Andrey Filatov: Grischuk Deservedly Qualifies for the Candidates Tournament

Interview of Head Coach of the Russia men’s national chess team in R-Sport 

Head Coach of the Russia men’s national chess team, President of the Russian Chess Federation Andrey Filatov comments on Alexander Grischuk’s qualification for the Candidates Tournament in the interview to Oleg Bogatov (R-Sport):

- I congratulate everybody on this fine result - Alexander Grischuk’s qualification for the Candidates Tournament. We are progressing at a fast rate: only two Russian players were taking part in the previous Candidates Tournament in 2016, now there will be three participants from our country. Alexander’s success is well-deserved, and I hope he will perform equally fine in the Candidates 2018. 

Alexander always acts absolutely uncompromisingly, he is a real player. As a rule, he plays very sharply and fairly. It is no mere chance that Alexander is a threefold World Blitz Champion as he is always straining after a win. It is an interesting fact that all our players, who will take part in the Candidates Tournament, have different styles. Karjakin is a positional player and an expert of defense, Grischuk is a sharp, combinative and many-sided grandmaster, while Kramnik is an absolutely universal chess player. 

I am sure that each of our athletes deserves to win the Candidate Tournament. I will roote for them all; as a Head Coach of the Russia men’s national chess team I am not to distiunguish one of them. They are all dear to me and I wish victory in Berlin to all of them. We are waiting for this win as we have to qualify for the World Championship Match and return the chess crown back to Russia.  

***

The Candidates Tournament will take place in Berlin, March 10-28, 2018. Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) and Alexander Grischuk (Russia) have qualified for the Candidates Tournament from the recently finished GP Series. Vladimir Kramnik, Sergey Karjakin (both from Russia), Levon Aronian (Armenia), and Ding Liren (China) will fight for the right to play the match against Carlsen as well. Wesley So and Fabiano Caruana (both from the USA) are most likely to qualify for the CT by rating.