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GM Ivan Sokolov, a former high participant himself, was the coach of the gold-winning Uzbek group on the Olympiad in Chennai, India. In an interview with Chess.com, the Dutch-Bosnian grandmaster reveals what it is wish to work with prodigies who’ve taught him one thing about chess as properly.

The 54-year-old Sokolov wants little introduction to our older readers who noticed him play on the highest degree within the Nineties and early 2000s. He was a relentless top-30 participant in these twenty years and occupied the twelfth spot on the earth rankings 3 times. Of all of the sturdy grandmasters who by no means made it into the highest 10, he is perhaps one of the vital profitable. Besides profitable a number of sturdy tournaments (for instance, Hoogeveen, Selfoss, Sarajevo), he defeated 5 world champions in classical video games: GM Garry Kasparov, GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Viswanathan Anand, GM Veselin Topalov, and a younger GM Magnus Carlsen.

Born and raised in Bosnia (then Yugoslavia, now a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina), he was one of many thousands and thousands who left or fled the nation in the course of the Yugoslav wars of the Nineties. He settled within the Netherlands in 1992, which was a way more chess-loving nation then when it had 5 – 6 annual grandmaster tournaments. His Dutch residence additionally made it simpler for Sokolov to journey to tournaments overseas.

Now divorced with two children of their 20s, Sokolov at present lives in Amsterdam. He has been incomes his residing as a chess coach since 2008. He initially labored with high skills from the previous Yugoslavia (GMs Ivan Saric from Croatia, Marin Bosiocic from Croatia, and Borki Predojevic from Bosnia) and later additionally GM Baskaran Adhiban from India and GM Salem Saleh from the UAE.

The resolution to surrender his personal chess profession and begin a full-time job as a coach within the UAE got here in 2013, and there is a good anecdote related to it.

“At the beginning of 2013, I nonetheless had ranking [2663 – PD] and I performed in Tata Steel, the place my outcome was a lot worse than the positions I used to be getting. My preparation was superb; a number of months later I received various video games within the French league primarily based on my Wijk aan Zee preparation. It was a yr of ups and downs, and someplace in June I acquired a suggestion from the UAE Chess Federation to work for them as a result of they have been in search of somebody to make Salem a greater participant. He was at the moment perhaps 2550-2560, a younger, proficient grandmaster, however they wished somebody to assist him to get to the following degree. I wasn’t certain if I wished to maneuver to Dubai for a full-time job with, clearly, a set wage however now not being the proprietor of my very own time, in my view the largest plus of being a chess participant.

“Then, on the finish of August, I used to be taking part in the Vienna Open, an enormous match with one thing like 600 gamers. They invited me, I gave a simul as, I assume, the star visitor of the occasion, however someplace in the course of the match I misplaced a recreation to some 2400-rated, proficient younger participant from Turkey [Batuhan Dastan, now a GM – PD]. I completed the match with 6.5/9 which was adequate for ending Sixteenth-Thirtieth, and my prize cash was, I feel, about 100 euros.

“I went to the airport, I used to be having a flight to Amsterdam, they usually instructed me: ‘The flight is overbooked. Would you want to attend one other two hours for the following flight? We pays you 250 euros.’ I mentioned sure, however then I assumed: wait a minute. There’s one thing fallacious right here. I used to be taking part in an open match for 10 days, the prize cash is 100 euros, I’ve to attend for 2 hours for a brand new flight, and they are going to pay me 250. Something is fallacious right here. So I took this cash, ordered a bottle of wine, and analyzed the scenario. And having analyzed it, I picked up the cellphone, known as Dubai and requested if their provide was nonetheless on the desk.”

So I took this cash, ordered a bottle of wine, and analyzed the scenario.

To this present day, Sokolov has no regrets about his resolution. Things have been going properly, and his outcomes as a coach communicate for themselves, culminating in Olympic gold in Chennai.

He labored within the UAE till the summer time of 2016, principally with Salem who quickly grew to become the Asian champion. He additionally coached the UAE group on the 2014 Tromso Olympiad, his first Olympiad as a coach. Before that, he had attended all Olympiads between 1988 and 2012 as a participant (representing Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Netherlands), aside from Dresden 2008.

Working with Firouzja

About a month and a half earlier than the 2016 Olympiad in Baku, Sokolov stop his job in Dubai and began to educate the Iranian group—a job he held till and together with the World Team Championship in 2019. Unlike with the UAE, he didn’t transfer to Iran however flew there a number of occasions a yr for coaching classes that may final a few weeks.

