NIC Podcast #81: GM Loek van Wely
In this week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast, my guest is Dutch grandmaster Loek van Wely. Loek is a good friend of the NIC podcast and he returns to talk about the chess event that is keeping us glued to our screens these days, the World Cup in Goa, India.
An 8-time Dutch champion, Loek can look back on a rich international career. He’s won tournaments all around the world and reached as high as 10th place in the world rankings. While Loek is still active as a player, his activities are more and more shifting to coaching and training. For instance, at last year’s Olympiad in Budapest, he was the coach of the Italian team.
The World Cup started almost two weeks ago and will continue for close to two more weeks. There’s a lot at stake in Goa, as the top three finishers will qualify for the Candidates tournament in Cyprus next year (28 March-15 April).
There’s also an attractive prize-fund. The winner takes home $120,000 and the numbers two and three, $85,000 and $60,000, respectively.
Loek has just returned from Goa, where he was the coach of Dutch grandmaster Max Warmerdam, who was knocked out in the second round by American grandmaster Awonder Liang.
We had a lot to talk about. For instance, about the brutality of the knock-out system. After 4 rounds no fewer than 8(!) of the top 10 seeds have been eliminated, including the top-seed, World Champion Gukesh.
Was it wise for Gukesh to take part? And was it wise for Anish Giri to take part, as he had already qualified for the Candidates and might have preferred to have a few weeks of rest? And how regrettable is the elimination of Vincent Keymer, who has been playing such great chess this year? And what about Ian Nepomniachtchi, seeded 12th? Did he have a point when he complained that the conditions in Goa were not as they should have been?
If you want to hear Loek’s thoughts, you should not miss this episode of the New In Chess Podcast.
Or if you’d like to hear his views on a couple of other issues. Such as FIDE’s belated action against Vladimir Kramnik because of the pain and damage his obsessive ‘anti-cheating’ crusade has caused.
Or Loek’s role in the upcoming Global Chess League in Mumbai, where he will once again captain the defending champions’ team, the Triveni Continental Kings.
There’s a lot to listen to. Don’t miss it!
0:00 - Intro
2:05 - Coaching Max Warmerdam at the World Cup
7:36 - Nepo’s early knockout from the tournament and subsequent complaints about the accommodations
12:55 - Why have so many top seeds been knocked out of the World Cup already?
19:00 - Gukesh partaking in the World Cup despite not playing for a Candidates’ spot
24:54 - AD BREAK
25:26 - Anish Giri's performance
28:10 - Bluebaum, Donchenko and other German players
32:00 - Nodirbek’s performance
34:29 - Hans Niemann’s defeat against Lorenzo Lodici
40:06 - Jose Martinez
43:05 - AD BREAK
44:08 - At this point, who does Loek think is the favourite to win the tournament?
47:55 - FIDE’s much belated action against Vladimir Kramnik
50:46 - Working for Kramnik
54:48 - AD BREAK
55:28 - Loek’s involvement in the Global Chess League