exd5!

21.01.2010
– Many books have been written about the American chess genius and world champion Bobby Fischer. But now there is a remarkable new one, by German GM Karsten Müller, whom you will know from his articles and multimedia lectures in ChessBase Magazine. This book contains almost 1000 Fischer games, all of them annotated by GM Müller – a monumental task. Interview with the author.

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Karsten Müller: Bobby Fischer –
The Career and Complete Games of the American World Chess Champion

The years after the Second World War saw international chess dominated by the Soviets Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian and then Spassky held the world crown, treating it as if it were almost an integral part of their country's heritage. Then, in the mid-1950s, a lone genius from Brooklyn emerged. Obsessed with chess, all his waking hours became devoted to finding truth on the 64 squares. It was an unrelenting, sometimes frustrating quest, but he persevered, eventually emerging as perhaps the greatest natural chess talent ever: Bobby Fischer. Now, for the first time, every single one of his tournament and match games is presented with insightful explanations and analysis. German GM Karsten Müller annotates each game – almost 1,000 of them – supplemented by crosstables of every major tournament and match in which Fischer participated, dozens of archival photographs, along with brief comments and observations putting the play of the great champion into historical perspective. Karsten Müller: Bobby Fischer – The Games and Career of the American World Chess Champion, Russell Enterprises 2009, 408 pages. You can buy the book from Chess Cafe, New in Chess, or order it from Amazon.

An interview with the author

By Johannes Fischer

Johannes Fischer: Hello Karsten. You have just published
a new book about Bobby Fischer. Bobby Fischer: The Career and Complete Games
of the American World Chess Champion. The book traces Fischer’s career
and contains all known games by Fischer – all of them annotated by you.
The book has a fine design and a pleasant layout, it contains a lot of nice,
partly unknown, pictures. But still: do we need another book about Fischer
– after Agur’s book about Fischer’s style, Hübner’s
ChessBase DVDs and Kasparov’s book, not to mention all the other works
about Fischer?

GM Karsten Müller: The publisher Hanon W. Russell convinced
me that after Fischer’s death a book with all his tournament and match
games was due. He provided a lot of photos and won Larry Evans to write the
foreword and Andy Soltis to discuss Fischer’s contributions to opening
theory.

GM Carsten Müller, endgame expert and ChessBase Magazine commentator

What distinguishes your book from all the others about Fischer?

My book looks at really all known tournament games, which leads to a comprehensive
picture of Fischer’s chess. It allows us to follow Fischer’s entire
career from Wunderkind to World Champion.

You played through and annotated all games of Fischer. I could imagine
that doing the same with some of today’s leading players might be rather
boring. How about Fischer?

Well, it was definitely not boring, because there are virtually no short draws
or games without content. What made things even more interesting was to compare
the analyses of Fischer, Hübner and Kasparow. Their views often differed
and I had to take sides.

Fischer was a “Wunderkind”: at 14 he became the US Champion,
at 15 the youngest grandmaster ever, a record that lasted 34 years. At 15
he was already one of the world’s best players, but it took him twelve
more years to become World Champion. Where do you see the crucial moments
in Fischer’s career? And was he really that much better in the beginning
of the 70s than in the beginning of and in the mid-60s – and if so,
why?

One could briefly sketch Fischer’s chess career as follows: from 1955
to 1962 first the rise from Wunderkind to extended world class. That was followed
by the setback at the Candidates tournament in Curacao, where he was one of
the top favorites but only finished in the middle of the field. As a result
he played much less and mainly in the US. He did not play in the Interzonal
in Amsterdam 1964 and he left the Interzonal in Sousse 1967 prematurely even
though he was clearly in the lead – one of the most mysterious moments
in his entire chess career.

Because of heightened political cold war tension, Fischer was unable to obtain a visa to participate in the 1965 Capablanca Memorial. He played by telex from the Marshall Chess Club in New York. In this photograph, the tournament referee in New York, J.F. Reinhardt, makes White's second move in the Lehmann-Fischer game. [Photo: Al Lawrence]

He again goes into reclusion and does not play a single tournament game in
1969. In hindsight this phase seems to be crucial. He trains intensively and
in 1970 he returns with added strength to the tournament arena to take part
in the match USSR against the Rest of the World and to begin the strongest phase
of his career. From 1970-1972 he achieved one of the best, if not the best,
result that has ever been achieved. He lost only 5 of 102 games, won two candidate
matches (against Taimanov and Larsen) 6-0, and before the match in Reykjavik
he led World Champion Spassky by 125 Elo points on the world ranking list, making
him the clear number one. In this phase he was stronger than before: his chess
was more mature, he played the openings more flexibly and his opponents had
developed a kind of Fischer-fear. Before the match in Reykjavik even Spassky
was not sure whether he was better than Fischer.

Fischer brought many people to chess. What is fascinating about his play
and what fascinates you about it?

Clarity and fighting spirit.

What distinguishes his play, what are his strengths, what are his weaknesses?

As far as strength is concerned, his endurance and his will to fight down to
the bare king and to subordinate everything to chess. Moreover, he was particularly
strong in endgames, in which he had a slight initiative, and when transforming
advantages. In matches he was often able to seize the psychological initiative
and to impose his will on the opponent. Naming weaknesses is much more difficult.
In the beginning sticking stubbornly to certain openings was a weakness, but
he managed to overcome that almost completely in the period 1970-1972. His desire
to keep things under control made him sometimes shy away from risks. However,
due to his enormous fighting spirit this did not lead to many draws. Further
weaknesses lie certainly more in the realm of psychology. Such problems led
to his departure in Sousse, but between 1970 and 1972 they did not affect his
chess very much. Afterwards they arguably became more intensive.

Let’s assume you were coach and had to prepare one of your charges
against Fischer: What would you recommend, which opening should he play, what
should he aim for, what should he avoid?

Bobby always believed that staying physically fit was very
important to playing chess well. [Photo: Frank Brady]

Obviously this depends partly on the person who had to play against Fischer.
With White one might try to attack aggressively in the Najdorf or one might
play 1.d4 with the idea of keeping things under control, as Spassky often did
in the return match in 1992. With Black, Caro-Kann is a serious option –
Fischer tried a lot of things against this opening, but nothing could fully
convince. One should definitely avoid positions, in which Fischer has things
under control and a slight initiative.