Before performing properly on the 2016 Olympiad, Iran received the Asian Team Championship forward of India and China. Iran then completed in a sensational shared eleventh place in Baku, alongside chess powerhouses equivalent to Azerbaijan and China. Two years later, the younger group completed in an additionally very respectable shared fifteenth place. One of the gamers then was GM Alireza Firouzja, who would later transfer to France and finally turn into the youngest-ever participant to interrupt the 2800 Elo barrier.

Sokolov: “When I got here to Iran in 2016, a month earlier than the Olympiad, the nation had one established grandmaster: Ehsan Ghaem Maghami. I additionally had Parham Maghsoodloo, Amin Tabatabaei, I had Firouzja, all of them very younger and round 2400 rated at the moment. I understood that they had huge potential however how huge, that is at all times troublesome to guage.

“What I seen with Alireza from the very begin, and this made him a little bit bit totally different, was that he had a large dedication.

What I seen with Alireza from the very begin, and this made him a little bit bit totally different, was that he had a large dedication.

“Our work day was one thing like from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., one thing like a 2.5-hour break, after which from 3:30 to six:30 p.m. All of us have been staying in a lodge very near the constructing of the chess federation.

“Usually, what would occur is that I might end this work; I might have a break; I might go for a protracted stroll in a park, have lunch, reply my personal emails, and are available again to work. Usually, after I would come again for the second half, Alireza would have already got some novelties and concepts primarily based on what we have been taking a look at within the morning. The similar factor, if you end within the night, some guys would begin chatting or taking part in video video games, however within the morning he would have new concepts, one thing to inform me primarily based on what we have been taking a look at within the afternoon. So he was working perhaps 10 hours a day.”

Working with computer systems

Especially for a classically educated grandmaster like Sokolov, whose 2008 e-book Winning Chess Middlegames is in that very same classical custom, working with the brand new era of gamers who have a tendency to make use of a pc greater than anything is each a pleasure and a problem.

“What I confronted, not solely with Alireza but additionally with another younger gamers that I labored with, is that, for instance, they arrive with a proposal that may be very unconventional for a recognized kind of place—unconventional primarily based on previous data. I might normally say, if this works, I have to quote my good friend GM Jan Timman, who mentioned: ‘If it really works, I have to be taught chess once more!’ But then I might get a remark like: ‘Yes, however the laptop loves it.’ Then we’d do some evaluation, and typically it might prove that the pc was fallacious, within the sense that the analysis solely works if computer systems are taking part in. For people, the evaluation will be totally different.”

Asked for an instance, Sokolov described the next pawn construction, which may come from many openings, such because the Scandinavian, the Caro-Kann, the French, the Slav, and so forth.

“The frequent plan is that you just both push b2-b4-b5 otherwise you attempt to provide you with the d4-d5 pawn break as a result of by definition White is having the bishop-pair benefit in these sorts of positions. The bishop on c8 went out someplace and traded itself for a knight.

“One of the brand new concepts was to not contact something within the heart, attempt to solidify and ensure there is no such thing as a straightforward break, and to easily begin pushing g2-g4-g5 and h2-h4-h5 and to have this type of assault. This is just not recognized in classical books as a standard plan in such a place, however it turned out that it could actually simply be working.”

Another instance is an unconventional plan for White within the Mar del Plata variation of the King’s Indian: taking part in Kg1-h1, Rf1-g1, and g2-g3, in different phrases, going in opposition to the previous adage, Don’t play on the wing the place you might be weaker. It needs to be mentioned that this plan is just not fully new (GM Alex Yermolinsky performed it again in 1997!), however it acquired the eye of sturdy gamers as engines appeared to love it.

“You would have been thought-about fully loopy primarily based on previous books,” mentioned Sokolov. “In my case, it was Tabatabaei who got here to me and mentioned: ‘You know, my laptop has this concept and I can not see something fallacious with it.’ At first I mentioned: ‘Come on, this does not make any sense.’ But then we began to look, and I noticed the pc is true. It makes lots of sense.”

Sokolov has a concrete methodology that helps gamers to be taught from computer systems: as a substitute of selecting the highest strains given by the engine, a participant ought to at all times choose the transfer that he would play himself, or he would anticipate his opponent to play able. It stands out as the fifth alternative of strikes for the pc, and determining what’s fallacious along with your first alternative will be extremely instructive. “It is a course of for me, and clearly working with these folks helped my very own understanding as to how synthetic intelligence works and the way typically it could actually put you on the fallacious path: that you just consider an excessive amount of in assessments whereas in one-on-one sensible play, it’s a little bit totally different.”

