Interview with GM Alisa Maric

LatestChess :- You were introduced to chess at the age of four, together with your 21 minutes younger twin sister Mirjana Maric. You are the only twins with grandmaster titles in the history of chess. How does it feel?
GM Alisa Maric :- It is interesting that Mirjana and I are the only twin grandmasters still despite many new players rising. I am very happy that both of us have achieved great results during our careers. I got higher rank than my sister but it was because she gave her best to help me as a trainer and pushed her own career back.

My sister was twice champion of Yugoslavia, world champion U16, participant of World championship Inter-zonal tournament and member of Yugoslavian national team at Chess Olympiads in a period of 1990-1994. Finally she had more obligations about her work as a computer programmer in national telecommunication company but also to her family and especially young son Filip.

Mirjana gave her best to help me as a trainer and pushed her own career back ...

LatestChess :- You started your chess career as a prodigy, you were equally good with academics, you have done M.S. and PhD. How difficult it is to manage both? Do you think you could have been a much stronger chess player if you would have concentrated only on chess?
GM Alisa Maric :- I was third at the World championship cycles in two occasions. In 1991 I was co-winner of Candidate’s tournament and played Final challenger match against Xie Jun and in 2000 I played semifinal at “knockout” World championship in New Delhi. In-between I was always among six best players at World championships. It’s not so easy to be much better than this. At the same time I graduated at University of Belgrade in Economy. It means that it is possible to manage both, sport and academic career. I can’t say it was easy, but it was a challenge to do the best in both fields. Now I spend more time as a marketing professor than as a chess player.

it is possible to manage both, sport and academic career...

LatestChess :- Chess has been effectively used as a powerful educational tool; Russian's have added chess as a subject in the Schools. How is Serbia doing with that aspect?
GM Alisa Maric :- Two years ago, Serbia introduced chess as a subject of choice in many primary schools. It was a great campaign supported by national Ministry of sport. I was named as a promoter of campaign so I played simultaneous games with kids, gave chess lessons and had interviews in various media about benefits of chess for youngsters. We have number of enthusiasts who are working on spreading chess as a subject to all primary and secondary schools in the country.

It was a great campaign supported by national Ministry of sport...

LatestChess :- Judith Polgar is the strongest female chess player in the history. What could be the reason that makes Judith Polgar different to other girls? Do you think avoiding women only chess tournaments could be the one of the reasons?
GM Alisa Maric :- Main reason why Judith Polgar is the strongest female chess player is because she is, simply, extraordinary player. It’s not about avoiding women’s only tournaments, she has all the qualities great players should have and this is the key of the so-called mystery. In general, it is good choice for women to play in the men’s tournaments. You can meet players with wider range of different styles and strength. I expect that in near future we will see more women players dealing successfully both in men’s and women competitions. Koneru Humpy is one of the bright examples.

Judith Polgar is simply, extraordinary player ...

Alisa Maric with Katerina Lahno, Chess Olympiad Dresden 2008

LatestChess :- Do you consider the possibility of cheating at high-level tournaments as a serious problem? What measures would you suggest to reduce such a possibility? What methods FIDE should apply to keep a check on external help during the game?
GM Alisa Maric :- You can see more and more such affairs. It’s possible that it is just a top of the iceberg but I strongly believe that most of chess players are honest. They are interested to protect fair-play which can be done only by anti-cheating control. My opinion is that FIDE should think and do more about it and in such an action they could have financial and organizational support from the IOC. In chess, we don’t need so much anti-doping program but anti-electronic program as a must.

most of chess players are honest ...

we don’t need so much anti-doping program but anti-electronic program as a must ...

LatestChess :- You have anchored many chess programs such as "Alisa in the Wonderland of Chess" on different TV channels. Have you ever thought about modeling? Do you think glamour can help in popularizing chess world wide?
GM Alisa Maric :- Glamour always helps but without significant sport results you’re going to be attractive to media only in short term. My TV shows were based on interesting materials and extraordinary guests. As a well known sports figure in my country, it was much easier for me to bring other public figures in the show and reveal them as a chess fans. My guests were popular singers, actors, basketball stars, even politicians. In Serbia and former Yugoslavia chess has great tradition and almost everybody knows at least chess rules.

Glamour always helps ...

In Serbia and former Yugoslavia chess has great tradition, almost everybody knows at least chess rules ...

LatestChess :- You are co-author of students book “Principles of marketing“. Do you have any plans of a book authoring on chess?
GM Alisa Maric :- I am thinking about writing chess autobiography book which I hope it could be useful for young generations as an example and advise how to reach world top.

LatestChess :- What are your future plans, both in chess and in teaching profession? What would you still like to achieve in these areas?
GM Alisa Maric :- There is a similarity between chess and science in a sense that you can always discover something new and improve yourself. In chess I have managed a lot, now my ambitions are related mostly to successes of national selection.

There is a similarity between chess and science ...

Read the complete interview with games on www.LatestChess.com - http://latestchess.com/showInterview.php?id=15