And what do you have to do if you want to play chess like Fischer?

Subordinate everything in life to chess – but whatever its advantages,
such an approach definitely also has disadvantages.

How current is Fischer’s way of playing chess nowadays? Which heritage
did he leave?

As far as Fischer’s openings are concerned, the Najdorf and the King’s
Indian in particular are as popular as ever. As far as his style is concerned,
many players gained a lot from studying his games. Even in the Soviet Union
Fischer’s masterpiece My 60 Memorable Games was very popular. In general
his heritage is so large that I cannot comprehensively deal with it here.

The book contains a lot of nice photos and biographical sketches, but
refrains from exploiting or evaluating the many controversial issues which
mark Fischer’s career. Still, here’s a question about Fischer’s
biography. As a person Fischer was difficult and eccentric, as a chessplayer
he liked clarity and control. Do you have to separate Fischer’s chess
and his biography or is Fischer’s dedication to chess a reaction to
his emotional instability?

I am not the one to ask that question, and that is one reason why I try to
avoid such questions in my book.

Your book is more or less neutral – controversial issues in Fischer’s
career, such as his charge the Soviets had manipulated the tournament in Curacao
are mentioned but not evaluated. Why?

If you start digging in that garden, you will never hit the bottom. At any
rate, not within the scope of 400 pages and that’s how long the book was
planned to be. I also believe that I am not the right author for such a topic.
I therefore tried to focus almost exclusively on chess matters.

At the peak of his career Fischer withdrew from tournament chess and
there has been lots of speculations about his reasons for doing so. What do
you think?

Of course, I, too, can only speculate. After Fischer had reached the aim of
his life, to become World Champion, he presumably fell into a hole and went
into complete reclusion. Before the match against Karpov in 1975 he might have
been afraid to lose and felt that he had nothing to win because the crucial
step had already been taken in 1972. In 1992 he played again because he knew
Spassky whereas Karpov in 1975 raised a lot of uncomfortable questions for Fischer.
But the whole issue obviously remains a mystery.

Fischer was a self-taught person and had no trainer. He still developed
into a universal player. Would he have been even better with a trainer?

I think from 1970 to 1972 he really played extremely well and it is unlikely
that he could have been better in this time. However, after winning the title
in 1972, things look differently. But presumably he would not have needed a
chess trainer in the classical sense, just a good friend to work with, someone
Fischer trusted and listened to.

Fischer’s fighting spirit is legendary. Is this a myth or do his
games indeed reflect this will to win?

That is no myth and Fischer’s will to win can indeed be seen in his games.
He almost never made quick draws but simply played on and continued to create
pressure. Tal for example said that he would have agreed to a draw in the adjourned
second game of the match against Taimanov. But Fischer just played on. And then
the miracle occurred. With 81...Ke4? Taimanov went wrong and lost.

Fischer played many famous games. Which one do you consider to be particularly
typical for his style?

Well, that’s difficult to say. For a start, I think his candidates match
against Taimanov is quite characteristic. Here one can see a lot of Fischer’s
strengths. Obviously, his weaknesses did not come much to the foreground in
this match.

Fischer playing world champion Mikhail Tal at Leipzig 1960 [Photo: Frank
Brady]

Do you have a favorite Fischer game?

That’s another difficult question. But his endgame with rook and bishop
against rook and knight in the fourth game against Taimanov never fails to be
instructive and impressive.

Occasionally it is said that Magnus Carlsen plays like Fischer. What
do you think?

That’s an interesting thesis, which on first sight seems rather fitting.
Magnus has a strong fighting spirit and only starts complications when he can
control them. However, I haven’t thought much about the subject. Maybe
I should tackle this question sometime...

Of course you knew Fischer and his games before starting to work on the
book. How did your approach to Fischer change during writing?

I became even more aware what a feat it was to wrest the highest crown from
the powerful Soviet chess empire. As far as chess is concerned my respect for
Fischer became even greater. However, on the human side things look different.
But as I said, I focused on chess in the book.

Was there anything particularly surprising for you in his games, did
you have to correct prejudices or preconceived notions?

Yes, I had thought that Fischer had sacrificed more often and occasionally
strived for unclear positions. However, I realized that he valued control quite
highly.

Garry Kasparov wrote in his book about his predecessors that Fischer
may well be the best player of all time. What do you think?

I agree – as I explain in the book. The main argument here is not his
outstanding performance between 1970 and 1972, but the effect he had on the
game at large. During the match against Spassky chess made headlines in the
news and the mass media of the US and Western Europe. Fischer triggered a chess
boom all over the world and the game was simply no longer the same. If you look
at the effect of a World Champion in pure chess terms, Kasparov is obviously
a hot candidate, who even surpasses Fischer in regard to this – and he
still continues to work hard on chess. He is my number two choice.

Whose games will you analyze next?

I analyzed a couple of games by Lasker and Tal for book projects, but obviously
only a selection. Fischer seems in fact to be the ideal World Champion for analyzing
all games. The other champions simply played too many tournament games for a
single book. Fischer’s clear style also lends itself to such a project
because you need to give less variations, comments and analyzes.

Good luck for your next project and thank you for the interview!

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20.01.2010
– Daaim Shabazz met the Haitian chess team at the 2006 Olympiad – a genuine and enthusiastic group. They missed the Olympiad in 2008 because of a series of hurricanes. The country had a small, but thriving chess community before the earthquake struck. Since then Daaim has been unable to make contact with anyone in the Haitian chess community. An appeal for assistance.

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2010:
The Year of the Haitian Tragedy

By Dr. Daaim Shabazz

 “Ou we sa ou genyen, ou pa konn sa ou rete.”
You know what you've got, but you don't know what's coming. – Haitian
Proverb

As the day ended on January 12, 2010, Haitians were finishing their daily routines
and returning from school, work and preparing for dinner with their families.
Unbeknownst to 9.8 million citizens of Haiti, something was brewing underneath
the surface and had been waiting to unleash its power for 200 years. At 16:53:10
local time, a massive 7.0 earthquake shook the land of Haiti, and within seconds
turned the capitol city into massacre of death. It is projected that the disaster
would claim an estimated 100,000-200,000 lives. Despite temblors in recent years,
no one could have predicted the enormity of this disaster.

