Azerbaijani chess player Teimour Radjabov gave an interview to the Russian press.
Idman.biz reports that the experienced grandmaster answered questions about his career.
- Do you remember the brightest times of your career?
- The most memorable times were in Argentina in 2001. I went to the Miguel Najdorf memorial tournament. The team included chess players such as Anatoly Karpov, Viktor Korchnoi, Judit Polgar, Nigel Short. I was 14 years old, so it's hard to play with giants at that age. They asked me to give a session before the tournament. Karpov could not do it for some reasons. I agreed, but I didn't expect that there were teenage ballplayers. There were prize winners of the junior world championship, champions of Argentina. I won 8 and drew 2. It was a tough test. I was so tired that I felt like I had finished the tournament. After that, I refused to give sessions for a long time. I later found out that the grandmasters wanted the organizers to have the rating level of the session participants below a certain number. Otherwise, an intense struggle begins, and this is not correct. It is true that we have also seen the sessions of the grandmasters. But this is a completely separate test. I cannot call myself a professional session giver. But when the organizers ask, I agree in most cases. Especially when there are games with children. It is important for them to play, talk and analyze with grandmasters. I remember that as a child I never missed such opportunities. This gave me motivation for future work.
- You have been asked a lot about Harry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov. How do you remember Viktor Korchnoi?
- He is a very bright personality. We had a meeting with him. I was 10-11 years old then. We would constantly play blitz, he would talk about his matches for the world championship and share his thoughts about modern chess. It was in the Top-20 at the time, which was amazing. After many years of constantly playing in tournaments, he showed his incredible love for chess in practice. He played six-hour matches, including classic chess, until he was 80 years old. I remember the inter-team championship of Russia. He fought until the end, avoiding draws. He fought uncompromisingly in life and behind the board. In the history of chess, grandmasters played at a serious level until the age of 60. I can't remember anyone else in their 70s and 80s. I remember Korchnoi as brilliant, incredible, hard-working and a hater of defeat. Obviously, nobody likes to lose. But for him, every defeat was a small death.
- You played in the final of the "Champions Chess Tour-2021" and took the second place after Magnus Carlsen. Can you evauate this tournament?
- This is a good system for everyone to earn well from home. But, unfortunately, negative points cannot be avoided in any online tournament.
- Is there someone you would like to interview?
- I am not a journalist or an interviewer. But it would be nice to talk to Roger Federer. I have been a fan of him for many years. I think I deserved a joint espresso. I hope to have such an opportunity at one of the Grand Slam tournaments.
- Which of the young supertalents do you like the most: Gukesh, Firudja, Pragnanadkha, Erigaysi, Abdusattorov, Keymer...
- They do not show the champion-level results that Carlsen showed at that age. It's hard to say. There is no super-level and pure dominance over his counterparts.
- Are Caruana, Nakamura and Nepomnyashi the main favorites in the contenders tournament?
- I think the favorites are Fabiano and Jan. Both have experience winning contenders tournaments. It will be difficult for everyone to face them.
- Don't you agree that the winner of the tournament will be considered a favorite in the match with Dean Lijen?
- It is difficult to say something. Dean is also a world champion, a supergrandmaster. For many years, he was ranked 2-3 in the world ranking. He has proved his high level for years. Yes, he is not in good form now. But it should not be underestimated.
- Evgeny Tomashevski works with promising Azerbaijani chess player Aydin Suleymanli...
- Yes, he worked with many young Azerbaijanis and helped the women's team. Now he started working more closely with Aydın.
- What is its potential? Can you repeat your path?
- It depends on his relationship with chess. A grandmaster's life should be completely dedicated to this sport. This applies not only to Aydın, but to all young people. If you relax and enjoy life, trying to show off at a high level will not work. True, there were exceptions when a genius chess player went down in history only thanks to super talent. But in modern sports, full concentration is important.
- Nijat Abbasov, semi-finalist of the World Cup, will also play in Toronto, which will host the contenders tournament. Did it come as a surprise to you?
- This was a big surprise for everyone. No one will argue. Even for Nicat himself. He was playing in his native country, the great attention encouraged him. Every day, a large number of people gathered in front of the game hall to support our compatriot. This also affects competitors. No doubt, he has already been heroic. Now let's see how the debut in the Contenders tournament will be. It will be a tough test. We are close friends with Nicat. Our high hopes are for the Chess Olympiad, where we have never won a medal.
- Is this your main goal for 2024?
- Not a goal, but a dream. We have assembled a super team many times. But we could not win a medal. We even had times when we were leaders.
Idman.biz
