WORLD CHESS STARS' PREDICTIONS

The President's Cup international chess festival, dedicated to Azerbaijan's late president Heydar Aliyev, is drawing to a close in the Baku entertainment centre. The tournament has been interesting not only for its fierce contests and tense duels, but also for its participants. For the first time such international chess greats as Englishman Nigel Short, Dutchman Loek Van Wely and German Arkadij Naiditsch have played in an international open tournament in our country.

Nigel Short: "Racabov can go as far as Kasparov"

Englishman Nigel Short needs no introduction. He was one of the leaders of international chess in the 1980s and 90s (he was called the face of Western chess) and even played a world championship title match, losing to the chess world's 13th king, Garry Kasparov. "At that time not everyone could stand up against chess genius Garry Kasparov. But I think that I managed to play well against the 13th world chess champion and can even say that I had pretty good chances to win, but unfortunately I ended up losing," Nigel Short told R+. "I have also played against another Baku boy, Teymur Racabov. We only played the once though, and it was a blitz game. I have seen Racabov's games against other chess players and can say that he has great potential."

Nigel Short is still hoping for a pop at the world chess crown. "Of course, the system for becoming champion is much more complicated than it used to be, but I think that I still have some great victories in me. Why not!"

Nigel Short has already been to Baku. His first visit to our capital was 24 years ago, when he won an international tournament here. "When I was flying out of Baku, airport officials stopped me and asked the purpose of my visit to your capital. I answered that I had taken part in an international chess tournament and had won. The airport officials said with a smile that it must have been a weak tournament - they didn't believe that an Englishman could win a competition. But the tournament was a tough one, like this one," the famous English grandmaster said. "Of course, Baku has changed a lot since then and, what's most important, for the best. It is a very beautiful, hospitable city. I am glad to come back here after 24 years. I really liked your kebabs, they are a lot tastier than elephant…"

The latest trend in world chess is playing against a computer. Nigel Short has no qualms about playing against artificial intelligence and suffered a crushing defeat, 0.5:5.5, in his last game against the Hydra programme. "It's very difficult to play a computer, as, unlike a person, it doesn't get tired and plays the entire game at the same high level. So if computer programmes continue to improve, they will soon become unbeatable for people. But I haven't given up hope of beating a computer programme and getting revenge for this defeat," Nigel Short said.

Loek Van Wely: "All Azerbaijani chess players are very dangerous"

If Nigel Short is a star of the past, then Loek Van Wely is an international chess star of the present who knew practically nothing about Azerbaijan before he came here. "Of course, I feel very embarrassed that I know so little about your country, but I promise to put that right," he told R+. "I've mainly come across the name Azerbaijan when I've played against Teymur Racabov or Sahriyar Mammadyarov at international tournaments. I have sometimes heard stories about Baku from Dutch businessmen of my acquaintance. And they all agreed on one thing: your people are very hospitable and I have seen this for myself."

It's worth noting that Loek Van Wely has a "chess history" with our top player, Teymur Racabov. Last year our chess player went out of the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk when he lost to the Dutch grandmaster. But at the start of this year Teymur Racabov had his revenge in the super-tournament in Holland's Wijk-aan-Zee. Racabov won the tournament as a result. "My games with Teymur Racabov are very interesting and I always like playing him. Yes, I beat him in Khanty-Mansiysk but he managed to get his own back in Wijk-aan-Zee," the Dutchman said. "Next time it's me who wants to get his own back," Loek Van Wely laughed. "I think that Teymur Racabov has a lot in common with Garry Kasparov who led world chess for many years. Teymur Racabov is still very young but has already managed to win Wijk-aan-Zee and I think that this is a big step forward for him. He still has a long way to go to the champion's crown."

The Dutch grandmaster has had the better of matches with Sahriyar Mammadyarov. "Sahriyar Mammadyarov also has great potential and he is also part of the world chess elite. He sticks more to a tactical game. Nevertheless, I managed to beat him once playing a tactical game. I have also beaten him in a positional game, but my competition with Sahriyar Mammadyarov and Teymur Racabov will continue. Playing for the President's Cup, I understood that all Azerbaijani chess players are very dangerous and that you have to be careful against all of them," Loek Van Wely said.

Arkadij Naiditsch: "I can't handle Azerbaijani chess players yet"

Arkadij Naiditsch is part of the young generation of chess players. He was once predicted to have as much success as our Teymur Racabov, Norwegian Magnus Carlsen and other prodigies from the chess production line. But his star has been rather on the wane of late and his results on the international stage have not been so great. Arkadij Naiditsch's most outstanding achievement was his unexpected win at the super-tournament in Dortmund in 2005. "This tournament is still my swan song. Nobody expected me to win. I didn't expect to win either," Arkadij Naiditsch said. "At one time I was also considered one of the Wunderkinder and expected to have a great future. But I lost a few years to studying and fell out of the 'frame'. The effects of this enforced break can still be felt on my game but I hope that I will soon be back on form."

Arkadij Naiditsch will play in the super-tournament in Dortmund again this year where he will meet our compatriot, Sahriyar Mammadyarov. "Sahriyar and I have been playing each other since we were 10," he says. "As for our personal scores, Shahriyar is ahead with the slightest of leads. I haven't played as much against Teymur, as he is younger than me and we never met in youth tournaments. The tally of games against Teymur is also not in my favour. I played Teymur for the first time in Dortmund and the score then was equal, 1:1. Then I lost to him in the European Championship. So I can't handle Azerbaijani chess players yet."