Originally posted by PacifiqueIts most excellent that Boris, like Tigran Petrosian likes football. Tigran was a Spartak
An interesting interview with Gelfand. Part 1
http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/boris-gelfand-i-was-by-no-means-inferior-in-this-match-interview-part-1-of-2
Moscow and a Glasgow Celtic supporter.
Originally posted by vishyanandOf course we have to speak about the comments made by Garry Kasparov, because he actually said that Anand was not showing his very best, that he was not playing at the same level as against Kramnik in 2008. What is your reaction to this?
2nd part of the interview
http://www.chessvibes.com/reports/boris-gelfand-kasparov-offered-his-help-but-i-said-no-interview-part-2-of-2?dlvr.it=
You know, I want to tell you something. In September last year I was approached by people representing Garry, and they suggested that he would help me during the match. They asked my representative if we wanted negotiations or not. This was while I was playing in Rogaska (at the European Club Cup in Rogaska Slatina - CV].
Wow! What exactly did they offer?
That he would be my second during the match, and probably during the preparation. They wanted to have negotiations about the format of his collaboration.
And how did you respond?
I was really shocked. He had just been helping Vishy in the previous match, I knew he was working with Hikaru [Nakamura], so obviously I said no. For me it was unthinkable to receive help from somebody who has access to secrets of my colleagues.
You would never have the guarantee that certain information might become accessible to others...
No, not only this, it's my personal point of view. I think it's unthinkable. Only two years have passed when you helped one player, and now you help against him. I would feel very bad' it's against my convictions to use this.
And you think this is why Kasparov made these comments?
From the moment I said no, only negative thing were said by him about the match, about me, about Vishy... I couldn't think that such a great player would take such a revenge, but nobody has managed to provide me with a better explanation so far.
During the match I asked my seconds to brief me about what was written in the media, and there were only negative things. Like now, it was also said that under any other system I wouldn't have qualified. You know, it's like Winnie-the-Pooh, wrong bees are producing wrong honey. OK, under Garry's system I couldn't qualify but he was picking up the challengers. But I think I proved enough, in a tournament like Mexico, in short matches, long matches, I can do well in any format. I think I proved this throughout my career, and I don't need any other proof.
I've been thinking about the Gelfand quote about an "intellectual effort," and I really disagree with it.
The long and short of it is that chess is or people who love chess.
Imagine if you put all the time you put into study and playing into something like mathematics, or some other body of study. That's a real intellectual effort.
Fischer put 15 hrs. a day into chess study, but the man who was probably his dad wrote a critique of the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, as well as produced work on continuum mechanics, fluid dynamics, hydrostatics, statistical mechanics, non-equilibrium thermodynamics and stress mechanics.
It's blasphemous to us chess lovers, but whose effort was more intellectual?
In reality, we could all play poker all the time and study it with the same rigor as we do chess and we would all have a lot more money.
Chess is a game that demands a lot of mental discipline, but I for one think we play it because we love it, not to come off as "intellectuals."
Gelfand is right on when he talks about the responsibility of top chess players to the fans. Early draws in equal positions may lack the excitement of two gladiators in a fight to the death, but chess fans who are willing to make the intellectual effort to comprehend why the GMs feel there is nothing to play for in such positions will be amply rewarded.