Your questions answered by Natalia Pogonina-33 |
| Written by Administrator | ||||
| Sunday, 20 February 2011 | ||||
 The rules are simple - send us your questions and see them featured in the weekly Q&A column! Q1: Hi greetings, I want to ask this, in a friendly (just for fun, no things at stake) game against fellow gm friend, does a gm use his/her best opening idea weapons? More power to you GM Natalia. A1: As usual, it depends on the person. Some take blitz very seriously and play it only to practice openings and get into top shape. Others may log on ICC after drinking some wine, play crazy stuff, or even swap handles with friends. As for me, I am rather conservative & usually play my current, past or just-about-to-be-played-in-real-games openings. Q2: I am wondering, does a GM still read books about strategy and endgames like Creative Chess Strategy by GM Romero or Secrets of Chess Endgame Strategy by GM Hansen. Or does a GM no longer read Endgame and Strategy books? According to IM John Donaldson, the material in Creative Chess Strategy is quite advanced and consequently players of master level and above will receive the most benefit on the book, while Secrets of Chess Endgame Strategy is a challenging book that cannot fail to improve the understanding of any player below 2400 FIDE. A2: It seems to me that most GMs rely too much on their laptops and don't read as much as they should. Some even boast about not having read a chess book for years. Also, let me stress two things: 1) if you are not a GM, you will definitely benefit from studying good chess books 2) if you are a GM, you will probably have your own opinion & know what others GMs think, so you won't have to ask me about it.  As to these particular titles: unfortunately, I haven't read them, so I can't advise anything. One more thing: each player has his/her own weaknesses. Therefore, it is better not to rely on numbers ("this book is for 2100-2300"), but review the content and see if it is useful for you in particular. They say that Tal liked to watch a TV program for amateurs to refresh his knowledge. Don't try to get the book that top GMs carry around with them. Get the one that is good for you right now!Q3: Hi greetings, chess is great, and I believe that if you teach a kid well , on the many aspect of chess (not only the rules) like its history, positional play, endgame, etc, chances are 90 percent he/she will like it and play it for the rest of his/her life. Do you agree with me? I think players who learned chess and stop playing it even for a fun game, only knows the rule. I think one of the best ways to promote chess, is to inform people that chess is not just a mere of pushing woods, but behind those moves are strategy and tactics. A3: I agree with you. It takes a passionate coach to spark the interest in a kid. One needs to be able to share his/her excitement for the game, and in most cases the student will like it. As to quitters, there are two main types: 1) those who never had an idea how great chess is 2) proficient players who decided that chess requires too much dedication from them, and has too small a ROI. Indeed, this game is so complicated that one may spend all his/her life studying and practicing, and still fail to become a GM, not to mention reaching the very top level. Q4: For a grandmaster, I suppose, there's a vast range of chess classics to know. Which classical players should a humble club player have studied at least? Besides I'm curious to know your favourite classical chessplayer (and, naturally, the reasons for your choice). Thanks a lot for your time and for your great website. A4: Thanks. Chess keeps evolving rapidly, so you had better study it step by step, starting from the good old masters of previous centuries. Of course, you shouldn't dwell too much on their games (otherwise you might get a perverted notion about modern chess), and concentrate your efforts on the masters of nowadays. You may even want to choose a "role model" (with a similar style) and try to imitate his/her openings choices and middlegame plans. However, this has to be done with caution. For example, Kasparov has been exceptionally knowledgeable in terms of theory. If you try to copy his openings, you will probably be suffering most of the time due to either lack of knowledge or class. Look up to a player who is some 200-400 points better than you and try to reach his/her level. My favorite player is Bobby Fischer, who had an incredible talent and passion for chess; determination to make the game popular. His appearance on the world chess scene was one of the main reasons for chess becoming a professional sport. Q5: Have you considered publishing a book featuring your best games? A5: I hope to play many nice games in the future against even stronger opponents than I have faced up to this moment. I think it's too early to think about such a book. Q6: Let me ask you one of the questions from your polls: do you have a chess mascot? A6: No, although I pay a lot of attention to choosing the right clothes and accessories for a tournament. The better the choice of the apparel, the more confident and comfortable you feel. Q7: How many tournament standard time control games have you played in your life? A7: I don't know the exact number, but it should be over a thousand. 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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 February 2011 ) | ||||
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