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The Rediff Interview / Alexei Shirov

'Anand knows that he can win. I will try my best to win the title too'

Spanish Grandmaster Alexei Shirov is confident of giving Vishwanathan Anand a run for his money in the final of the FIDE World chess championship, in Tehran. The Latvia-born player, who had beaten the Indian ace earlier this year at Linares, feels Anand will have to play better than he did in Delhi earlier this month to pick up the world title that has eluded him in 1995 and 1998, when he lost to Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov respectively in the finals.

Shirov, who has an ELO rating of 2746, entered the final after beating Alexander Grischuk of Russia in one of the semi-finals of the championship, while Anand -- ELO rating 2774 -- defeated Michael Adams in the other.

Though he may not have won any major event this year, Shirov's confidence stems from his tenacious showing in the first phase of the championship, where he won all his matches till the semis via the tie-breaker. Only in the semis did he manage a win in regular play, against Grischuk.

While freely admitting that his Indian rival is the favourite in their upcoming title clash, Shirov refuses to play down his own chances. "This is his third final. In the last two finals, he was not able to capitalize on the opportunities that came his way. So I think my chances of beating him and winning the title are very good," Shirov argues.

Alexei Shirov spoke to Onkar Singh soon after making it to the finals. Excerpts:

How do you rate your chances? Do you think you will be able to match Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand in the final?

When you come to play, you play to win. That has been my theory right through my career as a chess player. Some people asked me if I was surprised when I won against Grischuk. Let me tell you that I was not surprised. I have seen the games of Anand in Delhi. He plays high quality chess. But I am not a novice either. I think I have a good chance to win the title.

What would you say are your strong points?

Any good chess player would not like to discuss his strong points with anyone, because if he does that he would be giving away his strategy. I am not going to tell the media anything on this aspect.

Yes, I do have strong points, but that is not for your consumption. Yes, after the title has been decided, then, perhaps, I would be able to discuss this subject with the media. But, certainly, not before the championship is over.

How do you rate Anand?

Grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand is one of the best players in the world. He plays good and aggressive chess. He has played against some of the best chess players in the world, namely Garry Kasparov, [Vladimir] Kramnik and many others. I would say that he is one of the four top chess players in the world today. The championship that I am going to play against him would not be easy. Anand knows that he can win. I will try my best to win the title too. We will be playing high quality chess and I am sure it would be interesting for those who keenly follow the game.

Do you think there will be a lot of mental pressure on both of you while playing the final?

Of course, this goes without saying. Infact, chess is a game about mental alertness. You have to be alert. You got to know what your opponent is planning. You got to counter those moves. Since we are playing the final, the mental pressure on the two of us is bound to be there. May be, it would be higher because of the quality of the chess involved.

Would you say that the quality of chess that was played in Delhi leg of the tournament was good?

The games that were played in Delhi were good. The quality of the chess was excellent. The games that were played between the top contestants were thrilling and absorbing for the players as well as the people who were watching the games. Anand played some of the best games of the tournament.

Did you, at any point of time during the games you played in Delhi, feel you could have played better?

After the game is over I sit back and think. I think I should not have played the kind of game that I did against Alexander Grischuk in the second game. My moves in this game were a bit of disappointment for me. I had begun well. I went for unnecessary complications. Even in the end I had a good game but I made some silly mistakes. It is okay. You do not win all the games; you win some and you lose some. My goal was to qualify for Tehran and I am happy that I could achieve my goal in Delhi.

Related report:
Anand, Shirov set for showdown

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