GM

Evgeny Gleizerov

Rating: 2508

Geboren: 1963

Evgeny Gleizerov (1963) is working on chess without the assistance of trainers since the age of thirteen, becoming a grandmaster at the age of thirty. He's most active in the open tournament circuit, winning amongst others the Bydgoszcz Open, the Rilton Cup and the International Championship of Slovakia. This year Gleizerov was part of the Russian team that won the gold medal at the European Senior Team Championship in the 50+ category. Because of his stately, majestic presentation, the nickname of Gleizerov is 'The Count.' The positional 1. d4- and French player definitely wants to surpass his results in Groningen of last year (5,5 points) and of 2016 ( 6 points). With a peak rating of 2600 in earlier years, the Russian grandmaster can still well be a contender of the top places.

Interview

How would you explain the beauty of chess to someone completely new to the game?
Chess is a pure battle of brains, and it is magnificent.

Do you think your playing style reflects your personality?
I suppose so. I am a rationalist both at the chessboard and out of it.

Play the board or the opponent?’
Like most chess players, I try to modify my play depending of an opponent’s style and strength.

How would you describe your playing style?
As a purely positional. Of course, it is very difficult to be a good tactical player my age.

What keeps you occupied the most on a daily basis, (except maybe for chess and sleeping)?
Surely reading.

As a chess player, which question do you get asked most frequently?
“How have you played?”

If you could forbid one opening, which would it be?
I don’t like to forbid anything.

Who is the best chess player who never became a world champion?
Surely Korchnoi.

The most beautiful playing venue you’ve ever played? And the strangest one?
Both the most beautiful and the strangest is the wine room in Ekaterinburg, where we played on wine barrels.

What’s the biggest prejudice or misconception about chess and chess players?
I suppose it is that chess players are wooden and nerdy people.

What will chess look like in a hundred years?
I can’t even imagine it.

What would you choose? The quickest win, the most beautiful win or the win in which your opponent suffers most?
For sure never the last option. I don’t like people to suffer. Of course, I would prefer the most beautiful win, as 90% of chess players would I think.

Which game of yours do you want to be remembered by?
It is my game against Polish GM Robert Kempinski in a strong Bydgoszcz Open in 2000. For this game, I was awarded the brilliancy prize – the only one in my chess career! Besides, I won the tournament.

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Chessfestival Groningen