 Our first masterclass here at the 27 trade wise Gibraltar 2017 trade wise for the chess vessel You're here two years ago It's special in top all of who's been a former well feeder world champion 2005 And one of the absolute top chess players in the world for the last 20 years vessel in if not longer than that Welcome back to Gibraltar your second visit. Yeah, second. Yeah. How are you feeling? How's it feel to be back? I'm really enjoying a good sign. Yeah, great Well, you have prepared something special I think for us today. Oh, yeah I prepared a lecture about the mistakes we we do we make When we take some moves for granted and it usually happens with during the calculations But it could be on move on our first moves of the line we calculate or sometimes it can be much deeper So, okay, I'll start with one very famous position one very famous game that was played in 1984 in the first match between Kasparov and car proof and of course, okay It's not really like a big thing, but for example in this position I don't know how to get to Do I click? Coming soon Yeah, so it's this famous game between A couple of in Kasparov in their first match So it was not a big mistake what Kasparov did, but of course he's a bit worse And he should just wait so it's a question if White is winning or not but of course he should have waited and I think he took for granted that after Hgh, of course couple foot immediately take back and then let's say King goes to f4 but But if it's for example if the knight goes to f4 then Bishop should Should go to f7 and to protect both pawns on d5 and h5 if the knight goes to c5 Then of course the black has to stay on with their bishop to c8 and of course wait But of course what Kasparov didn't expect was the move knight g2 again He took for granted that white would take the pawn, but I don't know if knight g2 is stronger than the move gh, but I think the very shock of not Considering that move it was a big blow for him and eventually he couldn't defend this position so So well as we see it happens to everyone and the next Position I'll want to show is The the the next one So the next position as like around 12 years ago it happened to him as well And I'm showing a game that I don't think it's like the best example But I want to show it because I was present and it was a very important final of the Rapid event in Geneva in 1996 and then did this was the decisive the decisive Bleach game you were playing in this event. I was there Yeah, I was knocked out by Kasparov I think and then the final was Kasparov against Anand and it was very strange that the first game of the 25 minutes Final was one with black game with Kasparov But then the second one he got a very easy position with white until he only needed a draw, but he pushed Like I think he kind of relaxed and then eventually he lost. I think he managed to take and then they reached this decisive Bleach game when Kasparov was completely dominating we had more time and two pawns up. So So we we reached this position when well He's clear advantage, you know, and he could just take with the knight and then he he would immediately He would probably win the final then he can also play a five a very strong move and Well many or just to castle But again, he took and of course he believed that immediately Queen takes is like forced, but the thing is that after Queen g4 he's already lost in one move exactly. Yeah, but of course. Yeah, again, it was a blitz game. So It was a blitz game so Blitz or not, that was a blitz game and it's easy to miss that move and then It just completely turned And he eventually lost that game and also lost the final. So Black Archie has three pieces under attack now It's quite amusing. Yeah, and then of course he had to castle, but okay, he's already a queen queen down and lost position and Think vision never let him Escape. Mm-hmm. So two mistakes from Gary. Yeah So the the next position I want to show is the disposition it's just some theoretical Position that there's been there's been already some games that's for example here This is a theoretical position when obviously what can take on d8 and Black takes on d1 what takes on c7 and black takes on b2 But also there is this this move which is very funny. Oh, this is an amazing famous Yeah, that you're just so and of course it's very very easy to you know to to miss this kind of move I just show it because I really like it, you know, it's one of the moves I I will always remember especially the first time I saw it looked to me amazing So that's how is it possible to find such move without using a computer? Well, that's been played in the year 2000, so I don't think it was really well But I mean Bishop did d8 was played and There's been already several games with the move queen F3 as well But I knew it like more than 10 years ago But okay, of course, it's not the end because again We have the same stuff now that you can take the queen You can take the bishop, but of course the movies the strong the best movies Quincy And of course now what has to take and then I think d5 and some compensation So this is the second position. I I like to show and then of course my I'm starting with my experience Last year I played In St. Louis and the Siegfield Cup and the tournament was going great for me So but in the first five games, I had absolutely similar situations. So if you look here So my opponent took and took on d4 So of course I was considering e5 which is to win a piece and eventually it's stronger than what I did But it was you know, it was a bit of Jetlock it was a bit that the first round I wanted to be solid and I also considered this move was also good enough and in my calculations Here After 94 my original idea was to take and then after night takes b4 then Rook takes e4 and I thought that then queen e2 and it was a very good pressure for white But