The land of Haiti was once a land of lush pastures, mangrove forests and river
valleys. A favorite subject of 15th century history, Haiti sits on the western
side of the island of “Hispanola” which it shares with the Dominican Republic.
The nation’s rich history that is highlighted by its battles with Spain, British
and France and its successful slave revolt which led it to its independence
as the Republic of Haiti in 1804. Since its independence, economic and political
instability have hindered its ability to become a prosperous nation. Moreover,
it has created an impoverished economic landscape. It is deemed the poorest
nation in the western hemisphere and among the lowest on many social indices.

Despite these misfortunes, Haitians are generally optimistic and have worked
to improve the quality of life not only materially, but socially. In a vibrant
social culture with the Creole language, Kompas music and eclectic cuisine,
Haitians happily relish their social interactions. One of the social outlets
having been reignited is chess. The nation first participated in the Dubai Olympiad
in 1986 and according to olimpbase.org, has competed a total of six times (1986,
1988, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2006). The nation broke a 10-year hiatus when they traveled
to Turin Olympiad in 2006. They were full of spirit, ambition and it was apparent
that they were enthusiastic about returning to the international stage.

Donning their distinctive Haitian caps, they were part of the photo of the
opening ceremonies with the Italian team and seemed to bask in a bit of glory.
Led by National Champion Piersont Lebrun and top scorer Jozy Bazile
(8½/13), the Haitians ended on 21½ points (+3 =4 -6). While this was a modest
showing, it provided them momentum for rebuilding their confidence and to make
progress as an active federation. During the Olympiad, I introduced myself to
Lebrun and told him, “My Creole is a bit rusty.” Lebrun broke into a smile.
Of course, I spoke none of the indigenous language, but we did exchange a few
words of French. He later introduced me to the rest of the team during an analysis
session. The interaction was pleasant.

By 2008, the Haitian chess community was making steady progress and in January,
the Haitian Chess Federation had launched Academie
d’Echecs, a non-profit initiative to promote chess in the schools. From
the academy’s website, they appeared to be very active and the programs they
had organized seemed to be gaining support. Sabine Bonnet, the President
of the academy, had worked tirelessly to promote chess in Haiti. According to
Adia Onyango, a chess promoter in New York,

I met her while playing in the North American Open in 2008. She traveled
from Haiti to play in tournaments in the US at least two times because of her
love of the game. Her organization, The Chess Academy, is based in Port-au-Prince
and started in January 2008 for the promotion and teaching of the game of chess
in Haiti.

 Looking at the pictures it is obvious that chess was beginning
to take hold on the island. The Academy had secured a sponsor and was staging
several tournaments both in Haiti and also participating in activities in the
Dominican Republic. In 2008, the Haitian team had planned to send a delegation
to the Olympiad in Dresden, but a series of hurricanes rendered that impossible.
Eight-hundred people were killed and the island was ravaged. Despite the devastation,
the Haiti chess community pressed on and continued developing programs.

In December 2009, the country held its National Championship and crowned Mondoly
Sanon as the National Champion after his undefeated performance of 7½/9
among ten finalists. He was poised to be the top board for the Haitian side
in the 2010 Olympiad in Siberia. Just weeks after the championship, the earthquake
devastated the capitol of Port au Prince, a densely-populated city of one million.
The media images of Haiti have been horrific. We have seen death and destruction
in the streets and the most pitiful sight of mangled and bloated bodies left
by the devastating earthquake. Assistance has poured in from around the world,
but logistical challenges are hampering efforts.

Haitian player Valery Afriany

Thus far, no word has been heard from any of the Haitian chess players. The
amount of damage done to Haiti will take generations to repair. Thus far, several
sports organizations and Olympic committees have pledged moral support. FIFA
President Joseph Blatter also released a statement of moral support.
It is my hope that organizers, players and officials from around the world will
show some solidarity in supporting relief efforts of a devastated nation. This
is not a political conflict, religious, ethnic or class war, but a battle between
the earth’s natural forces. Who knows where the next battle will be fought?

The Haitian National Palace (Presidential Palace), located in Port-au-Prince,
Haiti, heavily damaged after the earthquake. Note: this was originally a two-story
structure; the second story completely collapsed. Photo: United Nations Development
Programme. There are some truly stunning photos of the devastation from the
earthquake on the following page: Haiti
from above.

The Haitian national anthem speaks of the Haitians being urged on by their
ancestors to fight a valiant battle without the fear of death. It urges, “Our
past cries out to us: Have a disciplined soul!” The ultimate battle that remains
for Haitians may be survival, but we hope their strong resolve will result in
a stronger nation. The chess community will be waiting for their return!

Please donate to any of your favorites charities around the world. Organizations
such as UNICEF have also set up a fund. Google “haiti earthquake fund"
and choose from a variety of organizations to which you can contribute.

Two games by Haitian players

Mohd Omar,Ak Hirawa (BRU) (2335) - Sanon,Mondoly (HAI) [B34]
Turin ol (Men) 37th Turin (8), 29.05.2006 [Shabazz,Daaim]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 d6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Qd4 Nf6
8.e5 dxe5 9.Qxe5 Bg7 10.Be3 0-0 11.Qc5 Qd6 12.Qxd6 exd6 13.0-0-0 d5 14.f3 Be6
15.Na4 Nd7 16.Ba6 Rab8 17.Rhe1 Nb6 18.Nc5 Bc8 19.b3 Bxa6 20.Nxa6 Rbc8 21.Bc5
Rfe8 22.Kd2 Bf8 23.Kd3 Bxc5 24.Nxc5 Kf8 25.Kd4 Rxe1 26.Rxe1 Re8 27.Rxe8+ Kxe8
28.Nd3 Nd7 29.b4 Ke7 30.b5 Kd6 31.bxc6 Nb8 32.Nb4 Nxc6+ 33.Nxc6 Kxc6

34.Ke5 f5 35.h4 [35.f4] 35...Kc5 36.g4 fxg4 37.fxg4
Kc4 38.h5 gxh5 39.gxh5 d4 40.h6 Kc3 41.Kd5 a5 42.a4 Kxc2 43.Kxd4 Kb3 44.Ke5
Kxa4 45.Kf6 Kb3 46.Kg7 a4 47.Kxh7 a3 48.Kg8 ½-½.

