Peter Svidler won the 2011 Chess World Cup, was part of five Russian Olympiad-winning teams, and was the coach of R. Praggnanandhaa before this year’s Candidates Championship in Toronto, a former world No. 4 players who serve as commentators when not participating in games. But he is not a top Russian master in the usual sense. He is an avid cricket fan. Excerpts from an interview with Svidler hinduism During the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League in London earlier this month:
What are your thoughts on global chess federations?
I experienced the other side of it. Last year I was doing commentary and this year I was selected to play. As a cricket fan, I understand what the foundation of the league is. I don’t know if it will be as popular as IPL, but if it happens, it will be great for chess.
The calendar is pretty busy, but this will be a very prominent part of the calendar. It has a carnival feel to it while also being very powerful. This combination has proven to be effective in other sports as well. I welcome every new project because I think the more chess the better.
What do you think about league time control without increments?
I’m old enough to have started playing with analog clocks, so it’s not entirely a foreign concept, but obviously we’ve moved away from it. I understand the decision-making behind it. Because of television, you want to have a better idea of how long a game takes, and you also want to see the excitement and what happens at the end of the game.
The last major tournament before the Global Chess Federation was the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Are you surprised by India’s double gold and men’s team dominance?
They are clearly going to be one of the two or three major favorites. I was doing commentary at the Olympics and I thought about the fourth round and we were definitely saying among ourselves and even on the radio – who’s going to take points away from these kids? Like, they can’t seem to be stopped. Double standards are of historical significance. Women are not as dominant as men.
No, this is no longer a surprise. I think a team that has a roster like that, knowing what we know about these guys, when you realize Team USA isn’t doing as well as you expected them to be, they’re going to be the clear favorite for the championship because there’s no weakness; There are only five very strong boards.
Series Winner: Between 1994 and 2002, Svidler was a member of five Russian Olympic medal-winning teams. Image source: Hindu Archives
It was one of the most dominant performances in Olympic history…
really. We might have to go all the way back to the Olympics where the Soviet Union participated [Anatoly] Karpov and [Garry] Kasparov found something similar on the first two boards.
You were part of five Russian teams that won Olympic gold medals.
I started participating in the Olympics in 1994. It seems unlikely that we will drop points.
Before candidacy, you worked with R. Praggnanandhaa as a coach. How did you find this experience?
This was new to me because I hadn’t really coached before starting working with Prager. But it was a joy because he was a very strong chess player and very pleasant to be around. This is important to me because I believe in the need to build relationships, just like working for someone you don’t particularly like is a no-no. He is a sunny child, cheerful, kind and happy.
Strong connection: Svidler enjoyed his time coaching R. Praggnanandhaa, describing the Indian as “a sunny kid” who was “a joy” to be around. |Photo Credit: Photo Credit: AP
You played against the Candidates three times and finished third in 2013.
I’m in a generation where those who have a chance at a world title are probably slightly above me in the pecking order. So, I think my career is pretty good.
One of the highlights was winning the 2011 World Cup?
Yes of course. I tend to enjoy those [knockout] championship.
You have to be the only top chess player from a non-cricketing country who follows cricket. How did it all begin?
Nigel Short introduced me to cricket. I was in Greece and we were studying chess, and then at some point he told me, “No, that’s enough, yeah, let’s go see something you’ve never seen before.”
Do you like what you see?
I was instantly hooked.
What did you first love about cricket?
It’s hard to describe. The first match I watched on TV with Short was India versus Pakistan at the 1999 World Cup.
You can’t get anything bigger than this.
Yeah, I guess that’s why I love this game, since I experienced it for the first time. I didn’t know the rules, I didn’t know anything, but the feeling of spectacle was so palpable.
Do you enjoy all forms of cricket?
Yes, I am also becoming more and more fond of T20. I mean, it took me a long time to convince myself that I should take T20 seriously, but I also like them now. But if I had a choice, I would still choose to watch a good Test match over anything else. I love theater and I love technology. The cumulative feeling of five days of narrative is really…I don’t know if anything can compare to it. It’s very, very special because, yes, you can see a sample of life in a Test match. Of course, this requires a good match.
Have you watched the test from the ground?
Yes, the final Test of the 2005 Ashes. It rained most of the day so we didn’t get to see much cricket, but it was pretty good as the day went on.
A cricketer you particularly enjoy watching…
I love spinners. I’ve seen Shane Warne bowling a few times [in international cricket]. I also watched him play in the one-day final for Hampshire here. I also enjoyed watching the Muttiah Muralitharan bowl.
As for the batter?
It’s a little weird because I’ve always liked Michael Atherton, maybe because of his writing, because I haven’t actually seen him perform live. Because I love his writing and reviews so much, I was kind of drawn to the idea of like an opener that really digs deep. Nowadays, your favorite bats are available in different styles like Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Published – October 19, 2024 12:59 AM (IST)
