Interview

Play the board or the opponent?
I have a strong preference to play the opponent, but to be fair it can be rather dangerous to play only the adversary, so it will be a mix.

How would you describe your playing style?
Balanced, I do not mind to play a dull position, but if I can attack I will.

Do you think your playing style reflects your personality?
That’s a difficult one. You are always striving for position You like, and this is driven by you personality

How would you explain the beauty of chess to someone completely new to the game?
I would say that is a rich game, you can play in different ways. It is possible to build slowly, but you can also burn all bridges go for an all out attack. And the one mistake can be the end, so thread carefully. 

What keeps you occupied the most on a daily basis, (except maybe for chess and sleeping)?
At this moment it’s regular work, since now I am only an amateur.

As a chess player, which question do you get asked most frequently?
When I was young, they asked how I could play for such a long time, or in other words if it was boring…

If you could forbid one opening, which would it be?
Can I forbid more than one? So many openings are a pain in the ass. But let me choose the Berlin Defense.

Who is – according to you – the best chess player who never became a world champion?
Hmm …, let me choose Victor Korchnoi.

Who is the best trainer you’ve had?
I hardly ever had a trainer. I made a big leap in the first year I had training in Papendal (national training institute for professional athletes) at the age of 13, for the rest it is just playing with strong players and analyzing with them.

The most beautiful playing venue you’ve ever played? And the strangest one?
The strangest one must have been in the Olympiad in Elista, the capital Kalmykia, The most beautiful or most kitsch was the Caeser Palace in Las Vegas.