koreanknife

Hi Magnus,

Back in 2004 you gave a Simul on ICC. I was one of the lucky to get selected to play against you then. We agreed to a draw after 35 moves from a Sicilian Najdorf, English attack. My 2nd greatest chess achievement and an enormous honor to play you.

How serious do you take simuls? Once you leave a board, do you only focus on the next board or do you find yourself still considering previous positions? Do you have certain strategies you aim for, such as do you tend towards more sharp positions for fun and out calculate your opponents, or do you tend towards more positional games and out maneuver to victory?

Thanks

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f3 Be7 9. Qd2 d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. O-O-O Nxe3 12. Qxe3 Qc7 13. Kb1 O-O 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. Rxd5 Nc6 16. Bd3 Rad8 17. Rxd8 Rxd8 18. h4 a5 19. a3 a4 20. Nd2 Nd4 21. c3 Nc6 22. Bc2 Na5 23. h5 Bc5 24. Qe2 Qb6 25. Ka2 Be3 26. Ne4 Nb3
2. Bxb3 Qxb3+ 28. Ka1 f5 29. Qxe3 fxe4 30. Qxe4 Rd1+ 31. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 32. Qb1 Qe2 33. Qa2+ Kf8 34. Qd5 Qxg2 35. Qxb7 Qf1+ {Game drawn by mutual agreement} 1/2-1/2

What a great organization. What qualifications do you look for when you hire people?

I have a 4 year microbiology degree and would love to work with MSF if I could.

In simuls, the person who is performing the exhibition is always white, so Magnus is white

I believe I had the option of repeatedly checking him with my queen. At the time of this game vs Magnus (2004), he was only an Internation Master and rising star. He has improved greatly since then.

My greatest achievement was playing against Nakamura (then US Champion) in a simul. His position was so bad that he offered me a draw. I declined knowing I had a far superior position and wanting to play for the win. Hikura made the board sharp and I started to run low on time and he ended up winning. It's close, but I think having a winning position (and him offering a draw hoping I'd take it) against someone in their prime edges out a draw against a rising star.

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 d6 4. Bg2 g6 5. e3 Bg7 6. Nge2 Qe7 7. d4 Nf6 8. O-O O-O 9. b3 Bd7 10. Bb2 a6 11. Qd2 h5 12. Rfe1 h4 13. f4 e4 14. d5 Nb8 15. Nd4 Bf5 16. Nxf5 gxf5 17. Ne2 Nh5 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Nd4 Kg6 20. Kf2 Rh8 21. Rh1 Nd7 22. Rag1 Ndf6 23. Bh3 Ng4+ 24. Bxg4 fxg4 25. f5+ Kg7 26. Qe2 Qg5 27. gxh4 Qxh4+ 28. Kf1 Nf6 29. h3 Kf8 30. Qb2 Ke7 31. Ne2 gxh3 32. Nf4 Rag8 33. Rxg8 Rxg8 34. Nxh3 Rg3 35. Nf2 Qg5 36. Qd4 Rf3 37. Ke1 Qg3 38. Rf1 Rxe3+ 39. Kd1 Ng4 40. Nxe4 Rd3+ 41. Kc1 Rxd4 42. Nxg3 Ne5 43. f6+ Kd7 44. Nf5 Nd3+ 45. Kd2 Rf4 46. Rxf4 Nxf4 47. Ng3 Ng6 48. Ke3 Ne5 49. Ne4 c6 50. Kd4 c5+ 51. Nxc5+ {Black resigns} 1-0

from answer below

My greatest achievement was playing against Nakamura (then US Champion) in a simul. His position was so bad that he offered me a draw. I declined knowing I had a far superior position and wanting to play for the win. Hikura made the board sharp and I started to run low on time and he ended up winning. It's close, but I think having a winning position (and him offering a draw hoping I'd take it) against someone in their prime edges out a draw against a rising star.

1.c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 d6 4. Bg2 g6 5. e3 Bg7 6. Nge2 Qe7 7. d4 Nf6 8. O-O O-O 9. b3 Bd7 10. Bb2 a6 11. Qd2 h5 12. Rfe1 h4 13. f4 e4 14. d5 Nb8 15. Nd4 Bf5 16. Nxf5 gxf5 17. Ne2 Nh5 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Nd4 Kg6 20. Kf2 Rh8 21. Rh1 Nd7 22. Rag1 Ndf6 23. Bh3 Ng4+ 24. Bxg4 fxg4 25. f5+ Kg7 26. Qe2 Qg5 27. gxh4 Qxh4+ 28. Kf1 Nf6 29. h3 Kf8 30. Qb2 Ke7 31. Ne2 gxh3 32. Nf4 Rag8 33. Rxg8 Rxg8 34. Nxh3 Rg3 35. Nf2 Qg5 36. Qd4 Rf3 37. Ke1 Qg3 38. Rf1 Rxe3+ 39. Kd1 Ng4 40. Nxe4 Rd3+ 41. Kc1 Rxd4 42. Nxg3 Ne5 43. f6+ Kd7 44. Nf5 Nd3+ 45. Kd2 Rf4 46. Rxf4 Nxf4 47. Ng3 Ng6 48. Ke3 Ne5 49. Ne4 c6 50. Kd4 c5+ 51. Nxc5+ {Black resigns} 1-0