Saturday
Feb052011
"Vassily Ivanchuk: 'I Can Still Become World Champion'"
Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 2:43PM
Maybe! At any rate, that's the title of an interview brought to us by "Mishanp" over at Chess in Translation. Have a look!
Reader Comments (5)
Ivanchuk is a great player but something like consistancy is missing in his career. He plays great in one tournament and then goes down in another. I don't think he will become a world champion now. May be had a chance about 10 years back when he was younger. Now Anand beats him most of the time and as long as Anand is champion he will never be a world champion. It will be difficult for him even be a challenger at present.
The guy is still a unique and fun to watch chess talent. I hope he gets his shot at the title while he still displays such a passion for the game. I loved his remark about preparation where he said his best ideas where not when using a computer but when he walked around thinking about the game in his head.
I just recently played through his games at the Gibraltar tournament and he did not venture one line that he has played in the last 15 years, yet he stll went 8+ 2=. Even the draws were interesting with one ending in perpetual check and the other played until there was no play left at all.
Anand will stay the world champion in 2012 then Magnus Carlsen will be the mountain that Ivanchuk will see on the path to world champion... possible to win with a player as Carlsen ?
To be sure, Ivanchuk is an underdog to become champion. @Jack & Mike though, it's possible that Carlsen's withdrawal stunt could result in subsequent championships being determined by San Luis/Mexico City style championships. If so, Ivanchuk might have more of a chance there than he would have in a one-on-one match against Carlsen and/or Anand, though I really wouldn't rule him out in those cases either.
@Jack while Anand holds the overall plus score on Ivanchuk... their last 11 games have been drawn. Anand hasn't won a classical game against him since Corus 2006 and Ivanchuk hasn't won a classical game since FIDE KO 2001. Its certainly hard to say 'now' Anand beats him most of the time since Anand hasn't beaten him once since he got the WC title.