again if I take Black is not forced to take because he has night of proof. Yes. So already we have this problem And of course, yeah after after ed of course, I'm not forced to take e5 But what happens after e5? I see after e5 white is a bit better, but it's quite complicated I think take and I think knight b3. So white wins a piece and I think objectively whitest has a better position, but Don't remember the real but again it looked to me both moves were okay And simply that the move CD was clearer, you know, it was easier to play for white but again my mistake was that in this position I My region was used to take and I thought it was Forced to take on b4 and then I realized that night if too was strong. So That was in the first round eventually Of course, I knew that I could take and it was even some slow small advantage After Rook c1 and it was probably not much, but I think my opponent he made some Mistake in the calculation and he just blended the piece. So that was the first That was the first round so we already had this situation with when we we have Some moves that we considered forced and then the second round I was playing Fabiano so the way the game went pretty very good for me and I think here I I Fabiano played the move bishop a2 which was a mistake So I and he missed that here. I have this very strong move and and now He found the best the best Way to play because position is better for black. He had to sacrifice his queen. Yeah, and And yeah, but okay, of course he has three pieces and some fortresses and you know It look it's not clear. So of course here I made the natural move Queen d4 but after bishop f3 while it's still better But of course now it's not so easy and finally it was a draw But my mistake was that okay, obviously Queen d4 can't be a bad move That's what I thought and I actually saw the move rookie eight Which was actually much much stronger because now We exchanged the rooks and then somehow black is white is not able to Prevent the the penetration of black Queen like for example if he takes and King f1 then I just go Queen e4 and I didn't treat I saw it was good But I didn't realize that in fact it looks completely meaningful for me So your computer was showing you like almost Almost a bit to point. It's very weak. Yeah, because I'm penetrating. So again natural taking Like it looks like a forced move and it can't it is not a bad move, but of course again, it's not It's not the best move. Do you remember it said did you pay that move very quickly? No, no, no because I I think my Fabiano he was also in a time travel But I said, okay, come on rookie eight It just couldn't believe Queen d4 was a bad move and he indeed is not a bad move But it's simply not it's missing the win because for example if after this move White can go rookie three, but again, I think it's more or less the same somehow same problem somehow I'm penetrating to e4 and then again to b1 and Black is not able to or maybe not maybe maybe in this position Queen e7 is actually stronger and after Knight Queen e7 is stronger Instead of where was the queen? here So I'm So if black if white Goes like this then I have b4 b3 or maybe just go like this and Queen d3. So, okay, of course it's With computer it's easy to realize black is winning, but over the board it. We don't know it. So that's the reason I took so Again, it was not a mistake. It was a very natural move, but it was not the best. So I missed the win So a very human move queen. Yeah, of course, but that's the typical Move that we take without big thing without thinking we take and then Okay, just That's what I couldn't believe it It's it cannot be a bad move. It can it can be a bad move, but it's again. It's missing the The win. Yeah, so my next move my next Game was on the the day after I played against Vacher so I prepared Some line which very forced line. It's very Very popular variation and I thought that white was pressing a bit and So, okay, it's you know this typical line when There are already hundreds of games and so I thought this was A bit disturbed Annoying for black because Vacher he already played Against Geary in the first round and he was worse. So I had some small idea So that was more or less the position where I think Gristuk agreed to draw it. I don't I don't agree and Gristuk They agree to draw but I thought it could be a bit better, especially if White is able to put his pawn on c4 and then I had some Let's say small ideas, but of course So he played queen h3 and now That was not the move that computer liked Because I I can just go to a three, you know with of course white white Wants to take on black wants to take on only four. So of course, I have to I have to protect and after long thing It showed how bad my Form was I played rook d3 after like 10 15 minutes to think and of course I completely missed that losing a piece, but I was lucky that After this the ending is closer to a draw then Then the loss then then winning for black So eventually I could push my pawns on b4 and white has some activity and it was a draw But again, it's very funny that After rook d3 apparently The winning move is not rook c2, but first d5. Wow and after White takes only then rook c2 Just explain explain the difference, please. The difference is that in this position Let's say here Black goes like this Of course, it's very difficult to keeping the pen, of course It's very difficult to to see it, but again the natural move Which I would say I would say 9 out of 10 players maybe 95 out of 100 would take on c2 because just a clear pawn, of course, but it's not the best move Taking and the forced and the natural is not not the best so d and Vashil he actually said he considered move d5, but again, it probably happened to him what happened to me against Carolina that I mean, okay, you just it's difficult to resist winning a pawn a clear pawn you