Bazile,Jocelyn - Silveirinha,Jose Antonio C (2200) [B13]
Yerevan ol (Men) Yerevan (11), 1996 [Shabazz,Daaim]
1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Ne2 Bg4 6.f3 Bh5 7.Nf4 Bg6
8.Nc3 e6 9.Nce2 Bd6 10.c3 0-0 11.Bxg6 hxg6 12.0-0 Qc7 13.g3 Nc6 14.Nd3 b5 15.Bf4
Nd7 16.Bxd6 Qxd6 17.f4 b4 18.Ne5 bxc3 19.bxc3 Nb6 20.Rf3 Ne7 21.Qe1 Rac8 22.h4
Rc7 23.g4 f6 24.Nd3 Na4 25.Qd2 Rfc8 26.Rc1 Qa3 27.Ne1 Rc4 28.Ng2 Rb8 29.Rc2
Rb1+ 30.Rf1 Rxf1+ 31.Kxf1 Rc6 32.Ne1 Nc8 33.Qd3 Nd6 34.Qxg6 Nxc3 35.h5 Kf8 36.h6
gxh6 37.Qxh6+ Ke8 38.g5 Nf5 39.Qg6+ Kd7 40.Qf7+ Kc8

41.Rxc3! Ne3+ 42.Rxe3 Qxe3 43.Qh5 fxg5 44.fxg5 Kb7 45.g6 e5 46.g7 Rf6+
47.Nf3 Rxf3+ 48.Ke1 Qf2+ 49.Kd1 Rd3+ 50.Kc2 Rf3 51.Qxe5 Re3 52.Qxd5+ Kb6 53.Qc5+
Ka6 54.Qc4+ Kb6 55.g8Q Rxe2+ 56.Kb3 Rb2+ 57.Ka3 1-0.

About the author Dr. Daaim Shabazz is the creator and webmaster of The Chess Drum. He serves as a tenured faculty member at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, where he teaches international business. He has served the journalist community for 20 years (including a short stint with Sports Illustrated in New York) and is a member of Chess Journalists of America.

Chessbase.com

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19.01.2010
– He is a well-known firebrand in the chess world. In Wijk he is currently playing at a 3500 level. But Alexei Shirov is also a prolific chess teacher, and his ChessBase DVDs are amongst the most popular. Take for instance one of his latest, on the Philidor Defence, a surprise opening that can give rise to extreme open and closed positions. Shirov's treatment is reviewed by a field biologist in the Yukon.

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Yasser Seirawan:
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Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan began playing chess in the summer of 1972 and by 1979 he had won the World Junior Championship and in January of 1980 earned his final Grandmaster norm. What had he learned in seven and a half years that propelled him so far so quickly?
More information...

Alexei
Shirov: The Philidor Defence

Review by Kevan A. Cowcill

Not having seen a Fritztrainer DVD featuring GM Alexei Shirov, I was looking
forward to viewing this one, and Shirov does not disappoint, giving nearly six
hours of material on the opening, middlegames and even some of the endgames
that result from the Philidor. The DVD comes with 13 lectures: an introduction,
and 12 analyzed games. There is also a database containing the lecture games,
complete with all the lines and variations Shirov demonstrates.

The actual lecture contents of The
Philidor Defence are summed up accurately in the publisher's advertisement
blurb which states:

The modern form of the Philidor Defence arises via the move order 1.e4
d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5. Then after 4.Nf3 Nbd7, Shirov
has introduced the pawn sacrifice 5.g4!? into practice -
and achieved excellent results with it. Accepting the sacrifice leads to a
very sharp position full of tactical possibilities. Shirov is one of the best
connoisseurs of this system, and although he has been very successful with
the white pieces in this line, he is always striving for objectivity and shows
the possibilities for Black’s counterplay as well. Who finds the gambit
5.g4!? too double-edged, can find an alternative in the tried and tested,
solid strategic approach 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 c6 8.a4.
Also on this system Shirov presents many of his own games, discussing among
other things the difficult, but extremely important question whether and when
White can advantageously proceed in the centre with d4-d5. The third system
presented by Shirov arises after the traditional Philidor move order 1.e4
e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4. Black tries to solve his problems by the radical
3... exd4 now, a move which was already played by Horwitz versus Staunton
in 1846 and which recently has come into fashion again. Analysing his game
against Nisipeanu, apart from Bacrot one of the experts of Black’s way
of playing, Shirov shows how White can fight for the advantage here. Video
running time: 5h 52m.

Shirov says he never tries to give complete theory, but rather aims to show
new insights mainly by presenting his own games. There is only one game he presents
that is not his own (a blitz game between Kasparov and Azmaiparashvili). The
first four lectures and games deal with the double-edge pawn sacrifice, 5.g4,
after 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.N3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7. The idea of 5.g4
originated with Paco Vallejo, and Shirov, familiar with the g4 pawn push in
the Slav, thought the idea may have validity in the Philidor too. He was able
to obtain some very satisfactory positions using 5.g4. In fact, so satisifactory
that Shirov’s original idea for the DVD was to say “…g4
and White wins”

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, things are not that simple and during
the course of lecture, Shirov outlines both the strengths and weaknesses of
this move. Still, the sacrifice can lead to some sharp positions especially
against an opponent who is not prepared, or in a blitz game.

