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“When the roof of your house leaks, you must give up everything and repair it” |
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Friday, 24 April 2009 |
Top grandmasters speaking about family values
 Rustam Kasimdzhanov
I have been married for many years and I have two children. I know that when the roof of your house leaks, you must give up everything and repair it. Moreover I understand that if my wife wants to buy herself a bathing suit I should give up the Petroff Defence and sit with the children so that she can go to the shop. My family is always on the first place. My elder child plays chess a little. I am not against it. But I will be against if one of my children decides to become a professional chess player. It seems to me that one chess player in the family is quite enough. And taking into consideration that it is hard labour, I’d like them to have normal professions of a lawyer, doctor or banker. My chess career is rather successful, but you need to have qualities that are essential for chess, and not everyone has such qualities. There can be one chess player who achieved something and at the same time a hundred of those who failed.
Peter Svidler
If you don’t put your family on the first place you will soon lose it. As far as children are concerned I fully agree with what Rustam has said. I have two seven-year-old sons. If they ask me to play chess with them, I will play a game or two, but I don`t want them to go for chess professionally.
Vladimir Akopian
I try to devote the greater part of my time to my family. It is kind of
a must in Armenia. As I don`t have much free time and I am often out,
so I try to spend more time with my children when I am at home. I play
chess at tournaments and attend training sessions assemblies. I can`t
afford myself to play chess at home when the children are with me. I
have three of them and they always demand attention.
Vasily Ivanchuk
Family is not the thing one should discuss in press. I am married for
the second time. I have a child from the first marriage. Unfortunately
I seldomly see him. There are a lot of reasons for it. As far as chess
is concerned, he is not interested in this game. Now we don’t play
chess in the family. We used to, during the first marriage, as my wife
was a chess player. My second wife doesn’t play chess.
Shahriyar Mamedyarov
I am not married yet. But when I get married and have children, they
won`t go for chess professionally. I know very well how difficult it
is. I think that any other kind of sport is easier for earning money
than chess. Of course I would like them to play chess well, but not
professionally.
Alexander Grischuk
I can`t understand when one plays chess at home. I haven`t been at
training sessions for two years. I play at the tournaments. I don`t
play chess with my wife and I have a little daughter who can not play
chess yet. But if she is eager to go in for chess I won’t be against
it, though I am not going to urge her on choosing this way. If she
learns to play and likes it, that will be another thing.
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