Vladimir Kramnik: “Winning the match against Anand
is more important than being top of the rating list”
Interview
with Yuriy Vasiliev
Chess Observer, "Sport-Express Daily" (Moscow)
This interview with the winner of the Tal Memorial, Vladimir Kramnik, took
place immediately after his game with Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine. This game
turned out to be the longest in this final round of draws…
Vladimir, the tournament in Moscow was dedicated to the memory of the
eighth world champion, Mikhail Tal. What do you think of him? Did you ever
meet him across the board?
We played two rapid games. It was in 1991, the year before he died. Of course,
at that time, Mikhail Nekhemyevich was not the man he had once been, but such
was his unique charm that I fell under his spell even in such a short acquaintance.
Tal was an exceptionally well-rounded chessplayer. The usual picture of him,
as constantly playing adventurously, always sacrificing pieces, does not do
justice to the real genius of the man. A few years ago, I looked through a collection
of his best games, and realised that he played a great many games in really
excellent positional style. In his youth, yes, he used to create these combinational
tornados on the board, but in his later years, he simply outplayed his opponents
by virtue of his deeper understanding. It is wonderful that the Russian Chess
Federation is running a tournament in his honour. Tal is probably the most colourful
of all the world champions.
You managed to score plus-four in this tournament in his honour, a tournament
of category 20. Surely now nobody can say that you are “only a match player”…
This year I have won several tournaments. Only in Mexico did things not go
right – although, even there I did not play any worse. I simply did not
have enough luck. Here, fate was on my side.
In two of your games, against Leko and Shirov, everyone was astonished
at the fantastic technique you showed, in converting a microscopic advantage.
Some people are saying that your technique is better even than that of the
legendary Capablanca
I would not compare myself with Capablanca, that’s going too far... But nobody
can argue with the fact that I perhaps have the best technique of any player
around today [smiles].
But your game against Mamedyarov in the penultimate round, you played
in quite a different style – very sharply and riskily. This game reminded
me of the days of the tournaments in Novgorod [in the mid-1990s]. Don’t you
think so?
A lot depends on who you are playing. Mamedyarov is a very principled player
– he plays sharply, comes at you, and tries to win. I have never avoided sharp
play, but it does not usually arise, because my opponents play with a greater
measure of safety. Therefore, in the game with Mamedyarov, and also that with
Alekseev, I showed that I can also play a different style of chess from that
in the games with Leko and Shirov.
Maybe the time will come when you can relegate to the past your well-known
match strategy: win with white and draw with black?
Some problems remain. For greater success in tournaments, my repertoire is
still a little too dry with the black pieces. In this tournament, it did not
matter, because I won nearly all my white games, but in some other tournaments,
it prevents me achieving better results. But, as you may have noticed in Mexico,
I am trying to play in a more universal style.
In this tournament in Moscow, you were assisted by Dutch GM, Loek van
Wely, although in Russia in general, and Moscow in particular, I know that
you have many friends amongst the grandmaster ranks. What made you decide
to work with the Dutch grandmaster?
As far as my friends and colleagues in Russia are concerned, they are all
busy at the moment, but notwithstanding this fact, I would have taken van Wely
with me anyway. I like him as a person, he is a very cheerful young man. And
he also suits me as a specialist, as he has many interesting ideas. We started
working together prior to Mexico, and I will be pleased to work with him in
the future.
Van Wely will be one of the players in the January tournament in Wijk
aan Zee, and will therefore not be able to help you then. What are your hopes
for this tournament?
Yes, Loek will play in the main tournament, so I will have another second.
In the past, for some reason unknown to me, I have not played so well in Holland.
But this time, I am very determined. It will be a very important tournament,
with an extremely strong field. I very much want to win the tournament, both
to strengthen my number one position in the world ratings, and also to prove
something to myself. I have more than one month to prepare, which is good, and
I will prepare very seriously for Wijk-aan-Zee.
One of the biggest statistical specialists in the chess world, Edward
Dubov, who calculates the current ratings of all the top players, told me
that after your success in Mexico, you will go top of the January rating list.
Does this mean a lot to you?
Several people have already told me this. Of course, it is nice to go to number
one in the rating list. Not so many people have ever done this. But I cannot
say that I attach huge importance to it. Firstly, because I have already been
number one once before. It was quite some time ago – in 1996. Now I have become
number one again. I don’t know how long I will maintain this position, but I
will try to hang onto it for as long as possible. But for me, winning the forthcoming
world championship match against Anand is much more important.
Is everything going OK as regards the match?
I can say that there are no problems on my side. I have signed the contract
and sent it off. I know that Anand is having discussions with FIDE, but I do
not know the details. On this subject, you should ask the FIDE leadership and
Anand himself.
What do you think about the match with Anand?
He is a very serious opponent. Chances are about equal. Everything will depend
on the details. Who prepares better. Who puts together the best team. Lots of
little things, which in reality are not little things at all. I never try to
guess the future, I just do everything that I can do. And if this proves enough
for victory, I will be very pleased.
The match will take place in the autumn of next year. Where do you plan
to play before then?
After Wijk aan Zee, I will play in Monaco, and in the summer in Dortmund.
I hope to play somewhere else as well, before the match.
Will you play in Linares?
No, I am skipping Linares. That would be a bit too much work.
On the day this interview appears in “Sport-Express”, the world blitz
championship will take place in the exhibition hall of GUM [a major shopping
arcade in Central Moscow, opposite the Kremlin]. You have by no means a bad
previous record in this form of chess. One only has to recall your drawn blitz
marathon against Kasparov, played in the Cosmos Hotel, or when you won one
of the strongest Moscow blitz tournaments with an almost 100% score. What
are your hopes this time round?
The results you mention were a long time ago (smiles). Nowadays I only play
blitz very rarely, and look on it as just a relaxation, which of course is what
it is. In blitz, it is very important to be what they call “a practiced hand”.
I will try of course, and will do a little bit of training beforehand, and try
to remember my past triumphs. But playing the younger generation will not be
easy. I know that they spend days and nights on various websites, playing blitz.
This is interesting, but I do not think it is very useful. I do not do it myself.
But anyway, I hope I don’t do too badly. I am not setting myself any particular
targets. I will just try to enjoy myself.
And what do you think about the so-called “advanced chess” match with
Anand, where you can use the computer’s help?
This is purely a show. In this form of play, the computer’s role is 80% and
yours only 20%. But this 20% is decisive. You have to know how to use the computer
well, when to turn it on and when to switch it off. I hope I manage to do so.
Will your wife Marie-Laure be supporting you during the tournament?
She supports me very strongly, Every round, she phoned me before and after
the game, and she reacts very emotionally to my victories. Each time, she treats
it like something unusual, historical (smiles). I am always surprised by this,
and each time, I try to explain to her that it is normal, and that sometimes
I do actually win (smiles). But she is always delighted, like a child. It is
nice for me to be able to give this pleasure to her, and to my parents and brother.
And to all of my supporters. In Moscow, I felt very strongly that almost everyone
was behind me, and this helped to give me additional energy.
Marie-Laure and Vladimir Kramnik
