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GM Michael Adams
GM Michael 'Mickey' Adams Plays 20 Questions with Chessville - including
some surprise contributions from:
- three Grandmasters,
- The English Chess Federation,
- Chessville's own Forum Members, and
- a Cornish Grandmother!
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Questions from
Alekhine's
Parrot
1. I
remember you from Truro School's Chess Team and also your colleague [who
looked a bit like Harry Potter, I've forgotten his name, but you were always
board 1 and 2 together], and want to know how on earth did you subsequently
survive my friends in Falmouth; the wacko-openings and free advice of such
as Nick, Anton, Arthur and Roger, in the Cornish Chess League to emerge as
one of the top players in the world?
I am not too sure myself. Perhaps the free
advice wasn't that bad and wacko openings are invaluable. :-)
2. How
important to your evolution as a player were those early club-to-club
matches, and then County Matches for Cornwall, under the eagle eye[-brows]
of P. H. Clarke - did Peter become a mentor to you?
I had one training session with Peter which was quite
useful but mentor might be a bit strong for one week! I was quite
impressed by Peter's exploits as an author. One of the first books I
have clear memories of was his "Petrosian's Best Games 1946-1963", to
give you an idea of the age of the book, it is in descriptive notation.
3. Your
known interests outside chess are boxing, eating curry, Kim Bassinger
[still?], shooting pool, beer, Sunday barbies, and a nice cuppa. If
you hadn't become a chess player, would you have gone for something else
like being a pro pool hustler, a film star, or even like your fellow
Scorpio, a 'Ramsey'!
I am not too sure I am well qualified for too many
other careers but I infer from the final part of the question that you have
never tasted my cooking!
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4. Has
Our Nigel gone too far? The ECF seem to be backing his critique of FIDE, and
a natural question is if he actually has gone far enough? Do you have
opinions about the continued and more than somewhat fractured nature of
chess-at-the-top, or are you apolitical in this respect, not involving
yourself in chess politics? If you were ever to become President of Fide,
what would be the three big things you would like to achieve during your tenure? |
GM Nigel Short |
From my point of view the big
problem with FIDE over the last 10 years has been their handling of the
World Championship cycle. Far too many changes of system and
alterations to rules mid-stream. Hopefully, there will be a more
consistent cycle with clear rules that are actually applied in the future.
There has also been too much messing around with the time control, and
even now different limits are used in different events within the cycle
which doesn't make any sense. I don't see any reason not to have a
seven hour time limit for classical chess.
 5. When
Chessville interviewed Mark Taimanov, we asked
him whose musical style he thought his own chess playing matched, and what
about other players? He replied:
Well, for me the
resemblance between Capablanca and Mozart is absolutely evident. I would
compare Lasker with Beethoven, and Steinitz with Bach. Alekhine with
his wealth of ideas and sense of harmony is akin to Rachmaninoff.
Smyslov's harmony is closer to that of Chaikovsky's. Fischer is as
monumental as Liszt. Tal reminds me of Paganini - the same self-abandon
and fatalism. Botvinnik is associated for me with Wagner. Karpov's
chess is as simple and as complicated as Prokofiev's music. Kasparov
with his dynamic play brings to mind Shostakovich and his symphonies..."
Of himself he
said: "As to my style, by comparison to names of great composers I feel
an involuntary certain shyness. But, probably, a parallel with creativity of
Frederic Chopin is the closest." So! If Tony
Miles was John Lennon [agree?]: Who is Mickey Adams?
That's a great question - but I feel hopelessly
under-qualified to answer. My music teacher told me I was tone-deaf
(accurately)! In terms of what I like? Warren Zevon rocks!
6. What
do you think of the recent scoring innovation of Win = 3, Draw = 1, and Lose
= 0 points, as practiced in the World Blindfold? Will this have an effect on
"draw-death" and maybe even make chess more 'dynamic' for television? Do you
have a rare copy of the BBC TV MasterGame series? Can I have it?