Shirov,Alexei (2737) - Azmaiparashvili,Zurab (2693) [C41]
EU-chT (Men) 14th Plovdiv (6.1), 17.10.2003
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g4 Nxg4 6.Rg1 Ngf6 7.Bc4 h6 8.Be3 c6
9.Qd3 Qc7 10.0-0-0 b5 11.Bxb5 cxb5 12.dxe5 dxe5 13.Nxb5 Qa5 14.Qc4 Rb8 15.a4
Qb4 16.Nxe5 Qxc4 17.Nxc4 a6 18.Nbd6+ Bxd6 19.Nxd6+ Kf8 20.f4 Bb7 21.e5 Ne8 22.Nxe8
Kxe8 23.Rxg7 Bc8 24.Rd6 Kf8 25.Rg1 Rg8 26.Rxg8+ Kxg8 27.Rxh6 Nf8 28.Rd6 Ra8
29.c4 Be6 30.b3 Kg7 31.Kb2 Kg6 32.h4 Kh5 33.Kc3 Ng6 34.b4 Nxh4 35.Bc1 Rc8 36.c5
a5 37.Rb6 Nf5 38.Ba3 Ne3 39.bxa5 Nd5+ 40.Kd3 Nxb6 41.axb6 Bd5 42.a5 Ra8 43.Kd4
Bc6 44.Bb4 Kg6 45.e6 f6 46.f5+ Kxf5 47.e7 Ke6 48.a6 Kxe7 49.b7 Rd8+ 50.Kc4 Kd7
51.Bc3 Rf8 52.Bxf6 ½-½. [Click
to replay]

One of the things I liked about this DVD (and the author himself) is that Shirov
does not shy away from his mistakes, but instead uses them to teach. In his
5 g4 game against International Master (at the time) John Shaw, Shirov sacrificed
his bishop (Fig. 2), but overlooked a strong response by Black after 11…Kxf7
12 Nxe5+. Shirov expected 12…Kg8, but Shaw had another move. This is one
of the good spots to stop the DVD to figure out what Shirov overlooked.

One of the things I liked about this DVD (and Shirov himself) is that Shirov
does not shy away from his mistakes, but instead uses them to teach. In his
5.g4 game against International Master (at the time) John Shaw, Shirov sacrificed
his bishop, but overlooked a strong response by Black.

Shirov,Alexei (2713) - Shaw,John K (2445) [C41]
Gibraltar Masters Caleta (1), 25.01.2005
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g4 Nxg4 6.Rg1 Ngf6 7.Bc4 h6 8.Be3
c6 9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qd3 Nh5 11.Bxf7+

After 11…Kxf7 12.Nxe5+ Shirov expected 12…Kg8, but Shaw had
another move. This is one of the good spots to stop the DVD to figure out what
Shirov overlooked.

Shirov was disgusted with his play in this game, as he was down in material
(Q vs N, B, R) and behind in development. It is this type of position, though,
that highlights the creativity and resourcefulness of a GM of Shirov's standing
– he points out numerous dangerous variations that lurked if Shaw calculated
incorrectly.

Shirov,Alexei (2713) - Shaw,John K (2445) [C41]
Gibraltar Masters Caleta (1), 25.01.2005
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.g4 Nxg4 6.Rg1 Ngf6 7.Bc4 h6 8.Be3 c6
9.dxe5 dxe5 10.Qd3 Nh5 11.Bxf7+ Kxf7 12.Nxe5+ Nxe5 13.Qxd8 Nf3+ 14.Kd1 Nxg1
15.Kc1 Nh3 16.f4 Bc5 17.Qc7+ Be7 18.Bc5 Re8 19.f5 Kf8 20.Bxe7+ Rxe7 21.Qd8+
Kf7 22.b3 Nf6 23.Kb2 Ng5 (23…Nxe4 24. Re1 Nhg5 25. h4)

Analysis diagram

We see just one of the fates that awaited Shaw if he didn’t tread carefully.
That Shaw managed to avoid these pitfalls speaks well of his abilities too.
[Click to replay]

The next set of games deal with the following set-up: 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3
e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 a5. After showing why 7...a5 (or 8...a5
as in Shirov-Beliavsky, 2000) is a strategic mistake (White has good development
with easy plans like b3, Bb2, Qd2, see diagram below), he analyzes other moves
and provides better options for Black. These options lead to a lively game for
both Black and White, and those who like to see "fire on the board"
will not be disappointed here either.

 Shirov,Alexei (2751) - Beliavsky,Alexander G (2640) [C41]
Bundesliga 9900 Germany (12.1), 12.03.2000
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.a4 c6 8.Re1
a5 9.b3 exd4 10.Nxd4 Nc5 11.Bb2 Re8 12.Qd2 Bf8 13.f3 Qb6 14.Kh1

“I believe everybody would be happy to play with White,” says Shirov. [Click
to replay]

Shirov pauses a number of times to recalculate lines, or calculate new lines
suggested by a move he hadn’t thought about before. Not being used to this,
I thought my Chess Media Player window had frozen as sometimes Shirov just sits
staring at his computer screen, for instance when he loses his place and has
to review his notes in the Shirov-Cifuentes game. These long pauses could perhaps
be edited out both for the viewers sake, and for Shirov's sake, so he doesn't
need to feel apologetic about the delay.

On the other hand there are pauses which are instructive in that they highlight
how a GM might calculate variations. Shirov will pause, suggest other moves,
show them on the board and explain why they are or are not good. Then back to
the original position and a new variation is shown using the positional and
tactical insights gained from the first variation to improve the second variation.
As Shirov pauses to calculate this is an opportunity for the viewer to also
analyse variations to see if he or she can keep up with Shirov’s analysis (sadly,
I couldn’t, and in some instances Shirov's quick calculations and grasp of the
positions leaves mere mortals feeling a bit inadequate – or with renewed
determination to improve their own abilities).

The “extremely important question whether and when White can advantageously
proceed in the centre with d4-d5” is covered in the next set of games. All these
games are highly instructive as Shirov shows when to move d5 and when to avoid
it.

Kasparov,Garry (2830) - Azmaiparashvili,Zurab (2702) [C41]
Crete m rap Crete (1), 23.09.2003
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bc4 Be7 6.0-0 0-0 7.Re1 c6 8.a4
b6 9.d5

It is difficult for White to gain an advantage as there are good chances on
both sides. He says that Black shouldn’t be afraid to play into this position
because there are numerous plans available. However, he recommends analyzing
the position after 10.d5 deeper as it is a good line in which to gain an advantage
as White. The above game continued:

9...cxd5 10.Nxd5 Bb7 11.b3 Rc8 12.Re2 Nxd5 13.Bxd5 Bxd5 14.Qxd5 Nf6 15.Qd1
d5 16.exd5 Qxd5 17.Qxd5 Nxd5 18.Nxe5 Rfe8 19.c4 Bd6 20.Bb2 Nf4 21.Ree1 Bb4 22.Red1
Ne2+ 23.Kf1 Nc3 24.Rd3 Ne4 25.Rad1 Bc5 26.Rf3 Rcd8 27.Rxd8 Rxd8 28.Rd3 Rxd3
29.Nxd3 Nd2+ 30.Ke2 Nxb3 31.Be5 f6 32.Bb8 Nd4+ 33.Kd2 Nc6 34.Nxc5 Nxb8 35.Nd3
Kf7 36.Kc3 Ke6 37.c5 Kd5 38.cxb6 axb6 39.Kb4 Kc6 40.Kc4 Na6 41.Nb4+ Nxb4 42.Kxb4
h5 43.f4 g6 44.Kc4 Kd6 45.Kb5 Kc7 46.Ka6 Kc6 47.h4 f5 48.g3 Kc5 49.Kb7 1-0.
[Click to replay]

Not being familiar with the Philidor I was slightly surprised that both extreme
open and closed positions can arise from the opening. For those who like closed
positional games, the Philidor offers it to them. If tactical melees on an open
board are to your taste, the Philidor has those as well.

