Gong interview with Silvio Danailov

Danailov: Veselin will rest on the Canary Islands, Anand rests on old laurels

That is the title of a telephone interview by Innes Pavlova of the Gong sports news page, who spoke to Silvio Danailov, the manager of former FIDE world champion and number one in the world rankings Veselin Topalov. Danailov, who spoke from Spain, said he expects attacks below the waist from the team of Viswanathan Anand in the remaining half a year, before the match for the World Championship in Sofia in April 2010.

Here are excerpts of what Danailov said in the Gong interview:

• Our goal is for Topalov to be number one in the world rankings and world champion for as long as possible. The first goal has already been met, now we are aiming to achieve the second in the World Championship match in Sofia.

• For a year now the second-ranked player, Magnus Carlsen, has been working with Garry Kasparov, who is his coach and guru. He is rapidly progressing as is to be expected. Now he has to solve the psychological problem: he is very close to first place, and in such situations players tend to become nervous. He is young and very talented and it is normal at certain moment he to become number one.

• Viswanathan Anand, who is in third place, is hardly playing at all, but simply resting on his laurels. Let us not forget that he is 40 years old and can hardly keep up with the competitive pace of younger players. You have no energy at this age and he has to save it up [for the match]. His main aim is to keep the title, because it gives him many benefits.

• I expect that in the remaining six months the team of Anand will try to do everything possible and insist on implausible conditions during the negotiations and before signing the contract with FIDE, just to make us nervous. They think the match is more important to us. But whatever happens the match will take place. They missed their chance to make a bid for India that was better than ours. There will certainly be whims and conditions [Със сигурност ще имат всякакви капризи и неизпълними условия]. But we were in Elista, where it was much more difficult, and we are ready.

In the interview Danailov goes on to discuss the starting date of the match, which is scheduled for the 5-24 April 2010. That apparently is the wish of FIDE, because the start would be on FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov's birthday. Anand has requested a change of date. "It is not important," says Danailov, "If Anand insists the match can also start at the end of April." Danailov reveals that Ilyumzhinov "likes Bulgaria and is attracted to our country. Several times a year he visits the grave of [clairvoyant and healer] Baba Vanga, to draw energy from it."

With regard to the team he is putting together for "Vesko" Topalov Danailov will only reveal that "there will be new names, with fresh blood and fresh ideas. We have a doctor, psychologist, dietician, and one physical trainer." He goes on to say that the dietician will select the food menu for the challenger two months before the match with Anand. "Every detail counts." There is also the intention to send Topalov to the Canary Islands between games (apparently there will be between seven and ten rest days) to recover energy.

Finally it is of interest to receive confirmation that Topalov will play in the 2010 Linares tournament (February 13-25) and that "there is a theoretical chance he will play in Monte Carlo in March – but that depends on the dates of the match with Anand."

The above excerpts were translated from the Gong news report with the help of friends in Bulgaria. You can check on the accuracy by listening to the audio MP3 file posted on the Gong site. But you are going to have to speak Bulgarian to do so.