I don't see the logic of 3 points for a win. The
current scoring system seems to work quite well. I think introducing a
30 move minimum on draws by agreement would be an interesting experiment,
which would counter some of the current problems. The move limit could
be extended if practice shows it is required. I don't think it is
necessary to completely ban draw offers.
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7. We
have both met Yelena Dembo recently (I played her by correspondence, and you
and she were board #1s in the 2007 European Team Championship, for England
and Greece respectively). You have also been a frequent sparing partner of
another Polgar grandmaster, Judit. Do you have an opinion on when women will
achieve widespread parity with men in chess, and what depends on it?
I think the standard of women's chess is clearly
improving, with more ambitious and aggressive play becoming
commonplace amongst female players. I think parity might be
someway off though. |
Questions from The
Chessville Forum
8. I wonder
how much time you spend analyzing new lines as opposed to trying to develop
new attacking ideas or systems. Have you tried to develop a novel system of
your own? If so, what is the theory behind it? - Rob Mitchell
I spend most of my preparation time working within
existing systems trying to find new ideas over the established theory.
It is quite difficult, although not impossible to develop completely new
systems now, as theory is quite well advanced.
 9. What is
the funniest thing that's ever happened to you at a tournament, or during a
match? - licenser
I remember a strange incident
during one of the Watson-Farley-Williams tournaments in London: after a
lengthy analysis session in the pub in the company of Mike Wilder, we
adjourned back to David Goodman's flat.
Mike started trying to demonstrate
his game but he was unable to reconstruct events. After numerous
unsuccessful attempts he located his score sheet under a pile of bar
receipts and found that the move he had played in the game Bh3 - was
impossible as one of his own pawns was standing there. It
transpired that as the sun was inconveniencing the players they had
transferred their game to another board and continued with the pawn
placed on h2 instead of the correct h3!
Mike was particularly embittered
about this as it encouraged him to choose the incorrect plan of g2-g3
and Bf1-h3 instead of the correct Bf1-c4.
10. If you
could go back in time and play against any player, who would it be? - ketchuplover
I was very happy that I got the opportunity to play
two games against Mikhail Tal. It was a great honour to meet and
analyse with him and watch him play hours of blitz. I would have liked
to have played with Petrosian although I think the results might not have
been too good.
11. Mickey,
do you think anything is lacking in the current chess literature? Is there a
subject matter that is just not being covered that should be given some
attention by the chess press? We have how to play chess books, openings
books, tactics books, endgame books, biographies, histories, etc. Is there
something missing? What would you like to see a book / CD on? - Tom Brown
Judging by the amount of room left
on my bookshelves - probably not!
Actually I think the quality of
current books is overall extremely good. I particularly appreciate
books that have a certain amount of text as well as analysis which you
can read without getting out your set. I recently enjoyed reading
"American Grandmaster" by Joel Benjamin.
12. What do
you consider the strongest and weakest aspects of your play? - Kelly Atkins
I am afraid I won't be answering that one until I have
retired!
 13. How do you prepare
emotionally and psychologically for the demands of competitive chess? -
licenser
I think this is difficult for all players.
Playing at a good quality after a disastrous setback in the previous day's
game is one of the most challenging tasks in chess.
14. What
separates a super-GM from an ordinary one? Is it intelligence, natural
ability, effort, or something else? - Kelly Atkins
All GMs can play at a very high level but the stronger
ones are able to do so more consistently. Natural ability and effort are two
of the factors but it is not really possible to generalise.
Questions from Chessville's Panel of Celebrity Inquisitors, including:
GM Susan Polgar, GM András Adorján, GM Raymond Keene, Claire Summerscale - Director of Junior Chess for the ECF,
and Mrs. Horace Trebotvinnalik.
 15. Here is
a set of questions from World Champion, Grandmaster Susan Polgar:
(a) What
originally attracted Michael Adams to chess?
My father wanted to teach me draughts but I found the
chess pieces more interesting.
(b) At what age or
how soon after Mickey learned chess was it before he realized that he was
good at it and wanted to become a professional.
