BUSINESS CHESS

An Interview after the Match

An excerpt from the interview given by G.K.Ovakimyan
after the match between the teams
of the Chess Federation of Moscow and of the City Hall.
Shakhmatnaya Nedelya (''Chess Weekly''), 2005, N22

            Q. Which of your expectations have been fulfilled and which have not?
            A. Only two games have been played, and both have turned out to be model ones. This is due not only to the high qualification of the participants, but also to the fact that both team acquainted themselves in advance with the main strategical and tactical ideas of Business Chess.
Moreover, the tournament has shown that Business Chess is capable of significantly expanding the opening repertory of the modern chess. This is due to the fact that the purposes of the game in the various branches may differ quite significantly. Hence the possibility of adopting more often nonstandard ''diversionary'' openings. This is my term, which is derived from the word diversion, meaning a diverting military manoeuvre.
As for my expectations that have not been fulfilled, well, I, of course, expected that the event would attract more attention of the chess community. Besides, very unfortunately, the preliminary agreement with one of the central Russian TV channels about the complete broadcasting of the game of Business Chess using the state-of-the-art technologies (several TV cameras, individual microphones for the participants, etc.) has fallen through.
Q. How do you see the TV future of Business Chess?
            A. This tournament has convinced me that even now the Business Chess represents a full-blooded commercial television product, which one can begin to promote in the television market. But this can only be managed by an influential organizational structure, for example, the Chess Federation or the Chess League. Their interest, as it seems to me, consists also in the fact that such a form of the game of chess, due to its spectacular and highly entertaining nature, completely meets the requirements of the IOC.
Furthermore, Business Chess may be presented on TV not only as sports events but also as instructive-educational and popular science programs. Because it is an excellent business game conducive to general education, and it has in fact been approved by the Russian Academy of Education, because it has been found to assist in the development of the skills of constructive communication between children  and their social self-organization. In the developed countries, a huge significance is attached to the introduction of business games in all spheres. Moreover, the introduction of Business Chess to schools will greatly expand the potential audience.

 Interviewed by Andrei PANEYAKH