know and Well, it's he took a practical decision, but it was just not the the best As black you would have played rook c2 probably as well again, maybe out of 100 players maybe 95 would take Strong place, of course Of course So my so that was in the third round and next round. I was playing Hikaru All of these players are here Vashilin this year. Yes, Maxime Fabiano Hikaru In fact, did you see the man of the city? We did a little compilation video asking some of you some of our top players like yourself a few questions Tanya I think was asking the questions and one of the questions was who would you most like to play here? And I think it was Fabiano said he'd most like to play you because when you play each other Your games always become very interesting and kind of crazy games. No, I actually What would you ask me? Who I would like to beat and I said I would like to To beat Hikaru because he's winning against me All the time No, but it doesn't mean I want to play him It means that if I if I play I would like to I would be pleased to win so so in the fourth round against Hikaru we had a very interesting game. I had this queen sacrifice. I think he didn't really Consider it probably because it looked to me very natural because it's a new move That ed was played and then after it's also probably good bishop p6 rookie eight 94 But of course it looked to me very good to take and then of course white has to Take the queen and then um He made some mistakes So, uh, he so he was somehow in trouble already and then uh b4 and bc So I played here 96 So, uh, again I thought that uh, for example, uh, it cannot be a bad move Looks very natural. So and if he takes then my idea was I don't remember Which rook I was planning to take. I think probably this one and then he has to stop he he has a problem to stop Because first he has to play something like g3 and then I thought here and then bishop d5 Bishop d4 95 or and through b8 would be I thought it was Very good advantage for black And again, uh, I I made a natural move considering that he's forced to take Looks like it. But in fact, he was not forced. He played here and then he could somehow Develop he could play g3 and Castle but again what I missed was that in this position, um In this in this very position Taking is not good. No I had a much stronger move bishop d4 and it looks now black has a very very big advantage Hmm. So again taking is was not good, uh, like the I mean here I made two mistakes first. I thought first I didn't find the best move bishop d4 and then of course I conceded the mathematical change Exchange exchange, right, which was also a mistake Was this queen sacrifice vessel and just quickly go back to when you played knight except was this something you prepared at home No, it's not that I prepared but of course, it's very typical. I I played A game against levon and it was very similar that he he also Played with he took with the knight and I could I could have taken the queen But then it would be still very dangerous. So I it already happened, but I was wide then great I get so But after e4 was he kind of expecting knight before what was he expecting? I think that against against Levon what we played was like this Like this here c5 here He played knight c6. I took knight d5 And now of course, it's the same right similar. Well, so I could go uh e4 and take So he was prepared to I already had this But you didn't play you for no, I did I played e3 And then after queen a5 it was more or less a draw We kind of exchanged But so I knew this idea of queen sack But the the very fact that he thought for so long I think Showed that he didn't really like the The idea and he he was not ready for that But again so again, I here the natural taking was a mistake I mean, I I made a double mistake first I I took And then I because I considered he would take on c8 Like Okay, so why is bishop d4 such a strong move because then Um, I think the the the c file is opened So he I mean after the move bc Somehow he's able to win some couple of tempest that played g3 and bishop e2 castle and his knight is very well placed But if I play bishop d4 my next move is Taking on c5 and then I have also bishop b4 check So black is in a big big trouble. White is in a big trouble already So that was in the fourth fourth round and then finally I think I kind of realized my mistake because That you know the moves we take for granted are not forced And in my fifth round game against Um Dinkley rain, I was better after the opening, but of course he defended and then we reached Let's say this kind of Ending after ruby six, which I I didn't know how to consider was it winning or or not But of course, it's not easy to defend. So I think for example here It's difficult to say if it's If it's winning or not, but I think he started to he allowed me to create some mating threats So I could somehow enter and start to To to threaten his in his time trouble His king and finally looks very unpleasant for black. Yeah, but again here the thing is that Uh We repeat it and it was a mistake because In this position What I I think check here check here And what I simply couldn't immediately realize was in this position when I was calculating Of course, I I saw check Here because I okay, it makes no sense to go to f5 because I have check on f8 What I didn't realize was that in this position You know that immediately, uh, well that of course this was I thought it was a draw because Black checks and then here but again It took me quite a lot of time to realize that in this position. I don't have to take So if I go king h2 He he's not able to you know black is not able to to stop the move king g3 with the idea h4 And only when I realized Only when Only when I realized but of course again, uh, it's very hard to see that somehow. Yeah, but it took me it was The second time to control so After