Andrey Filatov: Karjakin Should Concentrate on Chess

Interview of RCF President in Izvestia.

President of the Russian Chess Federation, Head coach of the Russian national men's chess team Andrey Filatov answered the questions of Timur Ganeev and Alexander Nevzgova for Izvestia.   

— You were reelected RCF President in February 2018. What priority tasks have you set for the next four years? 

— The priority is popularization of children's chess. Our game is included into the education system that's why we will try to create and digitize chess lessons so that teachers in any part of Russia could go to the RCF website and download a series of chess lessons. We understand that at first there will be a deficit of pedagogues that's why it is important for us to help them as much as possible in organizing classes. A Contest, held by us, the Charitable Foundation of Elena and Gennady Timchenko, and the Foundation of Presidential Grants, has just finished. Almost one thousand school teachers took part in it, and 200 best ones will come to the conference which will take place in Sochi in June during our traditional Belaya Ladya competition. Our second direction is grandmasters' centers and schools. We continue to find talented children in regions and train them for the national team. 

— In how many Russian schools were chess classes introduced? 

— This is a difficult question. According to the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, chess classes will be implemented en masse from 2019. But I have no doubt than chess is already popular among children.

— In which regions are chess on the rise, and vice versa?

— Our most successful region is Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The first Chess Academy, where many international competitions are taking place, is functioning in Yugra. For example, this year the Academy will see the World Women's Championship, in 2019 - the World Cup, then - the Olympiad. I will also mark Tatarstan, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar Krai, Kemerovo, Altai, Pskov, Chelyabinsk, Novosibirsk, and Sverdlovsk regions. Interesting processes are going on in Zabaykalsky Krai. A local government had a motto: "If you want to have a provided old age, let your child study chess". After it children went to chess sections more massively. Chess is being quite actively developed in Crimea. I am connecting it with a successful play of Sergey Karjakin, who was born in Crimea. This year, we are planning mutual projects with the International centre Artek. Of course, there are regions for which I have some questions. Now were are preparing an advanced statistics. After we get it, we will make a serious analysis and will think how we can help one or another regional federation. 

— For the first time since 2014, the Russian grandmaster didn't manage to win the European championship. The best result was Sanan Sjugirov's third place. How can it be explained? 

— The rivalry in chess grows stronger: statistically, we cannot win all the European championships. But Valentina Gunina has just won her third European champion's title in the women's competition, and this is an all-European record. Nobody has ever achieved such a result. 

— The World Chess Olympiad will be held in Batumi this autumn. Which young Russian chess players can you mark? 

— The most stable results are yet shown by Nikita Vitiugov. Ian Nepomniachtchi, Vladimir Fedoseev, Maxim Matlakov, Vladislav Artemiev, and Daniil Dubov are playing with varying success, and it is worrying a little bit.  

— Will the rivalry for entering the national team for the 2018 Olympiad be serious?  

— I have no doubt about it. Playing for the national team is a priority for all our grandmasters, and the Olympiad is the main tournament of the year.  

— Vladimir Fedoseev was a second of the World №3 Shakhriyar Mamedyarov at the Vugar Gashimov Memorial in Shamkir. Do you think it will do him good? 

— I think it will. Shakhriyar is one of the brightest chess players of our times. He is finding chances to win in every position. Even if a game is drawish, he is trying to exhaust his rival, he is setting traps. Volodya should try to adopt these strong qualities of the Azerbaijani grandmaster. 

— Do you think Vladimir Kramnik will continue his career after his unsuccessful performance in the 2018 Candidates Tournament?  

— I am sure he will. He has a high potential, bright intellect, a lot of energy to continue playing on the highest level. He is a real leader of our team, young people are learning from him. Moreover, he helps a lot in development of chess in Russia, he is supervising chess section in the Sirius education centre in Sochi, where experienced coaches are working with our promising juniors. 

— What is a high potential for you?

— As for me, he can win any tournament where he is taking part. I will not be surprised if Vladimir qualifies for the next Candidates Tournament and wins it. 

— Sergey Karjakin has already set this goal... 

— Sergey's got a real talent, and he proved it one more time in Berlin. Having failed in the first circle, he managed to make a spurt and climbed to the first place two rounds before the tournament's end. He wasn't lucky at the finish. Fabiano Caruana was playing very strongly and gave no chances to his rivals. It seems to me that Sergey should reduce his public activity and concentrate on his chess work and preparation more. We will meet and analyze these things. 

— How can you comment on Alexander Grischuk's play in the Candidates Tournament?  

— Alexander has shown that he is a real fighter. But again he was lacking something in the end. It means that he should work more - his potential is enormous.  

— Have you already decided whom you will support in the FIDE Presidential elections? 

— The RCF Supervisory Board meeting, where we will discuss the potential candidates, will be held on May 6. According to the FIDE rules, anyone who wants to become the FIDE President should determine and announce his or her program and team by the end of June.  

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