Interview with GM Viorel Bologan

    1.         This year has been a successful one for you, you’ve achieved the highest Elo in your chess career -2734-and climbed on the 18^thrank in the World rating list list (on the 15^th according to the live ratings), repeating the success you had in 2005. So what makes a strong GM become an elite one in your opinion?

     There is very tiny difference between strong GM and Elite GM. For me the Elite list of GMs finishes somewhere on the position 15. So I can say that I neighbored them for a few days. I didn’t really become an Eilte GM. To become one you need stability in results first of all. Many GMs are jumping now over 2700 mark but very little of them can get really high.

2.       You shared the 2^nd-14^th place at the European Individual Championship in Plovdiv this year, taking the 7^th place and qualifying for the World Cup, making it the best performance of yours at an EICC. What made you better than so many other strong Gms at that tournament?

      

          Plovdiv is a good place for me with a good ambience. I feel good there. May be this helped me in a very tough competition which EICC is. Also we had a very strict regime with my friend Ernesto Inarkiev who almost shared the first place.

  3.        You’ve been involved in a lot of “chess activities” lately besides playing- coaching, writing books, DVD-s, introducing chess in schools in Moldova and launching your own Chess Academy. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

One by one J

-          DVDs - I do them for Chessbase and I enjoy not only the payment and the pleasure from the process itself, but also the very friendly atmosphere in Hamburg. For now, I have registered already 17 opening DVDs.

-          Books – this year I’ve sorted out my fifth book on Catalan, which can be very helpful for any level chess player.

-          CiS in Moldova - in the summer together with the Government and Chess Federation of Moldova, Bologan’s Chess Academy implemented a unique project of opening  45 chess classrooms in 45 schools in Moldova. Already in 2012-2013 our Academy together with the national federation and with the financial support of FIDE will introduce chess in another 100 schools in Moldova.

With his wife,Margarita,after winning the super-tournament in Dortmund,2003

   4.       Looking back over the years, what was the best decision you made in order to become who you are nowadays?

    

           I am used to take paradox life decisions from time to time, like last one I moved back to Qatar recently. Normally I don’t regret on what I made. May be the best in me is that I trust myself and just let it go. 

5.        What do you want the New Year  to bring you?

     Progress in my work (both as a coach and as a player), family happiness (spend more time with them), health for my relatives and friends.