move 60, so it's we were both tired, but finally I could realize it and then he also saw it So but because in this position Apparently king f7 was a draw. Really? Yeah, so we both make made this mistake, but I think he also didn't see that that King h2 was winning so He played this move Instead of bishop h2 in this position After after rook f8 instead of this move He played rook b2 and then after and Rook c7 and g3 he he can't stop the mate right I mean knight g2 bishop g2 is simply knight g2 and And rook c5 mate So I finally learned my From my mistakes and as an end I would like to show another position because I I think it's amazing it's I reached somehow to it It's very hard to train oneself for to find this kind of moves. Oh, yeah, because it's I mean, how do you train for that? Well, it's simply you have to always know that especially now With computers, I think computers they They teach us to look at every single move sometimes. It's We don't have to to believe that there are so many that all everything is forced right So so this is the position I wanted to show the thing is that I believe It's one of the very very very positions where humans are better than computers So I gave this position to several strong grandmasters like paco vallejo salgado and and of course they find they find the the Best move much quicker than the computers really so yeah, and finally just before this tournament My laptop it took it around half an hour to find the best move and it's it's It takes around 20 seconds to all of these grandmasters to realize that this is winning Because after knight takes f5 knight d5 and then somehow For example, this is very funny. This line is winning with the simple move c3 So white wants to play d bishop d4. So For example h6 So bishop d4 is queen g5, but of course you stop it And again the idea is bishop d4 So black has to go c5 for example, and of course now bishop f4 is very strong, but also I like this line For example like this check And now h5 And then you collect So again, I I would like everyone to try on his computer, but I believe that It really takes because from exchange up. I'm not sure if black if white plays differently. I'm not sure if It's winning because if the black If black puts his knight on f5 and then play b6 or bishop b7 or d6 bishop d7 It's really really hard to break black has a very strong Blockade, why did this position come from is it from one of your games? Yes, just preparation and in fact the funny thing was that I found it blindfold. I mean blindfold Yeah, and then he and then It's turned out it was true But again, of course If you put most of the grandmaster, they would find it. I believe but computers. It's really takes Even the strongest engines now it take them Around half an hour. They're almost depth 40 maybe so So again, it's like I believe that computers are stronger in 99 percent of the positions or maybe even if in 19 out of thousand positions, maybe in 990 maybe they they they're stronger, but this special position. I think humans are better still. Yeah, so there's still hope No, I mean in this position I think computer likes to take on g6 because it doubles the points but then but then black goes to f5 and then Once the bishop goes to b7 or d7. It's really really hard to break because It has very good white squares for Very good white square for for his pieces So you have to but of course human realize that you know, it's difficult to jump for exchange up to two-pounds down For computer to realize it is stronger to play with two-pounds down rather than with an exchange up How does it feel? I mean all players have this of all strengths now that everyone uses computers all the time To prepare and to you know, when you you think you've played a great game You go home you put on the computer and you see it was full of mistakes on both sides. No mistakes. I mean, you know well, of course it's Of course, there are several effects that I think that the respect Especially the chess fans had for the world champions or the big grand masters. It's been it's lost But you mean of the past or Particularly now now because when we spent Half an hour or 10 minutes over a move and eventually the computer shows it in one second, obviously We can't call ourselves geniuses But but then of course and and again the I think the general level Really has improved really really a lot like again if we see today's round We had on the top boards games between players of around 300 points difference and It was not as easy as it was before many draws on that. So well, but it's normal because the first 10 15 moves are Played the same way by 2300 player And the world champion plays more less the same moves than the first 15 moves. You can't really win so easy Have you noticed the difference in your own career from for example, 10 years ago when you played 2500? I would say when I was playing open, especially 20 25 years ago More than 20 years ago here in Spain. It was really easy to to win many games And I would say the difference was much bigger than now, right? Who would like to ask uh, vessel in a question from our audience? On any of the positions that he's been discussing and Making mistakes or something else about his career anyone neil in the back Aslan It's a pleasure talking to you. It's a pleasure meeting you two questions to you one is Some of your recent interviews you had said this statement that Uh, I realized that There are more important things in life than chess and my philosophy towards chess is a little bit changed and so on Maybe i'm not quoting the right words correct exact words Uh, you have always been a very dynamic player one of the most dynamic players in the history of chess With this change in your personal philosophy Is it possible to play the still the same kind of brand of chess that you always played all these years? Well, I guess