Interview: Captain Ivan Sokolov - on coaching Gold-Winning Uzbek Chess Squad

Ivan Sokolov, by Frank Hoppe Public domain

GM Ivan Sokolov, a former top player himself, was the coach of the gold-winning Uzbek team at the Olympiad in Chennai, India. In an interview with Chess.com, the Dutch-Bosnian grandmaster reveals what it's like to work with prodigies who have taught him something about chess as well.

Born and raised in Bosnia (then Yugoslavia, now part of Bosnia and Herzegovina), he was one of the millions who left or fled the country during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. He settled in the Netherlands in 1992, which was a much more chess-loving country then when it had five or six annual grandmaster tournaments. His Dutch residence also made it easier for Sokolov to travel to tournaments abroad.

source: Chesscom


Comments

Post a Comment

TOP 5

Isabelle Yixuan Ning wins Merv Morrison Memorial 2024 (Auckland - NZL 26-28 Oct 2024)

Image
Isabelle Yixuan Ning wins Merv Morrison Memorial 2024. The event is a 6-round Swiss tournament held from October 26 to 28 in Auckland, New Zealand. Time control is set at 90 minutes for the entire game, with an additional 30-second increment from the first move. P T NAME Rtg PRtg Fed Pts DE PS BH SB BH-C1 1 CM Ning, Isabelle Yixuan 1923 2240 NZL 5.5 0 19.0 22.5 20.25 20.0 2 FM Ang, Alphaeus Wei Ern 2345 2155 NZL 5 0 18.5 24.0 19.50 20.5 3 CM Zhang, Kendrick Botong 2032 2141 NZL 4.5 0 18.5 24.5 16.50 22.5 4 Sadeghi, Hassan Roger 2048 2037 SUI 4.5 0 18.5 21.5 14.75 19.5 5 Mao, Daqi 1959 2142 NZL 4.5 0 17.5 24.5 17.00 22.5 6 CM Huang, Alex 1948 1987 NZL 4.5 0 15.5 18.0 12.25 17.0 7 Ashton, Matthew 1858 1907 NZL 4.5 0 15.0 18.5 14.00 16.5 8 Baker, Ilias Angelo (Leo) 1846 2077 NZL 4 0 17.0 23.0 13.50 20.0 9 Huang, Ziyi 1904 1940 CHN 4 0 15.0 21.5 11.00 19.5 10 Jin, Yanbo 1977 1963 NZL 4 0 15.0 20.5 12.25 18.5 11 Liu, William Rui 1846 1921 NZL 4 0 14.5 19.0 10.25 17.5 12 FM McLaren, Leonard...
Read more

FIDE AC extends ban and revokes title of IM Andrejs Strebkovs over harassment of female players

Image
The FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission Appeal Chamber has issued its decision regarding the case of IM Andrejs Strebkovs. The case involved accusations of sending offensive and inappropriate materials, including pornographic images and used condoms, to female chess players, some of whom were minors. These actions disrupted events such as the 2021 Women’s Grand Swiss Tournament and caused significant harm to the affected players and the broader chess community. In its initial ruling, the EDC First Instance Chamber found IM Andrejs Strebkovs guilty of several breaches of FIDE’s ethics and disciplinary code, imposing a five-year ban from all FIDE-rated events. Strebkovs appealed this decision, denying his involvement and challenging the evidence and FIDE’s authority to handle the case. FIDE, in turn, filed a cross-appeal, seeking a harsher sanction, including a longer ban and the revocation of Strebkovs’ International Master title, emphasizing the harm done to women and minors in che...
Read more

FIDE Master Ahmad Najjar wins Tuesday Battle Ground - June 24th 2025

Image
FIDE Master Ahmad Najjar Wins Tuesday Battle Ground in Beirut Despite the complex political situation in Lebanon, the game of chess continues to thrive. FIDE Master Ahmad Najjar emerged victorious in the Tuesday Battle Ground tournament, held yesterday, June 25th, in Beirut. Over 30 chess players participated in the event, which featured a time control of 10 minutes plus a 3-second increment per move.  
Read more