NIC Podcast #96: GM Loek van Wely
In this week’s episode of the New In Chess podcast, I talk to Dutch grandmaster Loek van Wely. Loek is a friend of the podcast and we’re always happy to have him as our guest.
More precisely, I should say that this time I was his guest, as I went to see him at his home in the south of the Netherlands. There he received me in his study filled with hundreds of chess books and a wealth of paraphernalia; from trophies, cups and medals in all sorts and sizes to paintings and other chess-themed artefacts.
I visited Loek on the eve of the Dutch Championship, which starts tomorrow, on Saturday, July 4, in Aalsmeer (for more information check out the website of the Dutch Chess Federation).
Over the years, Loek has won the Dutch Chess Championship 8 times. His first win, in 2000, was the beginning of a unique series of six consecutive victories. Now, 26 years after that first title, he is going to try to win it a 9th time.
If he succeeds, that would mean that in the list of all-time greats, he’d catch up with 9-time winner Jan Timman, while moving a little closer to the father of Dutch chess, Max Euwe, who won the title twelve times in a time span of 34 years.
Besides the Dutch Championship, Loek also wanted to talk about Jan Timman, a dear colleague of his and an inspiration for many years, who passed away earlier this year, on February 18, at the age of 74. Jan meant a lot to Loek and he wanted to pay homage to a great player whose books he devoured as a kid and with whom he fought many fierce battles after he had become a grandmaster himself.
But first we talked about something entirely different, a brief trip that Loek made less than a week ago, a three-day round-trip to India’s largest city, Mumbai. Why on earth did he make such a short trip to such a distant country, you may rightly wonder.
It’s one of many questions that Loek van Wely happily answers in this lively episode of the New In Chess podcast, as he reflects on his ambitions as a chess pro, speaks about the stellar career and lasting legacy of Jan Timman, and explains why he has chess political ambitions in the upcoming presidential elections of the European Chess Union.
That all sounds interesting, doesn’t it? You’re right, don’t miss it.
2:23 – The Global Chess League
10:30 – Loeks “worldwide” chess activities in the past month
14:05 – Loek’s preparations for the upcoming Dutch national championship
22:57 – The late Jan Timman’s role in Loek’s chess life
25:08 – Loek’s first games against Timman in the 90’s
32:00 – People’s tendency to overlook Timman’s greatness
33:36 – AD BREAK
34:28 – Timman’s never-ending passion for chess
37:48 – Loek’s favourite Timman memories
39:16 – Loek’s brutal 1998 match against Timman
45:28 – Chess politics and Wadim Rosenstein’s bid for FIDE president
55:40 – AD BREAK
56:14 – Loek’s view for the future of the chess world
1:03:03 – Loek’s love of winning