it's still possible, but just results are not the same No, I don't think i'm going to change my style because I still like to have Interesting games, but obviously once you train less and less the results sooner late Will go down and actually I even when I won in 2015 in stavanger I had showed good result and even then I said that somehow my brain Was not working as as good as before and and Especially sometimes the memories Collapsing I can't really Remember all these lines because the the information becomes more and more so in disrespect The young players obviously they do have a big advantage compared to us Because I don't think Experience can compensate the The calculation I believe that in 80 90 percent of the games are decided by Tactical blows and tactical mistakes. So it's logical that young players who calculate better They will have the better results And one thing about your technique you are known in the history of chess to be one of the most Let's say prolific exchange sacrifice players Any reason for that? No, not I no, not really No, not really it just It just happened. I I don't have an explanation because they have the There's been this famous Position from Petrosian who played rookie seven two is six But I again I don't Have this explanation. It just happened, you know So any particular player who influenced you the most when you were growing up? Well, you know my first coach he was a big fan of fissure. So In the chess club we were Teaching he was teaching us the king's indian and the night off That's was what fissure was playing and still I I mean i'm My life night of player And king senior I was playing when I was younger So fissure Kasparov obviously because during their first match I was eight I was nine in 84. So I Obviously I grew up with the matches between Kasparov and Karpov and at the beginning I was rooting for Karpov for some reason I don't understand because my style is completely It's much more similar to Kasparov style, but For some reason, I just liked his name I thought Karpov and not Kasparov. I don't know why and But again, it's when you're young when I was nine You you do things you don't really understand why so Tell us a bit Veselin. I'm for some other questions as well about um, Sylvia now Sylvia Daniloff is of course your manager great friend he's been your coach and Companion on your journey since you were young very young boy. I think Fairly young. Don't just a little bit about that. Tell us Sylvia was going to be here. He was going to play I see this here, but he's had to pull out unfortunately. So we'd not be singing this I think we are working since I was 16 or no, I was 16 okay, Sylvia Daniloff. So how is that? No at the beginning he was also coach, you know, and now he's mainly almost just giving general advisors and managing but We started It was very funny because At the end of 1991 Because I was not born in in Sofia in the capital of Bulgaria and Accidentally I saw him and I said I heard that he had some connections to organizing in spain and I told him, okay Why don't you kind of marry manage some? Tournaments for me and then I left and I forgot, you know just I didn't think that was serious and then he just called and we had several tournaments and It's very very lucky that the first one I I took second place and then Something happened in a very strong tournament in Gran Canaria in 1991 Someone dropped and then I took his place and then Kortschnoi was there and I could make this immediately the second Grandmaster norm So I shared the first place with Kortschnoi and I think Franco So I was very lucky that To to immediately have this success and then to be a grandmaster at 17 was a very good age now, of course, I think if you're 15 it's already late, but But 17 was a good day good age for to be a grandmaster then and yeah, and since then of course we had spain was a great Country for chess. There are many many opens and that's what I needed I I and I won many opens and then I also started to get the invitations for closed tournaments. So in one year I could improve my rating and from I would say at the beginning of At the beginning of 1993. I was already in top 20 somehow But it was you know Good good times More questions anyone back Andrew been talking about computers Do you think the world order the ranking order of players would be any different if there wasn't any computers? because some people perhaps rely on preparation perhaps more than others Definitely, I don't think it affects I would probably say that Magnus would still be number one because he Especially if you look at his games, he just doesn't like this long forced opening lines and I would say computers they help the weaker players You know to to start a game in a normal position Of course, then you can still lose, but it will not be a complete disaster at the very beginning so but top 10 I I don't really know It's it's an interesting question. Maybe you should we should just look at the rapid rating rating list and then we realize Maybe who who would have the better results without computers Do you have a favorite game of your investment if you were writing a book of your best games? Have you done that? Is there a book of your best games? I do have No, not really planning yet Just lazy because the thing is If I if I may write a book It will take several months and Just For the moment, I don't plan I I think I have three evergreen games I think in 1995 1996 And also like maybe four obviously the the one with camnik in In In corals when I took this night of seven I think it was because Everybody in the pot for nick moran. Yes, because everybody is saying that kasparov that that game of kasparov against me Yes, which was also great. I can say but compared compared to that game Okay, the game he beat me. It was really amazing game But it didn't have a very big theoretical