Bisik-Bisik with Garry Kasparov – Part 3

Bisik-Bisik with Garry Kasparov – Part 3

By Edwin Lam Choong Wai

Garry Kasparov made his first trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, back in mid November 2009, in order to speak at the Youth Engagement Summit (YES) 2009. I had the opportunity to catch up with the best player in chess history, ever, over a “Bisik-Bisik” session for ChessBase at the Putrajaya Convention Center. Our candid 40-minute chat covered a variety of topics. In the first part of the Bisik-Bisik session, Garry talked about his recent speaking engagements across Asia, his fascination with Malaysia, growing up years and most importantly, his collaboration with Magnus Carlsen. In part 2 he took a walk down memory lane to talk about the preparations made for his very first match against Karpov and the recent K-K anniversary exhibition match.

In this third part Kasparov answered questions about “making a comeback”, his family, politics and a new variant of Fischer Random chess.

I am very, very grateful to him and very pleased. But, no, I don’t have any plans to make a comeback. I think that he is both right and wrong at the same time. I think that my chess strength is still okay. If I could spend three or four months on extensive chess playing, cutting everything else, I think I could make a comeback at least in rapid chess. I am not sure about classical chess, but in rapid, I am sure I can face Kramnik or Anand.

The problem is that this is not feasible. I have a different life. I have already passed the point of no return, because I cannot stop what I am doing in Russia, and I cannot stop giving my lectures. I have now a very different life. It was my conscious choice, and I am very happy with that choice, as you can’t do the same thing for the whole of your life. But, technically, if you can create the vacuum for me and just put me into a three or four month period of just playing chess, I can definitely make a comeback. It’s just that at the same time, there are so many other things in my mind. Although you might say that I am making some form of a return by working with Magnus [Carlsen] and following the games and feeling nervous and all. I remembered once when we were in Moscow, waiting for our flight to Singapore. I had time to look at the beginning of his game against Ponomariov and I went “Ahh!” and I didn’t like what he did. If my wife and I had taken off on time, I would be flying in the next ten or eleven hours thinking about the position and thinking what happened. But, because of the flight delay, at the time when we took off, I had already got the remaining moves in the plane on my mobile phone from my cousin. Magnus had played Qb3 when the stewardess told us to switch off our phones. And, I told my wife, don’t worry, next move, he will sacrifice on e6 and he will crush Ponomariov. So, that is good news. The delay was excellent.

And, also in the last game, we went to the restaurant, we missed the opening with Leko, which was not very good. And, then, when we actually switched on the computer and Leko played Rd7 and Magnus went with Rg4, I told my wife that I think Magnus is now turning the table and he is going to win the game. And, he won the game.

No, no. I have no interest whatsoever to return to any kind of professional, competitive chess. I could play an exhibition, but not against a top player, because, you know, my life is set in a different path.

Family? We are always traveling. Well, yeah, it’s complicated, but we have 24 hours a day, and if we spend it wisely, we are okay. You have to plan well. It is extensive traveling, of course. We spend time in Moscow and when we travel outside, we do spend time in New York, but it’s okay. You have to be passionate about everything you do, and then things will be under control.

Garry Kasparov's wife Daria

She is three – Aida is three. We think she might be playing chess because she has so far showed a lot of curiosity for the things that I am involved in.

I don’t think that just using ideological clichés will work. Yes, I am a social liberal. Yes, I am pro choice. But, I also believe that solving problems requires you to be flexible. In Russia, for instance, you have to be some kind of a left leaning person in terms of offering potential solutions for the country. I admire people in history who could make the difference, like Winston Churchill, and those who could see the changes coming and could stand up against the dominant public opinion to defend their points of view. Today, the problem of modern politics is such that people rely on convenience rather than on breakthrough innovations or on long-term strategical decisions. It’s not a lack of vision. It is that they may have a vision, if they try, but it is dangerous because if they have a vision, they have to stand firm and defend it. And, that’s what politicians don’t like. They are swayed by the public opinion. And, I think that what is required today is not to follow, but to lead.

I have always liked the idea of choosing a few decent positions. And, I don’t think you need more than 15 to 20, out of the 960 possible random chess positions, many of which violate our sense for normal chess geometry. Any change of the position is a challenge, but 10 to 15 to 20 positions can be chosen, and I believe that in the future, every year, we should start with a new position. Again, it should just be one position. I feel an insult if players should start with something that is totally ridiculous, and you have three minutes to prepare… No, I mean, come on, chess is also about some research. You don’t want to have the same extensive thing, fine. But, you have one year of playing one position, which means that players can actually get adjusted and they could do a little bit of research. So at least you have five, six opening moves that are theory now and then you go on to another position. But, if you just want to eliminate everything and call it purity – no, it is not purity, it’s nonsense. So, again, there is some sense in it, but you have to be reasonable.

We will inform you more thoroughly on Kasparov's ideas on Fischer Random in a later article.

© Edwin Lam Choong Wai 2009

Parts one and two of this interview

Previous Bisik-Bisik articles by Edwin Lam