 Love a nice win with the white pieces today pleased with your game. Oh, yes, any time I win I'm pleased. I think generally the level of opening preparation and The class of the players has raised by a mile in Last open I played it wasn't that difficult. Also, I have to say it was great to have you back on the live boards today So we could actually follow the beautiful game you played. You must not have played on a non-DGT board in a really long time What was that like yesterday? It took off the pressure so I could Concentrate and play better than I played on the first day You played so bad so much better that you finished the game very quickly yesterday So you didn't get to enjoy that for too long. Yeah, it's true. It's true, but I Mean the game was short, but very enjoyable for me And how has your experience in an open tournament playing here in Gibraltar been so far? It's very enjoyable. I mean I You know, I'm playing Every time I play somebody new that I haven't played before so it It's kind of a challenge and I love challenges. So I Look forward to my next games It's also very different because you're You're very used to playing certain players throughout the year who you you meet your colleagues very often across the board and here 90% of the people you you have no idea about so how's that psychologically? It's kind of easier in some way because you know that These guys don't know you and you don't know them so pressure is off I mean, you don't have to settle some scores things like this And I have to ask you I mean, what is the how do you adjust to an open tournament format because it's been a long time since you've played one What is the difference and how do you adjust to it? I? Won't say I have adjusted yet. I'm in the process But I think the important thing in an open tournament is to take more risks. Well in a Roundup and you know that you know, there are certain Amount of points that you need to score and there is I mean, that's that's the goal Here the goal is very much dependent on how your opponents or your peers play so You push much more for a win in an open tournament And in that quest of pushing harder for a win. Do you also adapt your openings? Yeah, you try to play something that Will give you more chances and I have to go back to round one Which was a big upset for the Gibraltar chess festival where you drew with Anita. How was that game and what were your feelings after? Yeah, I was I Mean, I generally don't play well in the first round. So something I'm One of the few things I share with the Mikhail town So that makes me happy in some way sometimes Magnus Carlson as well. Yeah, but Yeah, this time It was beyond bad so I was just wandering things which I shouldn't and And Yeah, I was At some point I needed to go for a draw. I didn't and then I knew that I'm losing but okay it's also difficult for My opponent So it was a draw and I was kind of upset but at the same time, you know What to do I Haven't played In an open tournament for quite a long time, so I understood that it's a part of it's a part of it It's it's a cup that I have to drink And then you played two beautiful games attacking games where you won really quickly. So did you? Did you just talk yourself through it? Or is there anything particular that you do to get your mood back because in general you're a very happy-go-lucky guy? Yeah, well, I Knew that I'm playing white and I felt okay. I need to go for an attack which Generally, I mean when you attack It's it's much better for your mood and Defending that's that's what my experience tells me and yeah, I I like the way I played yesterday and I like the way I played today so It was fun right my final question now before we let you go something that I'm sure a lot of chess fans think About and would love to know now two of the world's best tournaments clash with each other as chess lovers We we hope and pray that would change one day, but we've got why can't say which is this traditional super tournament? Unmatched in many ways, and we've got the best open in the world the Gibraltar chess festival a Player like you who's been a regular at white. How do you how do you decide between the two? Or what is it that motivated you to come here this time? I? I You know since I Like to play in vikings a it was difficult for me to Choose Gibraltar this year, but last year I've had I mean a year before I had some bad play in vikings a so I thought okay. It's time to change Yeah, yeah, so it's not that I don't enjoy being here. I absolutely love being here and The weather and generally the atmosphere is wonderful, but I Have to say it's normally just the way it goes. You don't really choose Mainly the organizers choose you Right well, we absolutely love having you here. Thank you for your time and good luck. Thank you very much