The famous chess player became an Ambassador of the Bank “Opening”.

Sergey Karjakin

Sergey Karjakin, who became the face of the Bank “Opening” in an interview 7days.ru spoke about what has changed in his life after the match against Carlsen, plans for the next year and on why chess is the future.

— Sergey, tell us what You have now in Your chess life stage: You’re preparing for something, or are condemned to rest after meeting with Carlsen?

— After the match with Carlsen I have become much more popular than before. Playing something I’m pretty good, but the real popularity came after the match. So now to some extent I reap the fruits of this glory. I was invited to a huge number of meetings, various events, simuls, lectures. So much time spend on this some, say, social activity.

As for the purely chess aspect — this year I won’t be important tournaments with a sports point of view. Nevertheless, there are many strong commercial tournaments, for example in Stavanger, Norway. This will be one of the strongest tournaments ever held, because there are involved exactly the first ten world rating, be everything. In any case, it is impossible to relax. Soon I’m going to pack, will do. Win tournaments on one glory of the impossible, competitors are very angry.

— There is a feeling that You are in such an era of chess stagnation. Yes, it’s a massive game, and now after Your match against Carlsen are talking about it, but to talk about the past popularity of chess as 30 years ago do not have… are You feeling it?

— Well, to some extent, this is true. But lately there’s been a really big change, and this is due to several factors. First, if a little dip into history, in the 90-ies in chess was a mess: there were several world Champions, several completely different draws of the title. In one version, the champion was Garry Kasparov. And he decided to create his own cycle for the world Championships. I mean, frankly, it simply ruined the system that worked for a long time. In the end, in the chess world, a complete mess. Then, in 1995, chess came Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov, and for some 10-12 years brought a full order. We now have a clear system of draw of world Cup, you always know who is the champion. In 2006 was played in a unification match. Everything is transparent and clear and thanks to that chess reached sponsors.

As for Russian players, in the last few years has also been a qualitative leap. We now have a very powerful chess Federation of Russia. At the Board of Trustees work Sergei Shoigu, Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin, and Dmitry Peskov, the other bright people. So chess now in great demand. And I believe that our eyes history: chess change its image, which is not very massive game for “nerds” is becoming super popular, played almost everything, including at the highest level.

— How are you preparing for a chess tournament? You read something, you learn?

Frankly, our training takes place mainly via computer. We study the party’s upcoming opponents, looking for their mistakes, try to focus on weak points. But this whole work, there are a lot of nuances. Also, of course, is work on your own weak points. For example, at the last tournament, something did not work in endgame so you need to patch up those holes, to work as it should, that you opponent could not catch. Of course, it is very important to have a number of experienced mentors – a view from outside can help a lot.

And alone to perform such work is simply impossible…

— Yeah, it’s hard and boring to do alone. Coach.

You have one coach or the team ?

— I have a team. Of course, the more important the tournament, the stronger team I’m trying to collect. For example, before the match with Carlsen I helped seven people only chess coaches. Plus a lot of people helped regular tips, a variety of players, great Champions Vladimir Kramnik, Anatoly Karpov…

— How You are influenced by the behavior of the opponent?

All professional players go through it, since childhood. Always someone trying to get you out of yourself. And we all had outgrown it, and banal manipulations do not get caught, we are too experienced in this regard. Therefore, I am very hard to ruffle, I specifically train endurance. This is elementary. Simply the goal is to win a game of chess, and nothing should take you down. If the opponent tries to throw you, make him better himself.

— Carlsen during the match blew, he was fined for press conference… And You have had such emotional outbursts?

I have that on my mind. Can curse after party. Although it happens very rarely. Never had to after his defeat I don’t shake hands with the opponent.

— What psychological state You finished the match with Carlsen?

— Defeat I am not broke, it was more than a decent match. Probably I missed some at the end… In any case, could win only one. His nerves were tight, he managed better to switch from classical chess to fast. And experience counts for Magnus it was the third world championship match, and I only have the first. Well, draw conclusions, go further.

— Sergey, what You first thing after this match, by the way, did it?

Congratulated Magnus’s birthday.