B. J.: Before this game our score was equal – we made two draws and won once each. However, our last meeting occurred in 2005, and it is obvious that Magnus made a huge progress since that time. As for the weaknesses, even computer has them, but discovering them overnight is a tough job, especially if you consider Carlsen’s versatility. So I just played chess.

– You defeated Vietnam in the round 5 and will now play against main favorites…

T. G.: We are ready to play against anyone, and fear no one. I promise there will be a big fight, and may the strongest win.

– Baadur, the first board competition is very tough. You will face Aronian, Kramnik, Ivanchuk… Do you fear any of these people?

B. J.: I have never been afraid to play stronger and more experienced opponents. Maybe it helped me to become a professional player. Now I have experience too. You should never play scared!

– Were there any changes in your life since your last visit to Khanty-Mansiysk?

B. J.: My understanding of life has changed a lot. I met a girl from Ukraine at one of the tournaments, and we got married. Nowsheexpectsachild. The fact that I have a family gives me additional strength…