Also pondering in the Bundesliga since 1994: Michael Adams
congratulations to yours Tournament victory at the London Chess Classic! How is the tournament? Of their point of view, and what significance does this success have for She personal?
I wasn’t particularly optimistic before the tournament, but then I got off to a very good start. In the first round I defeated Amin Tabatabaei in a nice game. I haven’t been able to beat such a highly rated player that often recently. After a very complicated draw game with Hans Niemann, I won another attractive game against Mateusz Bartel in round three and achieved a solid draw against Nikita Witjugow in round four, so I really got off to a good start. My fifth game with Dommaraju Gukesh was very complicated. I had a chance of winning and still ended up better. But towards the end of the tournament I ran out of energy. I was lucky in the sixth round game against Jules Moussard. I was on the verge of giving up and suddenly he made a serious mistake. The last three games ended in a draw after an even game. I didn’t think it was possible to win such a tournament at the age of 52. It came as quite a surprise to me. I’m just very happy.
With the London Chess Classic we couldn She a traditional tournament in Herplay in your home country. Hadn you concrete goals?
No not really. Everything happened so fast. I played in the Bundesliga and then went straight to the Senior World Cup. After that I only had a few days left and then it was off to the European Team Championships. After that, the LCC tournament was soon coming up. I only spent about a week at home. Additionally, the London Chess Classic was announced very late this year. I didn’t expect to be invited at all. I actually thought I wouldn’t play for a while after the European Team Championships. That’s why I didn’t expect much and didn’t make any big plans. I also didn’t have any more time for special preparation.
Turned 50+ at the Senior World Cupn She World champion thanks to victories in the last two games. Like hapractice felt like it?
A strange situation arose because when I won my last game and there was a tie between Suat Atalık and me, it was clear that the second place was pretty close and the results on the back boards would be decisive. I previously thought that I had already missed my chances of winning the title, especially in my game as White against Atalık, which ended in a draw. The importance of this game became apparent especially in retrospect. I wasn’t into winning, but I applied strong pressure for a long time. After that draw he played really well and dominated the tournament. Only my two final victories against Artashes Minassjan and Martin Mrva gave me any chance at all. I was pretty lucky with the second ranking because it has a high random factor. I played against a slightly stronger player in the first round. Atalık was not seeded in the top ten, so he faced a weaker opponent at the beginning. That was ultimately the deciding factor. Of course I’m happy that I won, but I also feel a little sorry for him.
At the Senior Team World Championships 50+ in Struga haben achieved eight out of nine possible points on the first board in England. That was really impressive. Which Of their would playn you point out?
In a way it was a funny competition because I only drew in the first round against the third English team. I had white and couldn’t make any progress in this game – not a great start. But then I won all the games with Black and lost both of my draws with White. The win against Jacek Gdański in the second round was very important and gave me momentum after the bad start. By the way, I played against Gdański twice at the junior tournament in Oakham in the late 1980s, but after that we didn’t meet on the board again for more than 30 years. I managed a good win against Kiril Georgiew, with whom I also played many games in the past. Black’s win against Helgi Ólafsson was also a pretty nice game. I hardly made any inaccuracies, I exerted a lot of pressure and won games against strong, solid opponents with black. That was very pleasant.
If She became British Champion for the eighth time in July wereI was particularly impressed by yours decisive victory after 94 moves against Jonah Willow in the last round. How to preparen you sI’m physically prepared to have the strength for such strenuous games?
I enjoy running and have expanded my running training during the pandemic. I still take every opportunity to stay physically in shape. It’s also a good balance to the intensity of the games.
She write both educational and entertaining comments. In the book by you and Philip Hurtado, “Think like a Super-GM,” the analyzes are extremely profound. Comment and writeen you gladly?
I was very happy with the book. It was received positively. I would like to publish a few more books. This year, however, I’ve been so busy playing that I haven’t had enough time for it. I played 92 classical games – that was really a lot, especially at the age of 52. Next year it could perhaps be a little less. I was very active in the Bundesliga and traveling is also quite tiring. For me, the main advantage of tournaments in England is that the travel effort is less.
She haben many fans in Germany and playin again this season for Baden-Baden in the Bundesliga. How to raten She the current season?
Our start didn’t go well because we had already given up a point against Hamburger SK with a 4-4 draw – and that with a team in which Étienne Bacrot was on the eighth board, the last board, and I was on the seventh board. The championship title is always our goal, but the competition in the current season is tougher than ever. The decisive matches await us next spring.