The last game on the DVD is an original Philidor line: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4
exd4 (in general giving up center so quickly not advisable, Shirov tells us)
4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 (looks like quiet development move but there are some tactical
ideas in mind). That’s not to say this is the only game that covers 3.d4 exd4.
Shirov often previews and reviews variations so by the end of the DVD you've
seen many of the ideas several times.

The last part of his final lecture summarizes what he’s covered in the other
lectures, and shows basic positions for those who like to fight for an opening
advantage. If you'd prefer smiple clear cut chess then he recommends 6.g3 followed
by 6…d5 7.e5 Ng4 8.Bg2. Shirov says that Black can equalize here, but needs
good home preparation in order to do that against White's fairly straight forward
plans.

Throughout the lectures, Shirov sprinkles general strategic hints such as “Difficult
to win a chess game if your opponent only has one weakness, you should try to
create a second weakness”, or: “Now I definitely cannot change queens because
then with Black’s bishop pair his chances will be better”.

Shirov has done a number of DVDs for ChessBase now, but he still seems a bit
shy and still doesn’t make much eye contact with the camera. His English is
heavily accented but mainly clear and most people shouldn't have difficulty
understanding him. Even though English is obviously not his first language Shirov
also does not fill his speech with nervous mannerisms such as “uhm” or “uhhhhhh”,
which can be distracting in many otherwise good trainers. His presentations
are modest, and he mentions a few times that his views are subjective, haven’t
been tested or analyzed extensively, and that students should not trust him
completely. He’s not afraid of showing his mistakes in a game, or pointing out
where he didn’t deserve to win, e.g. Shirov-Hamdouchi, 2000, “Victory definitely
not deserved starting at move 17”. This makes his other statements (e.g. White
is better here) more reliable, because if he wasn't sure he would tell you.

Overall, I found Shirov's low-key presentation, his self-effacing mannerisms,
and his honesty rather personable. The systems he presents are a decent start
to understanding some of the strategies for the opening and the middle-game
in both open and closed positions. There are even some study-like endgame positions
covered, which are also a strength of Shirov's. If you are already familiar
with the Philidor (e.g. you have GM Bauer's book, The Philidor Files)
you probably won't learn too much new material, as it is not possible in one
DVD to cover even a small percentage of the lines found in a book. Indeed, that
is not Shirov's stated goal. If you're still new to the Philidor or wish to
learn it, this DVD is a good beginning, and with Shirov as your guide, it is
an enjoyable start.

Answer to the second diagram

Shirov expected 12…Kg8, but instead there was the queen sacrifice: 12…Nxe5
13.Qxd8 Nf3+. If 14. Kf1 Bh3+ and White loses the queen to a discovered
check. If 14.Ke2 Nxg1+ 15.Rxg1 Bg4+, and again a discovered check takes the
queen, so Shirov continues the game with 14.Kd1 Nxg1 15.Kc1 Nh3 16.f4
Bc5 17.Qc7+ Be7 18.Bc5 Re8 19.f5 Kf8 20.Bxe7+ Rxe7 21.Qd8+ Kf7 22.b3 Nf6 23.Kb2
Ng5 24.Rg1 Rd7 25.Qh8 Re7 26.Qd8 Rd7 27.Qh8 Re7 ½-½. [Click
to replay]

• Order
  Alexei Shirov: The Philidor Defence now

About the author

Kevan A. Cowcill has worked as a contract field biologist
and as a university lab instructor as well as a college professor teaching biology,
zoology and ecology courses to some wonderful students. He has experience working
in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats from the Yukon in the north down to
Mexico in the south, and numerous places in between, especially the four corner
states in the U.S. He is a well-rounded well-traveled naturalist.

The above pictures was taken after Kevan got back from a windswept island off
the coast of British Columbia. Helicopter pulled his team off during a window
in the storm, after gale force winds came through the mountains and destroyed
a metereological tower, setting a new record before the tower was destroyed..

Kevan has a particular interest in birds, tidal pool invertebrates, arctic,
alpine and desert plants and critters, the pursuit of which have often left
him cold, wet, tired, foot-sore, dehydrated but happy. Currently he is back
in the north tromping around on snowshoes tracking carnivores and setting up
trail cameras to photograph the more elusive mammals of the north.

"A highly recommended hike," writes Kevan. "Eva Lake is just
500 m or so beyond here, Jade Lake another four km." Expect more reviews
and more spectacular nature pictures, from the Yukon in the future. The last
two pictures are from British Columbia.

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19.01.2010
– Last year Garry Kasparov visited Asia – for the first time since the Philippines Olympiad in 1992. He was in India and in Malaysia, where our reporter Edwin Lam did a Q&A with him. Kasparov spoke engagingly and candidly about Asia, his early career as a chess player, his protégé Magnus Carlsen and his Chess Foundation in America. Not a line of blah in this interview. Must read.

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"The interview with Garry Kasparov lasted forty minutes," Edwin Lam
tells us. "If his minder had not stopped us he would have gone on for hours.
I can still see his eyes light up when he talked about Carlsen – he just
glowed, and I saw so much passion when he was on that subject. I must say that
I learnt a lot from the man himself in the Q&A – I learnt a lot about
life, work. and coupled with a game theory book I was reading back then, The
Art of Strategy, it re-shaped my thinking about work and how best to approach
it."