Explaining it in one other method, Sokolov mentioned: “You can have two approaches. First, you may have a mindset that you just attempt to consider a place primarily based on frequent data, so pawn construction, house, bishop pair, king security, potential of pawn breaks, potential commerce of items, do I get a greater ending, do I get a worse ending, and as soon as you might be performed with all these components, you calculate to attempt to discover the perfect transfer and to attempt to justify your judgement. But in fact, it could actually additionally go vice versa, that you just calculate and primarily based on the variations that you just calculate, you attempt to provide you with an evaluation of the place.

“I consider I belong to the primary faculty of thought, and I nonetheless consider this fashion is extra justified, and it makes it simpler for you in sensible play to deal with the place. But the direct aspect has turn into far more essential than it ever was, and this we will thank computer systems.”

Coaching Uzbekistan

During the Sharjah Masters, in May of this yr (the place Sokolov was a commentator and the place many Uzbek gamers have been taking part in) he was approached by the Uzbekistan Chess Federation to educate the nationwide group. After altering his plan to work as a commentator in Chennai, he accepted and flew to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on the finish of June the place he met with the group members who had already been chosen for the Olympiad: GMs Nodirbek Yakubboev (20), Javokhir Sindarov (16), Jakhongir Vakhidov (27), and Shamsiddin Vokhidov (20). Board one GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (17) wasn’t there but as he was taking part in in Biel.

So how did he begin?

“I checked their video games from the final 12 months, and I didn’t look that a lot on the openings. I used to be extra attempting to know them as gamers, how they operate,” Sokolov mentioned. “You want to know how their brains work as a way to assist them to make the correct decisions for themselves. Also, you must determine what varieties of positions swimsuit these gamers, what are the ‘holes’ they’ve, and whether or not they can simply sidestep them to keep away from touchdown in positions they don’t like.

“I mentioned from the very begin, even earlier than I took the job: ‘Don’t anticipate me to run a cloud Stockfish at depth 50. I’m not going to do that. But I can assist you turn into a greater participant, make the correct decisions, perhaps level out one thing you have to be engaged on.'”

Instead, Sokolov gave the gamers numerous middlegame positions, coming from both particular openings or particular varieties of positions, and in addition positions the place he centered on their decision-making course of. He mentioned his database of positions is already about 70 p.c new from the time he was working with the Iranian group.

“This is what you must do as a coach to stay on the high of the sport: carry on updating your database with the intention to perceive the middlegame developments and in addition to know new opening concepts as a result of your gamers are going to be going through this in over-the-board play. You have to attempt to perceive it, you must have an opinion, and you must know this. You can not say to a participant: I do not know something about this. It’s totally different from after I was a participant, when, as a 1.d4 and 1…e5 participant, I could not care much less about what was occurring within the Najdorf or the French Winawer. I didn’t care in any respect. Now, I can not afford this luxurious.”

Sokolov summed up the totally different kinds of the Olympic gold winners this fashion:

Abdusdattorov: “Close to Magnus.”
Yakubboev: “A extra rounded participant.”
Sindarov: “A pure tactician.”
Vakhidov: “An wonderful theoretician.”
Vokhidov: “Predominantly a tactician.”

“In my case, understanding how one can work with them helped me additionally in the course of the Olympiad to make the correct opening decisions,” mentioned Sokolov. “But it was not at all times so easy, like for instance, I used to be very sad after I noticed this King’s Indian kind of place which Sindarov acquired versus GM Praggnanandhaa R. in our match with India 2.

“The line Praggnanandhaa performed was an amazing alternative in opposition to Sindarov. He traded pawns on e5, they usually acquired this comparatively symmetrical place the place White is having a really small plus, which is perhaps not even terribly formidable for White however for a tactical participant like Sindarov, it was troublesome to deal with this type of place, whereas a technical participant, like Praggnanandhaa, in all probability felt very snug. What occurred within the recreation was that Black was really attempting to resolve the scenario tactically, which in the end didn’t work. This is only one instance of decisions: White’s benefit wasn’t huge in any respect, however his place suited him significantly better in over-the-board play.”

In soccer or different sports activities, there may be an limitless dialogue about how a lot a coach is accountable for the group’s outcomes. How does Sokolov take a look at his function in Uzbekistan’s success?

“Let’s put it this fashion. I feel as a coach you may assist gamers higher when you’ve got been on this scenario your self. I didn’t win Olympic gold, however I did win Olympic silver [behind Russia, playing board two at the 1994 Moscow Olympiad for Bosnia and Herzegovina – PD]. We did turn into European Champions in 2005 [playing for the Netherlands – PD]. And as I mentioned, I beat many world champions. Based on these experiences, I feel I can assist gamers enormously. But this interprets into like Zinedine Zidane or José Mourinho, or what you had within the Netherlands, Johan Cruijff or Louis van Gaal. I’d put my cash on Cruijff or Zidane.”

