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Yochanan Afek interviews Mark Dvoretsky - 1999
Last winter I was rather fortunate to stay for more than a month with the man who is considered by
many as the world best chess trainer, Mark Israelovich Dvoretsky.
We were both invited to the chess town of Apeldoorn in East Holland to train a selection of local
players (each of us according to his own level, of course) and since we shared the same roof (Karel
van Delfts Chess Palace) we happened to discuss several subjects chess and life alike.
Dvoretsky (51) lives in Moscow with his wife Inna and his son Leonid and travels a lot around the
chess world for his current work.
His competitive career includes such highlights as his victory in the Moscow championship 1973, fifth
place in the USSR championship 1974 and first in the challengers tournament of Wijk aan Zee 1975.
He has been an International Master since 1975. In pure understanding of the game he would deal
succesfully with top grandmasters; many of them have actually been among his prominent pupils.
He has got a bag full of anecdotes, not necessarily flattering, about the greatest Soviet players with
whom, at the time, he played quite succesfully (with Victor Kortschnoi by the way, Mark first played in
the match Rotterdam - Apeldoorn from the Dutch second division 1999! And that too says something
about the dramatic changes Russian chess has experienced).
As an active player he was deprived of playing in the west for long periods; mainly because his
success as a trainer enabled him to demonstrate rather consistent independence.
He is fond of literature and has got clear cut views on current politics. Mark kindly agreed to let our
readers a glance to the rich and curious world of a succesful trainer.
From his own professional philosophy Dvoretsky appreciates Yusupov especially. The former, a
succesful trainer in Germany himself nowadays, he considers his best friend and an extraordinary
human being. The following episode might demonstrate it: In a game against Ivanchuk Yusupov
needed a draw and indeed that stormy battle finaly reached a draw position. Nevertheless Ivanchuk
had just a few seconds for his last 15 moves so he preferred to resign and left the tournament hall
immediately.
'How did the game end?' asked the confused arbiter. "It's a draw", replied Yusupov. "But I heared him
resigning." "It doesn't matter; I offered a draw and the position indeed is a draw", concluded Artur.
Yusupov than told his coach he could have played and win for sure on time. "Yet why should I spoil
such a exciting game with senseless time trouble moves..?"
What are the topics which should be focused on in the course of a training program?
Numerous topics and subtopics are aimed at improving the central procedure of decision making, yet
opening theory knowledge is certainly not the most crucial one as certain trainers (such as
Sveshnikov) wrongly think. Succes is the outcome of well balanced work on all the components
physical and mental alike.
How to build an effective chess library of the endless number of books published worldwide?
One should select books with real content and profound commentary and ignore those which quote
trivial recommendations and mountains of variations to memorize. Several authors might guarantee
high quality such as John Nunn and Jan Timman. On the other hand you can find chain writers like
Alexei Suetin about whom Tal once said that he hardly has the time to read his own books, that's how
fast he writes...
To conclude the interview I asked Mark to demonstrate an efficient treatment of a certain element, not
necessarily an obvious one, which clearly helped to improve his pupils' achievements.
Dvoretsky choose to demonstrate his work concerning the ability to admit your mistake. It is not
enough to realize the error; one should admit it in time and understand its reasons.
White: Kg1, Qc3, Rd4, Bc4, a3, b2, e3, e5, f4, g3, h2
Black: Kg8, Qe7, Ra8, Bc6, a6, b7, c7, e6, f7, g7, h6.
Dolmatov touched the rook on a8 intending to play 1..Rd8 but realized he would loose a pawn after 2.
Bxa6! Having no better choice than 1..Ra7 in order to return to a8 next move. Nevertheless he was
unable to admit his mistake and played 1..Rb8? although he had seen that he would loose after 2.
Bxa6 bxa6, 3. Qxc6 Rxb2, 4. Rd7 Qxa3, 5. Qa8+! Kh7, 6. Qe4+. Dolmatov thus continued 4..Qf8, 5.
Rxc7 Rb8 after which white realized his advantage and eventually won.
After the game we analyzed the reasons of his unwillingness to admit his mistake since mistakes as
dr. Tarrasch had put it, don't occur deliberately. A mistake brings about lack of confidence which yields
further mistakes. The player should accept the mistake as a definite fact and find the calmness to fix it
and fight on. This conversation was indeed fruitful and proved its efficiency in the following year
already.