'I Am Not Afraid of Kasparov'
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Nothing disturbs me here. It is a INTERVIEW/ VLADIMIR KRAMNIK unique tournament. Not many tour- naments do we get these kind of conditions. The hotel is fantastic and the place is interesting. It is 'I am not afraid the only tournament in the world where you can play blindfold. This year they reduced the of Kasparov' appearance fee and added the prize money. Did you like it? ARVIND AARON This favours those in the top. So, I don't complain of course! It is not WILL be playing in room, past midnight. Excerpts: a bad idea. It creates more fighting Kazakhstan, I have no reason Question: Congratulations. You spirit. to be afraid of him," said the have won this tournament for Do you think they tried this Braingames world chess champion the fourth time. Any difference in because there were many draws last Vladimir Kramnik while counter- your approach as well as your year? ing the argument put forth by No. 1 new status as (Braingames) world I don't remember the games ranked Garry Kasparov after win- champion? played last year. It is possible. ning the Linares tournament earlier Answer: Now I feel that I have FIDE had a World Cup of Rapid in March. more responsibility. It is more diffi- Chess. Do you think they should Kramnik, 25, was the joint-win- cult to play. Of course in about a let it clash with this tournament? ner of the Amber chess tournament. year you get used to it. You will know In the World Cup it will be bet- He had won the tournament in how to do it and gain some experi- ter if everybody played from the top. 1996, 1998 (jointly) and 1999 and ence. Somehow I feel I have more May be they had scheduling prob- his fourth title now makes him the fighting spirit nowadays than before. lems and could not change it. There winner on most occasions. May be I am not in good'Shape as the organiser was the French Chess Kramnik, who did the seeming- I was for the match. I prepared for Federation. For me, more tourna- ly impossible in November 2000, is so long for the match that my chess ments, the better. Of course you perfect with his English today. was not the best here but my fight- can't play them all. Having maintained the same frame ing spirit helped and it was okay. I Do you play league games, like with which he defeated Kasparov was fighting most games till the very the Bundesliga? in London, Kramnik has now got end. I prefer normal tournaments, back his favourite habit: smoking What's your programme for the not the German one. I play in the and drinking. Kramnik is a busy per- rest of the year? Spanish league. I played in the last son these days giving scores of I am going to play in an exhi- two years but this year I am not interviews. But his company of bition tournament at Zurich sure if I would play. Our team friends and with those whom he commemorating the 70th birthday became champions last year. In played cards at the nights remains of Viktor Korchnoi. It is more like Germany where you play during the the same: Karpov and Gelfand. a show and rapid chess. Then I would weekends (home and away). In Until last year Kramnik did not like to play in Kazakhstan if the tour- Spain we play nine games in one carry a mobile phone. As a cham- nament takes place. Then probably venue and it's over. We had big plans pion, he now does and is busy in Frankfurt in June. I haven't signed in Spain and to fight for the receiving several calls a day, even the agreement yet but probably it European Club title. I played for between his two games at Monte will happen. In July, Dortmund for Las Palmas and the President of Carlo. During this interview he sure. the Club is my friend. received a call and told this writer Which was your best game in How did you like India and your that it was from Boris Spassky, for- this tournament and which was the experience there? mer world chess champion. most difficult match? I did not have much experience Kramnik, given the same pro- I liked the game I played against because I was mostly in the hotel tocol as Anand as world champion Ivanchuk. It was a positional game during the event in New Delhi. The in the western circuit, has turned which I won. Also the game against day after I lost to Adams, I left. India in a super performance for his fourth Gelfand when I played with white is a fascinating country and I like title at Monte Carlo. He has turned pieces. I managed to win the to see more of it some time in future. this event his own after making a endgame which was not so easy. I Silvio's (trainer Silvio Danailov) wife historic impression at Dortmund played very well against Leko with went to Taj Mahal but we did not over the years. black. It was a winning position go. I was concentrating on the tour- Immediately after the victory and but probably due to tiredness I could nament. Of course I would love to the closing dinner, Kramnik spoke not win. Some games I did not play be there again. in his first interview at the press- well and some I played very well in 74 The Sportstar April 21,2001 this tournament. You had a 2-0 score against 1 Shirov. Did you beat him at I the board or in your mind? Now I don't have any- thing against him. We played chess. I don't come to the board to beat him because of something. His results against me have started to be poor. It was the other way round before. In serious (Elo rating games) chess, I think I have 4.5/5 in the last five games. There is nothing there. You received two points: Shirov blundered his queen, Gelfand blundered the rook. Were these your easy points here? How do you see the blindfold blunders this time? With Gelfand it did not matter because I was already winning at that point. Against Shirov, yes, it was some kind of a gift. But it hap- pens in blindfold. Normally I play the blindfold quite well. I don't blunder. Very rarely. Okay, you get tired and it hap- pens. For me it is easier to play blindfold. If it is difficult to see a position in blindfold, then you start to blunder. For me it is not tiring at all. In a second I get the exact posi- tion in my mind. It was a bit too many blunders this year, but I don't know the reasons. Kasparov had said in Linares that Anand and you are avoiding him. Your response? Okay, it is a usual media statement. I would say he is also avoiding us. He didn't play here say these because I know it is non- offered more money to play at the and he refused to play in Dortmund sense. same time I will choose this one. I where also Anand and I will play. In your closing speech you said like it here, the atmosphere, the peo- So (laughs), I have the right to say if there is any other tournament ple. I think they will organise the the same. In fact it is nonsense. It clashing with the Amber tourna- tournament in Cannes but it would is purely my decision whether to ment, you will prefer to play here. be better if there is no clash in dates. play in a tournament or not. If I Did you keep the tournament (FIDE How useful was having Miguel am playing, I don't care who else World Cup of Rapid Chess) in Illescas as your second in a rapid is there. If Kasparov is playing good, Cannes in mind, while saying this? and blindfold tournament? I am not avoiding him. I will be play- In a way, yes. I believe it is impor- Illescas is not exactly like a sec- ing in Kazakhstan (in May 2001). tant to keep traditions in chess. This ond here. He is here as my friend. I have no reason to be afraid of (Amber) is a traditional tourna- You gave the skip to Linares. Did him. Unfortunately he likes these ment, and I believe everybody is it help you? kind of statements. Normally I don't fully satisfied to play. Even if I am Not really. Because I had many April 21,2001 TheSportstar 75 other engagements. I was not phys- announce. Believe me, something ically very well prepared. I played big will come from them probably some simultaneous games and some in one month's time. meetings in France. It was like 10 How do you take the news from days before the tournament. I was FIDE Commerce about the Grand not completely fresh. But that was Prix cycle they are going to organ- my own problem! ise? It will be eight tournaments in What do you like to say about a year. If it happens will you par- Veselin's performance this time? ticipate? Did they approach you on He played very well. He was the this? best player here. May be I won more Yes, of course I would partici- with class and experience but pate.