My 6 years old brother would play much better

Teimour RAJABOV: “MY SIX YEAR OLD BROTHER WOULD PLAY BETTER THAN I DID”
Interview provided by the World Cup Organizer

One of the favorites of the World Cup 2009 was knocked out in Round 2, losing to the Russian chess player Konstantin Sakaev: 0.5-1.5.

• The reason of my defeat is obvious – a slow-down progress of my game, which started in Nanjing tournament, – says Teimour. – At one point I noticed that started to miscount which is not my nature. Some real problems in showed up… It affected my performance in Khanty Mansiysk. In the second game against Sakaev I had a real chance to equalize with white. We had a rook endgame and we played almost randomly. It means that neither my opponent nor me were sure if black had a draw chance. But in reality I had a winning position, it is clear. I should have just done a couple of precise moves. What prevents me from defining them? A bad shape, I guess…

• Vasily Ivanchuk had made an emotional statement on his career termination, after he was knocked out in Round 2. Did you have thoughts of this kind?

• I am not in a good inward state now. But I don’t play chess as long as Vasily does. Subsequently, my nerve system is not that shattered to make such categorical decisions after one defeat. And to my mind, Ivanchuk will not leave chess. Yes, he could say so because of a deep frustration. But the further tournaments will start, and he will be again involved into the fight. I think Ivanchuk will be one of the long-lived persons in professional chess.

• Don’t you have fear that after several unlucky performances you would not receive invitations to take part in the elite tournaments?

• Now I am working on the idea how to improve myself. I am not thinking what organizers will think about me. The last tournament of FIDE Grand Prix will take place in the middle of next year. I have a chance to qualify to the Candidates cycle. Well, I can rant and rave, but I see no sense. I have all the possibilities to be back to the elite level. I should only use them.

• How will you prepare for Astrakhan?

• I will work on my game in general. I am sure I will achieve positive results. It is impossible to play worse than I do it now. Remember my first game against Sakaev? My 6 years old brother would play much better than I did.

• Did you make analyses? What was the reason of this failure?

• Perhaps it is due to a reorganization of my play which I started lately. No wonder that I always want to win. Not only to be a high level professional, but to be first. But anyway: it is not an excuse for what I am doing at the chess board now.

• To say the truth, you don’t show good results in general in Khanty Mansiysk…

• It is not about the city at all. I had many failures lately at other tournaments as well. No wonder: if even I cannot define my personal style of play.

• Let us speak about something positive. For instance about the victory of the team of Azerbaijan in the European Team Chess Championship 2009.

• We were an entity during the Championship. Before, we used to solve our own problems separately; it put obstacles to achieve one aim. In addition, it seemed that we wanted this victory as no one else did. We are very happy that we won. And we do hope that we will be able to fight for the first place at the World Team Chess Championship in Turkey soon.

• What does your captain Zurab Azmaiparashvili mean for your team?

• He is our main strategist. It is always pleasant to work with Zurab. I know him for quite a long period, since I was young and perspective chess player. He knows many of my teammates since then as well and he won an authority among us. That is why we are always ready to listen to his advises. I hope that he will help us in future as well.

• How did you celebrate your victory in Azerbaijan?