I realised I was good, or at least not bad, when I won
the first tournament I played in. I am not sure at which exact moment
I decided I wanted to be professional. I made the decision at around
16, but as soon as I realised it was a possibility I was very attracted to
the idea.
(c) What are his
goals in chess and life today?
I would like to travel more for pleasure as well as
business. In chess I would just like to carry on playing as well as I
can. It would be great if I could get back in the top 10 players.
 16. Here is
a questions from GM Andras Adorjan: If the top 100 rated players all took
part in a tournament such as a 11 round Swiss - do you think the results
would reflect their ELOs? Why does this sort of event no longer take place,
and are the top 20 players artificially isolated thereby? Do sponsors
think chess genius only resides in the top 20?
I am not convinced the top 20 are isolated as they
often play successfully in team competitions and smaller tournaments.
The swift rise of young talents in recent times shows it is probably now
easier for young players to fulfill their potential. I think it is
natural sponsors are most interested in the best players.
17. A
related questions from GM Adorjan: Do you think it is quite right and
equitable that the top 50 players seem to earn 95% of chess money? Do you
think this reduces creativity among the pool of all grandmasters, rather
than enhance it, and does it contribute to "draw-death?" [note: in another
recent interview, US GM Larry Evans concludes with GM Adorjan, that the 70's
was a more creative period in chess than subsequently - does GM Adams
agree?]
I don't think it makes much
difference.
[Editor's Note: in
another recent interview, US GM Larry Evans concludes with GM Adorjan, that
the 70's was a more creative period in chess than subsequently - does GM
Adams agree?]
I agree that large databases and
strong search engines have started to have a bit of a negative effect.
Home preparation now stretches too long into the game for my liking.
Unfortunately as far as I can see this problem can only get worse in the
future. Computers have been positive in making the game more
concrete and encouraging players to consider ideas that would have been
rejected on general principles in the past: Topalov's win over Ivanchuk
where instead of castling queenside he begins action on that side of the
board, and Anand's win over Carlsen in Morelia where Black seems to break
every classical rule are two recent examples.
 18.
From GM Ray Keene: Who was your most
difficult opponent, and why? You seem to have a good score against Kramnik and Karpov,
but not Kasparov. Any views?
Kasparov and Anand were and are difficult opponents
for me. Probably because they are quite strong players! I am not
really sure why players have good or bad scores against each other, the
clash of styles must be a factor but I think the result of early games
between two opponents can sometimes have an influence on future ones.
19. Claire Summerscale asks: "As Director of Junior Chess for the ECF, I would like to
ask Mickey; What is his top tip for English juniors? What's the best way for
them to improve their chess?"
My advice to aspiring junior players would be to play
a lot of games. I found this very effective when I was a young player
and learnt a lot from playing a large number of weekend events alongside
legends like Mark Hebden. A bit of study doesn't hurt either.
20. And "A
Question to a Grandmaster from a Cornish Grandmother": Ere! What do youm
Mickey make of it when you went over to that Libier and when ee was nigh on
world champion 'cept for the last very minute, and did un makee eat they
nasty scorpion curries we ear abouts instead of a proper pasty, es-you!
which would ave set youms up proper-job my ansome, as many of we still say
down ere? Sincerely, (Mrs.) Horace Trebotvinnalik. [Translation for
American readers: Do you attribute any strangeness of diet, clime, or other
factors of locale or atmospheric circumstance, on coming up just a game or
two short of becoming FIDE world champion at chess in Libya?]
No, I am afraid I just wasn't a strong enough player.
Quite close though....
One more thing...
 A. A
traditional next-to-last Chessville question asks: is there a question you would
like to be asked, but was not covered above - what is it, and how do you
answer yourself?
Can I buy you a drink? How do you answer it:
Yes, please!
B. And
lastly, what would like to know from chess fans at our own
Forum?
Which chess newspaper columns do they like? What
would they like to see in these columns (I have been writing a column in the
Saturday Telegraph for the past year, but haven't received much feedback
from readers.)
[Editor's Note:
For Forum reader's responses.
visit this thread at the Chessville Forum!]
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