Bisik-Bisik with Garry Kasparov – Part 1

By Edwin Lam Choong Wai

Garry Kasparov made his first trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, back in mid
November 2009, in order to speak at the Youth Engagement Summit (YES) 2009.
I had the opportunity to catch up with the best player in chess history, ever,
over a “Bisik-Bisik” session for ChessBase at the Putrajaya Convention Center.
Our candid 40-minute chat covered a variety of topics. In this first part of
the Bisik-Bisik session, Garry talked about his recent speaking engagements
across Asia, his fascination with Malaysia, growing up years and most importantly,
his collaboration with Magnus Carlsen.

Bisik-Bisik is a word from the Malay Archipelago, and means the act of
“whispering” from one person to another. In my interviews I seeks
to “whisper” to all our readers out there the previously unknown
other side of his interview partners.

Edwin Lam: Is this your first trip to Malaysia?

Garry Kasparov: Yes, this is my first trip to Malaysia. 2009 is my first
year that I have been around Asia. Due to the inequality in the distribution
of chess events, I have travelled extensively across Europe, visiting many countries,
many times. I have also been to the United States, Canada, Mexico and many Latin
American countries, but never to Asia, with the only exception of the Philippines
for the Chess Olympiad of 1992. It’s hard to imagine and people wouldn’t believe
it if I say that before 2009, Philippines is the only Asian country I’ve ever
visited. But, it is true! And, in this year alone, I’ve already made two trips
to India, once to Delhi and the other one to Mumbai. The Mumbai trip took place
only a couple of weeks ago for an all India IBM conference and now it’s Malaysia.
I am definitely covering new areas on the map!

Panorama of Kuala Lumpur (photo by Azreey in Wikipedia)
by day

You had arrived in Malaysia about two days’ ago with your wife. Have
you had the chance to go around Kuala Lumpur?

No, no, not yet. My wife and I liked what we have seen so far here in Putrajaya,
the administrative capital of Malaysia. We went to the mall here in Putrajaya
yesterday and it is very clean, very organized. We saw a very interesting mix
of ethnic diversity in the population of Malaysia. The other thing that we observed
in the mall was that 40% of the stores there are catering for kids. This is
an interesting, and again, for me someone like me who is into politics, it’s
always interesting to see how people behave in public places and the atmosphere
of the mall on a Sunday, with a lot of middle class people and their families.
It is interesting and the impression is very positive.

Panorama of Kuala Lumpur (photo by Wikipedia)

We also noticed one other thing: that the colors of the clothes worn by Malaysians
are very bright. Again, this is a refreshing change from Europe and the United
States, in winter. So far, we have been quite inspired by the overall atmosphere
– it’s a very positive atmosphere and the people are friendly. I am sure there
are other parts of Malaysia, especially Kuala Lumpur, where we can see more
diversity. But, so far, the experience in Putrajaya has been very good. We will
go to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, after the speech and on the 18th of November. We
have to see the Twin Towers, no doubt. Otherwise, it will be very strange, you
know. Thanks to the flight schedule – the non-availability of daily flights
to Moscow – meant that we are stuck here for one more day, and this is
good news for us.

The landmark Petronas Twin Towers (photo by Wikipedia)

Let’s talk a little bit about growing up and chess. What are the factors
that pushed you towards mastery of the game? How did you know it was your
real passion?

My own early development certainly owed a great deal to my determined parents.
My natural aptitude for chess was quickly discovered by my family. My father,
Kim, then struggling with leukemia, made the decision to send me for chess schooling
at the age of seven and my mother enthusiastically supported the idea. Internally,
it is clear to me that I would not have achieved such success at anything other
than chess. I must count my lucky stars here as the game came to me naturally,
its requirements fitting my talents like a glove.

First game against Anatoly Karpov, a simul when Garry was twelve

Looking back at your own experience, and we see how kids these days start
chess at a very young age, some as young as four and five, do you think is
this a little too young, given that you started chess only at the age of seven?

I don’t think that it is too young or too late to start learning the game.
Instead, it is a question on the goal or the objective of learning the game.
I believe chess can play a very important role in a child’s education as it
can help to improve their vision of things around them. Most of them, in fact
99.9% of them, will not play chess later in life. But, it is still very helpful
for chess to be included in their general education curriculum. If the child
shows interest in chess at the age of four or five, then fine. I believe that
you have to help kids – you have to guide them – but, you cannot force
them to do something they don’t like. For instance, my son doesn’t want to play
chess. He has no interest and there is nothing that I can I do about it. He
learnt chess when he was five or six and showed no special interest. He did
not demonstrate any passion for it. While we play an important role of trying
to guide kids to not be under the heavy influence of modern, mindless games,
we must also understand the limitations of our interference. It’s about finding
the golden balance of how to influence them without being too nasty and causing
a counter reaction. This is true in any form of human relations, be it in a
working team or in a father and son relationship.

A game against the great Viktor Korchoi – young Garik had winning chances
but drew

In your opinion, can a less talented individual still succeed in chess,
if he or she has the utmost passion in the game and a detailed plan to get
there?

I had written in my book, How Life Imitates Chess, that working hard
is also part of an individual’s talent. Sometimes, I find it hard to understand
what it means when someone said, “Oh he or she is talented, but lazy”. To me,
this simply showed that there is a big gap in the person’s character. Working
hard is a form of talent – it is in fact, an important element of the person’s
talent. By not working hard, how can your natural gift become real diamonds?
So, that is why I think working hard is sometimes just as important to having
a talent. Of course, I must admit that it will be difficult for someone without
a huge talent to be a world champion. But, you can still go very high up and
achieve a lot, even with limited talent. Of course, when I said limited talent,
please do not get confused with the term. People can get really confused as
talent can mean anything, you know. Being number one in your school also requires
some talent. Being number one in the world also requires talent, but these are
very different forms of talent. That said, I am a great proponent of the concept
that the ability to work hard is a unique talent and if you can work hard and
if you can spend the long hours and if you can concentrate on the goal and if
you can make detailed plans, you could still be ahead of your competitor even
if you are less talented or less gifted in chess or anything else simply because
he or she is not as good in organizing their work.

We have all heard about your collaboration with the exceptionally talented
Magnus Carlsen. When did the collaboration begin?

