My opponent knew all my secrets

Alexander GRISCHUK: “JAKOVENKO KNEW ALL MY SECRETS!”
Interview provided by the World Cup Organizer

The destiny played a mean trick to the Russian chess player Alexander Grischuk. After he outplayed his friend Vladislav Tkachiev in Round 2, the French Grandmaster stated in the press conference: “My friend Sasha knew all my secrets!” In Round 4 Grischuk was unlucky the same way: his opponent Dmitry Jakovenko knew … all his secrets!

• The match against Dmitry was not going well from the very beginning. I would not manage to get an advantage with white. And with black you don’t get anything at all… I have prepared several openings to the World Cup. But apparently I have used all of them till my match against Dmitry. And I had practically nothing to surprise him. So, this is what happened: I had no advantage during the whole match. I had slight hopes to do something in the rapid games. But my opponent played quite good in these games as well.

The decisive game was at the fourth rapid game. I played a usual variation, to my mind, but all of a sudden got into a trouble. I had to defense: in a long and agonizing way. I managed to make a draw, but the game took a lot of energy from me. I played blitz just awfully. In first game I changed all possible pieces and in the second I missed a mate in two moves.

• There was an opinion that you tried to bring it to the blitz games. You are considered the best blitz player in the world…

• I was considered, – corrects Alexander. – I could not get more than 5 th place in the latest World Blitz Championship.

• You were working with Jakovenko before. Did this fact influence the match against him here?

• Of course. We both knew what we can do. However it turned out that Dmitry knew more of my secrets than me.

• The chess players have different opinion on the new tie breaks regulations. What is your opinion?

• The tie breaks are too long now. I think they should be shortened. For example, the rapid games should have a time control 20 minutes for game. Something is not clear for me: why we play two classical games, four rapid and then again two blitz games? I would suggest another, more logical format: two plus four plus six and then Sudden death.

• Who will win the Cup, to your mind?

• There are few chess players left. They all have good chances.

• Perhaps Dmitry Jakovenko?

• Perhaps. But our performance during the match did not impress me. But it depends with what to compare. Have you seen the game Bacrot-Ponomariov of yesterday? The real miracles could be seen there.

• Your wife Natalia Zhukova plays in the tournament in Turkey now. Do you follow her games?