Corus: Jan 20th Part II

Meeting the GM's:

There I am walking through the media control room for ICC when I come across Nigel Short and Jonathan Speelman watching games and doing some analysis. I am star struck and just stand next to them and listen in, barely laughing along with Short's prattle of jokes and quips. He likes to not take things too seriously. His friend Mr. Speelman meanwhile keeps asking Nigel for his insights. Eventually, Nigel says "Why don't you think that one through yourself, John? You can do that, yeah? I just got off work today."

Nigel moves along to the room I am in now, where the laptops and display boards are. I gave him a few minutes before I follow and when I came in, he and Vassily Ivanchuk are now watching the boards and chatting. I listen in:

VI: Why isn't Garry (Kasparov) playing any more, Nigel. Be real.
NS: Because he's bored. Vassily, you are about the whole breadth of the game. He is into other things.
VI: No really...
NS: It takes a lot to prepare (for tournaments). And Gary is all about getting results. He's into big things.

Vassiliy, or "Chuckie" as Nigel calls him, stops talking. I am there once again listening in, petrified to say anything. (I am so startstruck!) But I chime in with a impromptu casual conversation.

PF: So do you still talk with Kaspaprov?
NS: Oh yes, we stay in pretty regular communication.
PF: How often is that?
NS: Once or twice a month maybe. But it's not like he is calling me up asking me for some of my novelties. Like I am not going to just up and share with him my TWO novelties! Ha! ... Hey Chuckie, do you miss playing Garry? Is that it? Well I don't. I wouldn't have missed playing him 20 years ago either! I've had quite enough of that.

Chuckie just smirks and eventually leaves the room.

PF: So what does Garry say about how it is going in Russia (politically)?
NS: Oh, pretty pessimistic stuff.

And Nigel realizes there is a dinner he is to attend and he gets ready to go. I summon up the courage to actual BE a reporter and formally ask him a question. He says “okay what’s your question?” I honestly had one prepared:

PF: Nigel, you certainly have a good sense of humor. What other top players have a great sense of humor?

NS: Well that’s an interesting question. (The other media guys agreed. Score one for me!)

NS: Lots of players. Hmmm. Certainly NOT Leko! Ha! But don’t quote me on that.” (Sorry, I am.)

NS: Chuckie is really a funny guy. He has a good sense of humor. You know he really has come around over the years. He used to be, well, pretty strange. But he really has become a good guy. He’s very approachable, too. (Too bad I didn’t take a chance to talk with him, I had a lot of opportunities.)

NS: Aronian has a good sense of humor. But Radjabov is VERY serious. Really. He was like that even when he was 12. You know last year Radja was the only one who didn’t know about my Cheparinov (sp?) incident! Even Anand got up from his game to find out what happened but Radja just stayed right at his board staring at his game. Very serious!

PF: Thank you very much Mr. Short, this has been my honor.

Booyah!

And later I was able to watch Aronian and Carlsen get interviewed briefly for the internet about their game. It was pretty dull.

I tried to take some digital pics today to share but that didn’t work out. They are blurred. Rats! I took many more film pics. Hopefully I will have something ready for posting by the end of January.

I may post more. But for now I think I will bask in all that happened today and go enjoy a dinner.

Till next time… this is Phil Ferguson, Live from Corus, for ENYCA

(I get a kick just writing that! Ha!)