Part 1 of a great interview with Garry Kasparov is now posted on the ChessBase news page. What a great interview!
Although the interview was transcribed by Mig Greengard (who by the way has an awesome Chess-related blog at
http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt/) some of the questions were actually posed by New York Times Writer Dylan Loeb McClain. Mig Greengard was present during McClain's interview, and incorporated McClain's material as well as material from his own interview with Kasparov. Apparently the New York Times only used 3% of McClain's interview for their
article on March 26, so I'm glad Greengard was there to transcribe the rest for us to enjoy! Thanks Greengard!
Also, much of McClain's interview focused on politics, but Greengard focused more on the evolution of today's top chess players, and other chess focused questions that the New York Times didn't seem to be interested in.
Chessbase is only posting Part 1 on their website for now. Part 2 and 3 of the interview will be posted later. However, Greengard does give us this preview of Part 2 of his interview on his blog:
It’s actually going to be quite a problem for me to collect my best games. Even by my judgment there are many that qualify at the highest standards. Let's see, games 16 and 24 from Moscow [1985 Karpov WC match], game 24 from Seville [1987 Karpov WC match], Korchnoi '82 in Lucerne, and the Topalov game [Corus 1999]. But then you’re missing game 22 from Leningrad with Nd7, the sealed move [1986 Karpov match]. Okay, so those would five good and memorable ones. But really game 24 from the Seville match wasn't a great game. So maybe cut that one and I'd take Anand, game ten of the [1995] New York world championship match.
What criteria are you using?
The Seville game would be just as a sort of heroic accomplishment. Korchnoi was a world recognition game. Games 16 and 24 from Moscow were great ideas and important games. Also, the decisive game of the match and a great novelty. Topalov, probably best combination ever.
By pure chess standards it would be the two with Karpov, 16 and 24. The Anand and Topalov games, and... hmm. I would add to this list the Astana game against Kramnik, the Berlin Wall with e6. Runner-ups would be the Seville and Korchnoi games. But I had a problem making a list of thirteen best games! I had modest aspirations of having thirteen “best of the best” games.