I met him in Oslo in 2005. I was there filming a documentary and we spent a
few hours together. After I stopped playing chess, Magnus actually came to Moscow
with his father, and we spent a day maybe and that’s it. For the next four years,
we didn’t communicate except that I sent him my book, My Great Predecessors
volumes 1 and 2, through Frederic Friedel of ChessBase. We re-established our
contact last Christmas, again via Frederic, as there was an interest on Magnus’
part to find an opportunity to push ahead, because he has always had a problem
of not having a real coach, someone who could organize things in the most efficient
way. And, he also needs the extra teeth to play at the highest level. I mean
he is already quite good in beating the average GMs and even the strong GMs.
But, to become number one, you need more than just a talent, and I was quite
interested. So, we established this communication and we talked for a while.

First encounter: Garry Kasparov vs Magnus Carlsen in Reykjavik in 2004.
In game one Kasparov escaped with a draw (!), in the second he outplayed his
youthful opponent. "I was not at all happy with ½-1½ against Kasparov,"
said Magnus later. "I should have won as White. As Black I played like
a child!”

During Wijk ann Zee 2009, we spoke a couple of times on the telephone. It was
just the beginning. And before Linares 2009 we had just one short session. Technically,
in Linares, I had already offered him some advice, but it was not yet the full
scale work because I also needed time to prepare for it. Despite my continuous
work on chess and also my constant update of my chess database, I was obviously
lagging behind. And, I also needed to get back my feel of the competitive atmosphere
and it took a little bit of time before we actually got our act together. When
summer came, we had quite a good training session in Croatia. And, then we had
another training session in Oslo. I also accepted the chance to play the match
with Karpov because I got back my feel for the game after working with Magnus.
I got back with my senses. And, right after our Oslo training session, he played
very successfully in Nanjing. And after the Moscow tournament he is unofficially
number one. It’s still a very thin gap. And, I hope that London will be another
success for him – a real success so that he will end the year as the clear number
one in the official rating list. [This was said in November 2009]

Garry Kasparov coaching Magnus Carlsen in his summer residence in Croatia

Still, there is a lot of work to be done. I mean, he has showed tremendous
progress and resistance recently. He was very sick in Moscow and even considered
withdrawing after round two. I mean, we discussed it seriously with his father
and his doctor. He had a very high temperature and throughout rounds three and
four he played on while feeling really sick. He was seriously sick, and he only
gradually recovered before round six, after the game with Anand. But, he was
still far from good. I mean, even in the last round, he still had some complications
and it was very tough. And, I was very proud that he had a +2 in a tournament,
even with such horrible conditions. This showed that he is getting stronger.
It is a demonstration of your character, to do well, not only in tournaments
like Nanjing, but also when you are down and out. I think he is getting tougher
and I have high hopes for the future of this cooperation.

Found it! Carlsen works on a chess board, Kasparov on his notebook computer

I think it is important for chess to have someone like Magnus Carlsen to give
it a new “face” to excite the world. He is a young man with no prejudices of
the “old” world of chess. He is a representative of the new generation, with
an open approach and he can attract the following for the game of chess from
the public. The current leaders of the chess world are not very active in promoting
the game of chess, and they are not encouraging the new generations to join
in. I hope that things can change with Magnus.

Coaches will typically accompany their charges to tournaments. With your
busy schedule, how do you help Magnus during competitions?

Skype. We do Skype. Skype is most convenient. We can even send databases very
quickly you know, any database. It’s just Skype.

So modern technologies help a lot, huh?

But, still I have to admit that Skype and computers are not and cannot be considered
as equal replacements for normal training sessions. One of the problems for
the Moscow tournament was that Magnus and I couldn’t find the time for a normal
training session before the event. He was busy in Norway and I was in Mumbai.
Even three days, you know, of just moving the pieces, and things can be very,
very different. Before London, we are definitely going to have a session. There
is no doubt about this.

Is your collaboration with Carlsen an indication of your intent to form
the Kasparov Chess School, moving forward?

I have never stopped working on chess and education projects and I tried to
do it in several countries. The most successful attempt has been in the United
States. The Kasparov Chess Foundation was founded in 2002 and we had a very
generous donor who kept supporting us all these years. We built up a blueprint
curriculum that is used in all 50 states, of course mainly in New York, New
Jersey, Connecticut as well as in Chicago and Texas. Technically, we are in
all 50 states, in more than 3,000 schools and we are teaching teachers how to
teach chess. We believe that the teachers who are already in schools need some
simple lessons to teach the game of chess because it is more important to be
a teacher than to be a chess player in the classroom. And, again, our concept
is that chess is an inexpensive but very efficient way to improve their education.

Garry Kasparov with members of the Kasparov Chess Foundation

Besides that, the Kasparov Chess Foundation has been actively helping American
talents in the past few years. We have also been sponsoring semi-professional
youth events such as the All-Girls US Championship, whereby the Texas University
are providing scholarships for the winner. Twice a year, we run special chess
sessions with kids, the most talented ones. The next one will be in December,
just before Christmas. We started with many, up till 30, and now we have about
10 to 12 kids. We go through their games. It’s all very Soviet tradition that
we have now installed in the United States.

Kasparov during a Chess
Foundation simul at the Harlem Children's Zone

As you can see with all these, I’ve never stopped working on that level. But,
as for professional collaboration, my answer to your question is “No”. I mean,
if you work with a player like Magnus, you can’t work with anybody else. I also
have no interest for it as I am very satisfied working with Magnus. Working
with the kids through the Kasparov Chess Foundation as well as with Magnus keeps
my chess playing skills alive. And, it is a refreshing change, thanks to the
advice of my mother, to keep your mind working and not get bored or tired by
switching from one area of work to another. So, you don’t get stuck with politics,
or doing the speeches. I mean, playing chess, or working on chess and I am still
working on the books, you know volume three of all my games against Karpov this
year, and next year I will be working on another three volumes of Garry Kasparov’s
best games. But, you know, doing actual work with Magnus is also very refreshing.
And, I am very happy. It’s not that I am playing the moves in the games myself,
but sometimes, I feel that I am personally preparing for Kramnik or for Anand.
And, it’s nice. It feels good. Working with kids at the 2300-2400 level with
the Kasparov Chess Foundation is one story. Now, working with a 2800 player
is another story.

© Edwin Lam Choong Wai 2009

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