"All significant tournaments should be held according to the knockout system"

Chess needs unified control in the classics, and the main tournaments in the FIDE calendar should be held using the knockout system. This opinion was expressed by two-time Russian champion, bronze medalist of the World Blitz Championship Vladislav Artemyev in an interview with Izvestia and SE. We started the conversation with the Superfinal, which starts this week in Moscow.

It's great that people from the people will be playing in the candidates tournament.

— I remember we talked a few months ago and you said that you would most likely miss the Superfinal.

— Yes, at first I refused, but then I decided to play.

— Did it play a role that the tournament was moved from Derbent to Moscow?

— There are several factors involved. I thought I had a lot of free time. Plus an interesting cast and, of course, the location. If the tournament hadn't been in Moscow, I probably would have missed it.

— No one has ever won the Russian championship three years in a row. You can make history.

— I don't want to guess. The competition will be serious, and defending the title is not an easy task.

— Our young leaders Ivan Zemlyansky, Savva Vetokhin and Artyom Uskov will take part in the tournament. Which of them will be the most interesting to play with?

— I've already played with all three of them. The guys are very strong at chess, especially Vanya Zemlyansky. I think he has a lot of potential. If everything goes well, he can rise very high and become an elite grandmaster. Personally, it will be interesting for me to compete with these three in the Superfinal. I think that the Russian Football Federation made the right decision to reward the guys for winning the U-16 Olympics. For them, this is an experience and a good motivation. In my opinion, this is better than letting someone with a rating enter the tournament.

— In September, you played unsuccessfully on the "Big Swiss".

— It's a very difficult tournament. In fact, I had no chance of a good performance. Yes, I could have played better, but I would hardly have been able to compete for high places. The format doesn't really suit me. Prolonged time control, you have to give your best in each game. Tremendous concentration and preparation were needed. Those people who made it to the top 2 deserve a lot of respect. The competition was very high. Almost all the tops were there, plus all the young talents from India and other countries.

— Are you surprised by the second place of the German grandmaster Matthias Blubaum?

— Blubaum is a strong grandmaster. For five or six years now, he has had a rating of 2650+ in the classics. At the same time, it is clear that his second place is a combination of circumstances. There were 20-25 players in the tournament who are objectively stronger than Matthias. Plus, in the game with Vincent Kaymer (in the penultimate round) He was very lucky. Vincent yawned at a pawn in a technically won endgame. But that's how the stars came together, well done. Personally, I'm happy for him. It's great that people from the people will be playing in the candidates tournament. This is the highlight.

— Will the German be a clear outsider in the candidates tournament? How is Nijat Abasov in Toronto in 2024?

— I'll say this: he has very little chance of a final victory. But it's going to be the tournament of his life for him, and I wish him luck.

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— In July, you were ranked in the top 8 at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh (Esports World Cup 2025), where chess was introduced for the first time. How does the tournament feel?

— Starting this year, chess has been firmly included in the esports program. When I first found out about this story, I was surprised. It seemed that chess had its own way. After all, speed and gaming skills decide a lot in esports. But it's a good opportunity for chess. It's no secret that esports has great financial opportunities. Plus a strong media component. This is also a successful collaboration for esports. In my opinion, chess has a very good reputation in society. So it turned out to be a mutually beneficial cooperation.

— And if you remember the tournament itself, did something surprise you?

— It was unusual in terms of media. Photo shoots, numerous interviews, even before the game we were filmed when we boarded the shuttle. Their media is perfectly developed.

— Is it a shame that you got into the same group with Jan Nepomnyashchy and Andrey Esipenko?

— It's a sport. Yes, it was a little unpleasant. I'd rather be in another group. If possible, it is better not to play with your compatriots in international tournaments.

— Magnus Carlsen predictably won the tournament.

— He's consistently the first, there's no arguing. Legend. Great experience and level of play.

— Will you go to the World Cup after the superfinal?

- yes. They are currently applying for a visa to India. I hope everything will be fine.

— How do you like the knockout system?

— I personally really like the knockout. I would vote for this format to be used as often as possible. It's more interesting than the Swiss and even more so than the round-robin tournaments. Circles often turn out to be boring. Since the players don't have much motivation, with the exception of two or three people. A knockout spurs you to fight from the very beginning, because one defeat can lead to relegation. It's very spectacular, especially from the point of view of chess fans.

— So you are in favor of all the tournaments of the FIDE calendar being held according to the knockout system?

— At least, all the important tournaments. With this, it would be easier to go on television and make broadcasts. Because in many sports there is a result here and now. The football match starts, and everyone knows that in 1.5 hours there will be a result. In a round-robin tournament, it is unclear what will happen in 10 days. As a rule, most fans only watch the last two rounds.

A lot of knockout tournaments will help the development of chess. It is clear that we want to preserve traditions. If you dig into the history, then almost all the key tournaments were held in a round-robin system. But we need to keep up with the times, find a balance in order to be interesting for the new generation.

— In recent days, many people have been actively discussing that FIDE has adjusted the ratings for rapid and blitz, removing the games of elite grandmasters with low-rated opponents from the calculation. A number of chess players have lost many rating points. Did it affect you?

— It affected me just a little bit. Three or four points were taken away, but not critically. In general, it is very difficult to follow the rules now, they change very often. This is not a good thing. Especially when it comes to controls.

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I would love to join the national team, it would be strange to say something else.

— Could you elaborate on this?

— Chess needs unified control in the classics. Now there is an incomprehensible spread. There is one control in the candidates tournament, another in the World Cup, and a third in the crown match. It is clear that everything can be adjusted, but why create such confusion? The introduction of unified control would be an important step for both the players and the audience.

— What do you think about the "45 + 10" time control, which has been tested in a number of tournaments?

— I like this control, because you can have two games a day, which is optimal. This will simplify life for the organizers and will be more attractive to the audience. It's easier to follow the tournament for five days than for 10-11. The players will also be much more comfortable. Right now, everyone is betting very heavily on a debut, and it takes a lot of energy. I noticed that if the game drags on, then people generally play worse (due to the heavy workload in terms of preparation). I think "45 + 10" is an option that deserves to be introduced at high—level tournaments.

— Are the Rapid and Blitz World Championships, which will be held in Qatar this year, included in your plans?

— I haven't thought about it yet, as the event is still a few months away, but I want to go to Qatar. I missed the World Cup in New York last year, this time it will be easier in terms of logistics and visas. I also plan to play in the Global Chess League, which will be held in India this year. I was supposed to play this tournament last year, but I got a British visa two weeks later.

— The women's national team will play at the World Team Championship in Linares in December. The decision on the men's national team will be made in December. Would you like to resume playing for the national team?

— First we need to be allowed in. In order to be invited to the team. If that happens, I'll be happy to come. It would be strange to say something else. I think it's a great honor for most players to represent their country. It has always been a pleasure for me to play for the national team. Of course, I would like to do this with an anthem and a flag. So let's wait for the news. It is difficult to make any forecasts, the world is extremely unstable right now.

— There was talk of a mass suspension of athletes from Israel.

— I've read different opinions on this. I would like at least to have peace in sports and athletes from all countries to have equal opportunities.