A note on failure

This is such an interesting comment by Bareev, coach of the Russian team for a period. He had to account for the team’s failure when it ‘only’ gained the silver medal in the 2010 Olympiad.

When the interview came to Svidler, he said:

Svidler’s potential is colossal! But, unfortunately, he was totally unprepared for the Olympiad.

How could that be, given he was at the training camp with you all?

But it’s not a question of one day, it’s a question of his relationship to chess. Unfortunately, as became clear, chess isn’t the most important thing for him anymore. That’s the problem. Again, if chess again becomes something great and significant for Peter then he can and will play. The question is his relationship to chess. Chess doesn’t forgive such a relationship. And didn’t forgive him. I shouted to him about it before the tournament, and during it, but what of it? I can’t punish him, but chess punished him. Together with Svidler chess punished the whole team. And the trainer, who took a man into his team who didn’t love chess.

The whole article is interesting and well worth studying for the way in which this sort of thing is discussed at the highest levels. Failure is not at all an easy subject of analysis.

After being banned for refusing to wear the hijab….

Today the Guardian reports that Dora Derakhshani, the Iranian player who was banned for not wearing the hijab, has defected, so to speak, to the US. The full story is here.

Given how many males think it’s all cool in Iran and that female players including visitors shouldn’t boycott events there, but should instead cover up themselves, it’s all the more pleasing to see this stand.