value, but that game Night of seven. Okay, obviously it's one It's a it's a try for one or two games But it it has a theoretical value Whereas when kasparov beat me it was some pitch and I was completely fine And then the the the next game I would say was really One of my best it was I think they they were all Voted best of the year Against vichy in soffia, I think either 2005 again, I had this night of seven it was I think in soffia until masters 2005 of the queens indian And then against levon In vike in 2006. I think I had this double exchange sacrifice Which and both sacrifices were made on the same square on e4. I think And all these three games. I think they were voted the best game Of the year and also against vallejo in 2014 during the olympiad. I think First round for me. I don't know if it was the first round of the olympiad or my first game in the olympiad also, I think I Sucked queen Like so these are my four favorite games Question yes I'll ask one sure. Well vestlin as a purets player myself the game in 99 did hurt me a lot So it had some theoretical value to me, but that's not my question The continued rise of open events. Do you see this as being a trend or do you see The number of open events the strong open events just saying where they aren't the four or five that exists today I I'm not sure it will Change actually I think that In fact, I right now I actually prefer to play the kind of this kind of events because Our problem is we always play the same guys and at some point it becomes a bit boring and And it becomes becomes too much predictable the the routine you already know more or less The opening because sometimes when we were playing several tournaments in a row just Even sometimes white and black Strong players play the same openings And here you see new faces. So I really prefer Right now. I really prefer the this kind of Opens and a strong opens but with new faces Not more always says that he played so many opens growing up and that helps him today In open tournaments and it sounds like you did the same in spain Do you feel like the open tournaments you played when you were on your rise or helping you in open tournaments today? I I believe everyone played almost everyone played opens Well, it's different of course because in opens you need to win And in close tournaments with plus one or plus two you're already good So Maybe that's the reason we both have this aggressive style somehow and take risks What's your opinion of Wesley's serve you I mean it looks like he's going to win tartar. I mean I mean, okay, I just you know Two years ago when they asked me How how much time I give to magnus as a world champion. I said around 10 years But and in st. Louis 2015 I think Wesley shared last place and he couldn't win a single game and then next Next year he was clear first and now he's he has all these fantastic results But I'm I'm quite happy for him because From one understand also he had a very tough childhood and It looks like Not only he's a talented player, but he's also a fighter, you know, he's he could somehow grow up and So it really But it you know it It's changed so much in two years or even in one year that Who knows what will happen in next year? Maybe this new chinese Boy will also have these fantastic results or someone else But it again when I It didn't look of course, you see very strong players But sometimes even when I was playing at the beginning against magnus Of course, you feel that he He will he's very strong, but it just went to very quick he was Suddenly He starts with everything, you know, I didn't believe Both for magnus and for Wesley that they will Have these results so quickly I thought it that would take them Maybe a couple more years In the most recent After that you said something to the effect of you're not going to be kind of playing in the For the world championship cycle anymore. That's how I heard it the last round. Whatever you said something to the effect of that No, I mean the only the only idea for me to qualify For the candidates was to have chances to win. I mean, it's not like you go and Say, okay 50 percent would be a good result It's not a close tournament It's a close tournament But there's a too big difference between the first and the second place and the first and the rest of the places I would say so I I did badly in The last two candidates and again, maybe I somehow realized that Even if I qualify if I could qualify again, it's That It's Not a big big deal. I mean I was seriously considering not to go to Moscow actually so I my follow-up and that was like Madness has also been saying something something to the effect of the current cycle the way it is I don't know. He was not happy. He wanted a it felt like a Kind of a more rapid like or a more frequent like a yearly World championship type thing Whereas you are I think one of your best ever results was in a tournament format where you kind of wiped everybody clean So there are multiple formats available It will um a different format entices you back into the world championship cycle Uh, but I mean I've thought about the these cycles and it's a Never-ending story. I I don't think the perfect cycle exists because I would say A tournament is more spectacular than the match because you have more games but But the problem of the tournament is this once you start badly like it happened to me then you and you go for For the first place and but once you realize You don't have chances for the first place then you just lose motivation And for example, what I like about knockout is that as long as you play you can be the winner of this knockout as looking I mean if you Old everyone who is still playing in the knockout events has the chance Has the chance to win it And in a tournament, it's not the same and again match. It's okay But with one game, I don't think it sometimes it's