Elaborating a bit on the subject, he provides: “What is my affect in proportion factors? I do not know. But I do know one factor: my successes with Salem, with Iran, and now with Uzbekistan should not a coincidence. This is what I do know.”

Before the Olympiad, Sokolov didn’t actually take into consideration profitable the gold medal in Chennai. “Objectively, no, however I used to be considering a medal could possibly be an choice. When I used to be in Tashkent, they requested me many occasions if a medal was achievable, however though I used to be considering it could possibly be potential, I didn’t need to construct up expectations. But I discovered it very troublesome to see the United States not profitable it. I used to be considering: What are our possibilities to be the perfect of the remaining?

“Analyzing the groups, I assumed, we’re a bit fortunate as a result of India is selecting three groups to do properly however not a single one to win. Because if that they had chosen a group to win, clearly GM Gukesh D. would have been on the primary group. All three Indian groups have been sturdy however beatable, similar to, as an illustration, the Netherlands, Germany, France, or Spain.

“I did assume our group was underrated, and I used to be proper as a result of I feel collectively we received like 80 ranking factors or one thing [84.4 to be precise – PD].”

“The first time I assumed we may win a gold medal was really a while throughout the remaining day as a result of I assumed, OK, we have now performed the United States, and it would not appear like they’re going to win this Olympiad.”

When the interviewer semi-jokingly requested whether or not he stored his gamers away from the Bermuda Party [a traditional party always held at Olympiads ahead of the rest day], Sokolov answered with a agency sure. “They have been very enthusiastic concerning the Bermuda Party, however I instructed them: ‘Look, you might be forbidden to go there, however I’m additionally going to punish myself. This would be the first Bermuda Party since 1988 that I’m not going to attend myself. So I’m staying within the lodge as properly if that is any comfort.’ They tried a bit by saying: ‘We will solely go for a number of hours.’ But I replied: ‘Boys, there may be one small drawback. I used to be not born yesterday. Once upon a time I had your age, and I’m not shopping for it. It is just not going to occur.’ So this was resolution.”

On the remaining day, Sokolov instructed his group that the possibilities to win the Olympiad have been actual. He additionally defined that taking part in 2-2 in opposition to the United States was a wonderful outcome, even if that they had missed an amazing likelihood for victory. “I instructed them: one, we can not play them once more; two, we have now a greater tiebreak, and this can in all probability not change; and three, they’re going be beating different groups for us whereas have been are going to play groups which are positioned second-best at that second, whereas they’ll clear the highway for us. As we all know it, it did not precisely work that method.”

Sokolov admitted that the group had its share of “winner’s luck” within the match with India 2 within the penultimate spherical. “We have been unbelievably fortunate to not lose as a result of, OK, Gukesh spoiled a totally received place. In that match, I had resigned myself to a 3-1 loss, however at some second I understood one thing actually good could possibly be occurring.”

“We acquired very fortunate that Gukesh did not need to settle for the truth that he spoiled a profitable place to a draw, after which he pushed unobjectively too exhausting, and we merely acquired lucky in that match.

Here’s that fateful encounter between Gukesh and Abdusattorov yet another time, annotated because the Game of the Day by GM Davorin Kuljasevic in our spherical 10 report:

Sokolov: “Even earlier than the piece was blundered, I had the sensation Abdusattorov was going to win. He had a large benefit on the clock, and in addition you’ve this run of play. This is why it is a lot simpler for a pc to defend awful positions than for people. How can Gukesh take out of his thoughts the place that he had 20 strikes earlier? It’s fully inconceivable as a result of he’s a human.”

At the time of this publication, Sokolov is touring again to Tashkent to debate persevering with his work with the Uzbek gamers, and it now appears fairly more likely to proceed. In truth, he’ll in all probability be welcomed on the airport as a hero.

When the ultimate match was over, the cellphone of one of many officers of the Uzbekistan Chess Federation rang. On the opposite finish of the road was none apart from Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to congratulate everybody. Sokolov couldn’t touch upon the accuracy of media experiences that counsel every participant will obtain $55,000 and a automotive again house, however he famous that for some gamers the precise sum is significantly greater. With a contractual bonus for the Olympic gold, Sokolov himself additionally receives an additional reward.

The subsequent Olympiad is in two years from now in Budapest, Hungary, the place the younger Uzbeks will probably be even stronger, whereas getting into the competitors with a complete totally different mindset. Playing because the defending champions will probably be a distinct scenario for them. Two years after that, in 2026, the Olympiad will then be on house soil in Tashkent—Uzbekistan received the bid to host the occasion on the FIDE Congress throughout this Olympiad.