Blitz comment: Alexey Shirov

Русская версия

Blitz comment: Alexey Shirov

What is your attitude to sudden change of the world championship formula?

These changes directly hit those players who haven't qualified yet, as they will compete for only four spots instead of eight. And there is a huge difference between these numbers!

Do you think the new system is better of worse than the previous one in principle?

"The system", as far as I understand, is not proposed yet. A round-robin format has a disadvantage – limiting number of the title contenders to eight is too harsh. I have always thought that the optimal number is sixteen.

Will the championship unification match Topalov-Kramnik, if organized in 2006 under FIDE aegis, benefit chess?

And why not Topalov-Anand? I guess, such a match would surely benefit chess a lot.

Does Kramnik, in your opinion, have moral or juridical rights to challenge Topalov?

Not a bit. It is sufficient to recall the year 1998.