29.03.2005
T.Radjabov talks about Kasparov's retirement
Do you think Kasparov will return to serious chess?
I think he will return to chess. We’ve seen him many times acting as a politician...
How will his retirement affect the chess society? What negative (or, perhaps, positive) consequences do you expect?
Of no doubt, he is a great and really bright chess player. In my opinion there are three most outstanding world champions: 1. Fischer 2. Karpov 3. Kasparov
How will his retirement affect the chess society? What negative (or, perhaps, positive) consequences do you expect?
He is certainly a cult man in chess. Serious sponsors can support the events in which he participates. His quit might affect the number of the supertournaments and the earnings of the top five–ten players accordingly as they take part in these tournaments. However, it should not tell essentially on the rest of the chess players. Chess needs new heroes to raise its popularity level to that of tennis, football, and boxing. Fischer was the one who’s almost succeeded, the rest failed. We shall see... As it is said 'nature abhors a vacuum'.
Should the FIDE proposal concerning the championship match-tournament remain in effect, or it makes sense to reconsider or even call it back? Do you like the idea of the championship match-tournament?
It’s not a bad idea. I like 1948 match-tournament for instance. Botvinnik was the strongest at that moment, he won the tournament and was announced the world champion. To select these eight grandmasters correctly and democratically is the only thing which is to be done. Not to get into the situation when we will have 10-20 reigning world champions according to different versions, the same number of vice-world champions, 5–6 undefeated world champions and about 50 candidates according to different versions (selected by age, maybe even eye colour, I don’t know), deserving to play in the championship match-tournament.
Questions were asked and translated by Misha Savinov.
This article is published with permission of Association of Chess Professionals