not so spectacular You know, sometimes the games are boring and it's too technical, you know, they play especially now two two openings, uh, everyone is very solid with black with um as in Carlson karakin, they were both perfectly prepared with white with black. I mean absolutely Blocked the the black color, but they couldn't really show big things with the white pieces So again, I don't find a perfect cycle Um So for me again, I like knockout, but if if it if it's a knockout it has to be every single year You can't have two years knockout every two years It has to be at the end of the year a knockout And if you change to match two years, it's okay Also tournament. I I don't have a problem with that Do you still love ches vs lind you still does it still Excite you and you still get passionate about tournaments or Games and and you know that fire you still got that fire for chess honestly not so much because I think the what is happening is that If we were considering that chess was art science and sport Now the art is kind of disappearing. So we only have the science and and sports left But and especially with seven hours I I believe it has to be reduced the time control. I I believe honestly it has to be reduced because the problem of the Preparation of the seven hours imagine a situation where you find a good very interesting novelty Or some very interesting idea in the opening, but that is a bit dubious The problem is that in a in a rapid game You would probably play it because even if your opponent reacts correctly Then he would probably spend too much time and then it's already a time travel and it's not over But in a seven time seven hour time control you don't risk So it's like the same effect as the golden goal in in football instead of Asking you to to try to to score actually this the Classical time control makes you more conservative That's what I don't like and that is the reason I I would say that it has to be reduced even maybe for world championship matches Can you give us a number what? I would say Like our hour and a half Each For the rest of the game for the whole game Something like that and what about people that would say but then you can't play end games properly You don't have enough time left when you get to an ending to yeah, that is true, but The thing about the quality is that quality just very very very little Number of people realize what the quality is So people like time travel so and And sometimes also the quality is boring like If you look at the match again Carson against character half of the games They were made they were Correct games and the the reason they were correct games They were correct was that more or less it was all prepared So okay, and again, it's correct, but I don't think people liked it And that's and I believe that if it goes like this So if we have now the first 15 20 moves Already prepared in five ten years It will be the first 30 moves and then we go on and on and so and what about Fisher random? Are you a fan of that? Not really the reason well I understand obviously that it has Some idea but what I don't like is that somehow chess Is also kind of a culture and it has history So especially for I believe that professionals Chess players they would adapt to a fisher random, but The ones that will suffer were the chess fans because a chess fan he he likes. I imagine I don't know Go to to work and then after that he He goes to the chess club and he wants to play the french Because he has a book and he studied the french, but now it's not going to to happen simply So and of course, I think that all this history about The the Improvements of some lines and the chevening and the Sicilian it's part of the culture of the Of the game of chess. So if you change to fish around them, that will disappear Anyone who hasn't asked the question or any final questions maybe Before we wrap up. Yeah Before we pass the way marked our rescue spoke of a very intense and successful training session he had with you Can you share some memories of him? Yeah, it was Actually, it was very funny. I spent with around two two weeks with him in Moscow and I thought I was already my rating was 26 70 maybe I don't remember Not 2700 but then with the inflation I was close to top 10. So I thought it was I was quite strong already, but especially the first days. He showed me some positions. I couldn't really Find any of the solutions So but then I improved No, I would say he he exactly, you know, uh he's He actually considered that the most important thing was to play well I mean and opening was not that important and he's he in a way. He's uh, He's correct that again, as I said 90 maybe around 90 or 80 90 percent of the games are decided by tactical mistakes I mean, even if you're in a worse position and you start to defend and play well You's probably still hold it. I mean, but If you make a statistics look, I I'm certain be sure that That 80 90 percent because of tactical mistakes So if you if you don't blunder Then you just probably don't lose and maybe westerly He's a good example of that because he's young and he calculates. Well, he doesn't always find the best move He doesn't blunder big things and that's the reason he has all these results now And do you blunder sometimes? Last year was, you know, like Two two full boards with all the pieces Last year for sure, yeah Any final question before we um What can I just ask you one question? How's your relationship with cram like these days? And is it would you difficult or doesn't uh, well, it's not no, it's not difficult. Simply. We don't speak Okay, no, uh, same as same as it was before, right? So no change no change Any final question for um, best thing before Meristrip overrated Okay, well, maybe we should end now. Um, yeah best and thank you very much for showing those fascinating positions and talk about blunders