Just Checking: Parimarjan Negi
9/25/2014 – The Dutch "New in Chess Magazine" is considered to be one of the best, if not the best chess magazine in the world. And "Just Checking" is one of the magazine's most popular columns. In the current issue Indian grandmaster, Scotch opening expert and ChessBase author Parimarjan Negi get's checked. But he is up to the task. More than just.
Last year Komodo won the world championship title on two occasions and can call itself "2019 World Computer Chess Champion" and "2019 World Chess Software Champion". And the current Komodo 14 has been clearly improved over its predecessor!
What is your favourite colour?
Black.
What kind of food makes you happy?
Sushi.
And what drink?
Espresso.
Who is your favourite author?
Franz Kafka. In addition, I can't get enough of Indian-English authors like Vikram Seth and Arundhati Roy.
What was the best book you ever read?
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.
What is your all-time favourite movie?
Inside Llewyn Davis.
What is your favourite TV series?
True Detective and House MD.
Do you have a favourite actor?
Michael Fassbender and Matthew McConaughey.
And a favourite actress?
Scarlett Johansson.
What music do you like to listen to?
Eminem is always inspiring, while Erik Satie is excellent to calm myself. Recently I have been discovering Leonard Cohen and Cat Stevens.
Do you have a favourite painter?
Not one particular painter... but Delaroche's painting The Young Martyr has been etched in my mind for a long time.
Paul Delaroche, Young Christian Martyr (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
What do you see as your best result ever?
Becoming a GM at 13. It's all been downhill since 😊.
What was the best game you ever played?
After a while you notice flaws in every game... I'd choose my game against Bologan from this Olympiad, since it is still fresh in my mind.
Who is your favourite chess player of all time?
It's hard to choose a favourite player, but among the modern players I really appreciate Jobava. Seeing his games makes me believe chess isn't dying yet.
What was the most exciting chess game you ever saw?
Kasparov-Short, Extreme Chess match (YouTube video).
What is the best chess country in the world?
Russia.
What are chess players particularly good at (except for chess)?
Being perfectionists.
What is it that you appreciate most in a person?
Ambition.
What is it that you dislike in a person?
Hypocrisy.
Do you have any superstitions?
I always J'adoube my pieces before playing the first move.
Who or what would you like to be if you weren't yourself?
Elon Musk.
Which three people would you like to invite for dinner?
Ray Kurzweil, Andre Agassi, Bertrand Russell.
What is the best piece of advice you were ever given?
Fail. Fail better.
Is there something you'd love to learn?
Playing the cello.
Where is your favourite place in the world?
A cosy room where I'm not disturbed.
What is your greatest fear?
To get old.
How do you relax?
Listening to slow, classical music. Or binge-watching a TV show if I have enough time.
If you could change one thing in the chess world, what would it be?
I'd rather play chess in a world without the computer engines.
What will be the nationality of the 2050 chess World Champion?
Will we still have a world championship?
Is a knowledge of chess useful in everyday life?
I don't know... I'm not very good in everyday life yet.
What is the best thing that was ever said about chess?
'Losing is not like dying. It is much worse' - Nigel Short.
Published with friendly permission by New in Chess
New in Chess, Cover of the Current Issue (2014/6)
Quickchat with Parimarjan Negi (recorded during the Olympiad 2014 in Tromsø)
Parimarjan Negi is not only a strong grandmaster but also on his way to become a renowned author. Well, at any rate, he recently published his first ChessBase DVD: An analysis of the Scotch Opening, which was very well received by critics and public.
Parimarjan Negi, The Modern Scotch Opening, Language: English, Delivery: Download, Post
$31.99 (without VAT), 29.90 ( 25.13 without VAT for Customers outside the EU)
About the DVD
The Scotch has long been associated with exciting play, although people often doubt it's positional base. But the opening has evolved from the swashbuckling games of the 19th century to become a sound, but aggressive, alternative to the evergreen Spanish. In his first Fritz-Trainer DVD, Parimarjan Negi looks at the latest revolution in Scotch theory that has completely changed white's plans, and once again brought back the interest of the world's elite. Negi presents not only the white strategies in detail but also outlines a dynamic way for Black to counter this latest trend.
- Video running time: 6 h English)
- With interactive training including video feedback
- Exclusive database with 50 essential games
- Including CB 12 Reader
