KRAMNIK Vladimir

About Kramnik knows a lot, and little. 27 years. Giant (198 cm), has a sophisticated chess mind. Took the crown of world champion Garry Kasparov in. And last week his mozhnobylo see at Memorial Botvinnik - chess tournament, held in Moscow

. - They say you are so strained his playing Kasparov in a match for the chess crown that he had exhausted all the nervous energy and was not similar to itself ..
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- It's hard to judge. Just in every game I tried not to give your opponent to show his strengths. During the match I had stubbornly defended, and then my eyes tried to "hypnotize" the enemy. If, however, no kidding, that this match configured long ago, I had a plan how to defeat Kasparov. And I realized it.

- And if I had to play again?

- I was ready for this. Even lost twenty pounds! Match weighed a hundred pounds, and on the eve of not more than 80. This is the result of passion for tennis. A month before the match in Spain every day playing sorokagradusnuyu heat. Already there dropped ten pounds.

- After the victory probably call my parents?

- I always do, because they are closer to the moment I have no one in this world. They are for me, probably more experience than I have during the game. Simply place a can not find.

- Who you first planted in the board?

- Father. He took me and taught to play chess, although the profession - the artist, like my mother. When I was eleven years old, then for my birthday someone gave me a royal gift: send a letter to Mikhail Botvinnik request to pay attention to me. So I got in his chess school, where the famous grand master, incidentally, helped conduct the studies Garry Kasparov.

- And why the docks from chess drew attention only to you in 18 years ...

- In 1993 I became a double contender - and FIDE, and versions of the Professional Chess Association. It is a pity that then had to give, respectively Gate Kama and Boris Gelfand. Skeptics then talk that, say, Kramnik - not п?п°я?я?п?п?я?п№ fighter. Even more, they started to argue that five years ago, when I lost to Alexey Shilov.

- You Grenadier growth does not interfere with play chess?

- No, no! I am missing two centimeters to two meters. With such growth is well to play basketball and volleyball, but I was more attracted to chess. From playing sports, as I said, I prefer tennis. Indeed, some say that this "chess move". And there, and there to make a decision in a matter of seconds.

- Sport mode had to violate?

- Sometimes I can not afford to go with friends to a bar and drink a few cups of good beer. On the day of birth - more spirits. All depends on my mood and company.

- Where did you get such an unusual name?

- My grandfather bore the name of Sokolov. But he died in the war, and my grandmother a few years later married Kramnik. Together with her in Kramnik's "turned" and her son - that is my father. By the way, that I began Kramnik, has a plus. In rating-list Sokolov too much. It is Andrei Sokolov, Ivan Sokolov is ...

- You no one ever said that you are outwardly similar to the physicist?

- Who but I do not like! And in physics, and chemist, and even the future Nobel Prize. I just academic in chess! And the prize for the chess crown a little more of the same Nobel. Two-thirds of two million I received, one-third - Kasparov. Do not believe me, but I do not even have higher education and while I do not regret it. Could, of course, get a crust for a "tick", but do not see the need. Yes, and I do not like to do anything for the sake of "tick" ...

Source: AIF Saturday-Sunday